Networking gives you an opportunity to interact with other professionals, learn about their businesses, and share information about your work. Developing contacts by reaching out to someone you do not know can be intimidating. But networking effectively is an important part of professional development. In fact, a recent study revealed that almost 85 percent of all jobs are filled via networking.
There are many Marist College alumni who are ready and willing to share their insight and experiences in the workplace with Marist students. The Marist College Office of Alumni Relations and Center for Career Services have collaborated to create an online, searchable Alumni Career Network. This database contains hundreds of Marist alumni across different professional fields. Students can refine their searches by specific employers, graduation years, city, occupation, major, and type of assistance offered. Many alumni offer one-on-one mentorship, email and telephone advice correspondence, workplace shadow opportunities, practice interviews, and even full-time job referrals. Students do not need to join the network in order to search it. They can simply log in using their MyMarist account. Chances are that some of the contacts in the Alumni Career Network took similar classes and participated in the same clubs and extra-curricular activities that you do now at Marist. By building off these commonalities you will be able to make a meaningful introduction and cultivate strong relationships with professionals in your desired field. Marist alumni can provide invaluable guidance on how to translate your experiences at Marist into a long-term career and help steer you in the direction of the field you want to work in. Even if some of the alumni are not in a recruiting role, hiring managers that are looking to fill a position generally look to their own employees and co-workers’ contacts for recommendations to fill positions rather than hire an outside applicant. Remaining in the inner circles of Marist College alumni can prove valuable, even at unexpected times. Danielle Markus ’19 landed her Fall 2017 Archive Internship with OTTO and AUGUST, two photography syndication agencies in New York City, by networking with an alumna of Marist College. Danielle’s friend put her in touch with Vicky Saperstein ’14 who worked at both agencies and Danielle kept in touch with Vicky via phone and email. Vicky then put Danielle in contact with one of her supervisors, who eventually made Danielle the internship offer. During her internship, Danielle reviewed hundreds of image submissions from some of the top celebrity, fashion, architecture, and design photography studios. She also recorded the metadata and keywords for the photo archives of both syndication agencies. “I would suggest to students that are looking for possible internships or jobs to not be afraid to put themselves out there, reach out to alumni, and even check on different Facebook pages,” Danielle said. “A lot of the time Marist alumni love hearing from current students and networking can lead to great connections.” There is also a Marist College Alumni Association group in LinkedIn where you can find and connect with alumni who are working in your desired field. Danielle and Vicky were both members of the same sorority at Marist, Kappa Kappa Gamma, which helped them facilitate conversation and develop a common connection. Whether you’re looking for a job or simply seeking professional development advice from a professional in your field, networking with Marist alumni can help you determine goals for your own career path. For further assistance navigating the Alumni Career Network please make an appointment with a career coach in FoxQuest and select Employer and Alumni Connections for Current Students in the appointment type field.
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