I’m always dismayed by how few people say they use the career services centers at their universities when they are about to graduate. These offices offer a wealth of employment resources and should not be ignored by students at any stage of their education—even if you happen to be a member of the alumni.
If everything old is new again, then those who graduated 10, 20 or even 30 years ago might find some good connections among their old classmates. Many universities and colleges are using the current economy to tap into their alumni networks by offering résumé critiques, career coaching, individual career planning, interviewing workshops, webinars, job board portals and other tools for the job search process. People who never entered the doors of the school’s career placement center when they were a student are responding now as adults and are discovering the advantages. In many cases, the career center and alumni office are working hand-in-hand—after all, those who do find employment may show their gratitude by way of a donation, but in almost all cases, job search services are offered at no charge.
If you’ve recently been laid off or need to change your job situation, one of your first priorities should be relationship-building with your alma mater and reaching out to the career center. Learn what is available to you both in person and online. You should also check external social networking sources like Linkedin and Facebook to see if your school has an alumni group you can join. Find out if there is a live, active membership group or club in a city near you. For example, I got a graduate degree at Indiana University in Bloomington and just recently learned that there is an IU Metro NY chapter with more than 3,000 members. Like most schools, Indiana also has a Web-based alumni network, which can serve as a virtual meeting place and offer a wide range of possibilities for professional development.
If you discover that a fellow alum holds a position of power in either your target industry or at a prospective employer, tread carefully. Reach out, but don’t ask for a job, instead ask for advice or gather information on industry trends. Like any kind of networking, particularly if you don’t know a person, being too pushy or too desperate is unlikely to be an advantage. Dr. Barry Miller, manager of alumni career programs and services at Pace University, cautions that you can’t expect favoritism or rely too heavily on your old-school connections. Says Dr. Miller, “Companies hire on competency, not school affiliation.” Miller is one of the local university leaders who put together a multi-school alumni job fair this past June, with 26 schools participating along with 79 employers. Dr. Miller reasoned that companies are still hiring in this economy and actively seek certain majors with direct work experience. “We had more than 2,000 people attend and plan to hold another one specifically for MBAs in January.” If you are interested in attending, check out a site called www.MyWorkster.com for future announcements. MyWorkster uses your college education as a platform for networking with peers, professors, alumni and potential employers.
Career center leadership professionals are interested in supporting their student body, today and tomorrow’s graduating classes, as well as their graduates—no matter what year. Remember, they are in the business of promoting their graduates to employers and building connections to the workplace. Their mission never changes, whether it’s a good economy or a bad one. Use them or lose an important ally in the world of employment.
Nancy Schuman is a vice president at Lloyd Staffing, headquartered in Melville, and is the author of seven how-to books on career guidance and job-search techniques. Lloyd Staffing offers temporary, contract and full-time employment services on a regional and national basis. Send your career-related questions to nschuman@longislandpress.com.
