Career Accelerator 2026—Marketing Yourself in a Changing Marketing

The marketing profession is evolving at a pace that we haven’t seen in years. AI is reshaping workflows, teams are leaner, expectations are higher and storytelling has become just as important as technical skills. Whether you’re hiring, exploring new opportunities, reskilling or simply trying to stay ahead, the ability to clearly articulate your value has never mattered more.

This Career Accelerator, co-hosted by the American Marketing Association San Francisco and UC Berkeley Extension, brings together marketing leaders, recruiters, hiring managers and educators to help you understand what’s changing—and how to position yourself in the middle of it. Through an inspiring keynote conversation, a live recruiter deep-dive and a highly interactive networking experience, you’ll walk away with:

• A sharper understanding of what hiring teams look for today
• Practical tools to refine your résumé, LinkedIn and personal narrative
• Insight into how AI is influencing job search and evaluation
• A clearer sense of your strengths, opportunities and market story
• New professional connections who can champion your next step
   

Event Schedule

5:30-6 pm: Check-in and networking warm-up

6-6:45 pm: Opening session with keynote conversation
Moderator: Kate Sargent, Founder at KJS Consulting and The Plus One Collective
Panelists: Carolyn Bao, CMO at Edge, and Jeff Eyet, founder and CEO at The Berkeley Innovation Group

6:45-6:55 pm: Break

6:55-7:30 pm: Session 2 "Behind the Curtain: How Recruiters Really Search"
Speaker: Larisssa Gerlach, founder and head of recruitment at The Vibrant Talent Group

7:30-8:30 pm: Networking activity on "Pitch my friend"

Cost

Free when you use code "UCBEXTENSION26." Redeem under the Student ticket category.