A head start on career networking

Even experienced professionals can find networking challenging, but networking is a skill that can be learned and improved, which is why the Alex Lee Career and Professional Development Center is initiating Career Connectors to bring students and alumni together for a head start in the networking arena.

“We know we have very loyal alumni at LR, so when a student encounters an alum, automatically they have someone in their corner,” shared Katie Wohlman, director of career and professional development. “Career Connectors is a way for us to be more intentional and deliberate about those student and alumni connections.”

Focused connections

Participation in Career Connectors — a joint venture with the Office of Alumni Engagement — is voluntary, and alumni can join by completing the Career Connectors registration form. Wohlman and the career center staff will use this information to facilitate contact between students and alumni working in their prospective career fields.

“This program is a way for students to make contact with people working in their field who also understand the LR experience — which is a unique and special experience — and who understand their academic background firsthand,” said Wohlman.

Having built a strong network of alumni connections to serve as student resources over her 15 years at Lenoir-Rhyne, Wohlman believes the Career Connectors program will allow the center to expand that network and give students access to alumni working in disciplines and fields that may need additional representation.

“We’re very careful with alumni information. We want to respect the volunteers’ and the students’ time, so this won’t be a list for students to search on their own. Because we will facilitate these connections, we can be very deliberate and allow students and alumni to make the most productive connections,” Wohlman explained.

Benefits for student participants

While social media platforms such as LinkedIn allow students to locate and contact alumni on their own, that process can be hit-or-miss.

“Floating around on LinkedIn or some other list, students are guessing at who might be the best person to contact. Plus, it’s daunting to contact a stranger who may or may not reply,” Wohlman explained.

Through Career Connectors, students make an appointment in the career center, where staff will provide a handpicked pre-vetted contact along with advice for reaching out and making a strong first impression.

“It’s hard to get your foot in the door as a professional fresh out of college. These connections will give students who are starting out, who haven’t built a professional network, the contacts that can make them more competitive in finding job openings and securing interviews,” shared Wohlman.

Benefits for alumni participants

Alumni and their employers also stand to benefit from the program by gaining access to qualified candidates. Data shows that new hires who already have a connection in a company or organization tend to perform better, find greater job satisfaction and remain with the company longer.

“Sometimes students find networking challenging because they don’t want to ‘take advantage,’ but networking benefits both job seekers and employers,” Wohlman shared. “Employers prefer to hire based on referrals from existing employees.”

The program, like all career center services, will also be available to alumni embarking on a career change. Mary Ellen Sherrill, assistant director of alumni engagement, hopes to see a wide variety of alumni — from recent graduates to retirees — share their experiences through the program.

“We want to allow alumni to support LR in a way that feels meaningful to them. Our alumni love hearing about and working with students, so this is a great way for alumni from all over to make a difference today.”