“Connecting is a philosophy of life, a world view. Its guiding principle is that people, all people, every person you meet, is an opportunity to help and be helped. Why do I place so much importance on mutual dependence? For starters, because, as a matter of necessity,  we are social beings. Our strength comes from what we do and know cumulatively. The fact is, no one gets ahead in this world without a lot of help”

From Never Eat Alone:  And other secrets to success, one relationship at a time, by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz

“Just as I urge the individuals within my job search program to network and make connections, I, as a career services professional, must do the same.”

In July, I attended a Peer Connections Conference dedicated to sharing knowledge and information about practices and resources for alumni career services. There were representatives from some 40 schools in attendance. The event was sponsored by De Paul University, an urban campus in downtown Chicago.

Formed in the summer of 2005, Peer Connections provides a forum for sharing ideas among counseling and career professionals whose institutions offer alumni career services in one form or another. “Since there are so few of us doing this kind of work, and since most of us operate as a single-person office,” says Jennifer Duncan, director of Alumni Career Services at the University of Texas at Austin,” we need to connect and communicate as a professional group.”

Peer Connections first utilized monthly or quarterly conference calls to discuss best practices, current trends, and current issues. At present, the group does not allow corporate recruiters, consultants, or vendors to join. From summer 2005 to summer 2006, the group grew from approximately nine to 40; the first conference was held in July 2006. Then, during the past year, the membership has grown to 90-plus alumni career professionals.

The conference was a marketplace of ideas, best practices, and sharing of new technologies. Some of the schools present included the University of North Carolina, Tufts, Duke, Case Western Reserve, BYU, MIT, Northwestern, Stanford, and a bunch more. The conference provided a load of information and addressed many of the issues from an alumni association perspective. Most important, it was about making connections.

So how does the University of Utah Alumni Career Services compare to the offerings of the other schools?

Very well, I was pleased to discover.

Many schools do not organize Alumni Career Services from an alumni association perspective. (In fact, Alumni Career Services at the University of Utah is a hybrid partnership with the Alumni Association and Career Services.) Some schools align with undergraduate career services and others with continuing education. Some programs arise out of institutional advancement or alumni development. But for all of the universities and colleges, the goal is to create a continued relationship and connection with former graduates who attended their respective institutions. 

While some schools offer links to their alumni for networking purposes, they provide little else in terms of additional resources or counseling. Some schools charge only an alumni membership fee to gain access to their career programs. Most, however, charge for various add-on or specialty services. The schools that don’t assess fees generally have few offerings or Web tools to assist the jobseeker. In addition, very few of the counselors have been trained in coaching, MBTI, Strong Interest Inventory or other personal assessment tests—which are some of my specialties. Nearly all of the alumni career service programs provide the opportunity for employers to post their positions and for alumni to access them. This month we will offer that feature on our job board at www.alumni.utah.edu/career (click on “JobBoard”).

We Are Way Ahead in our Web-based Offerings
The University of Utah was the hands-down winner in the breadth of our Web-based resources. We provide the following tools: Ucareerlink for job postings, CareerBeam for assessments and an industry database, CareerSearch for industry research, InterviewMastery for perfecting interviewing techniques, and CareerLiftOff, another assessment tool.

Additionally, we are the only career counseling center that provides a “trailing spouse” program for faculty or staff locating to Utah—that is, we provide local career support for an accompanying spouse or partner, where other schools don’t.

So, Where Do We Need Improvement?
The area in which we need accelerated development is in the creation of online programs that can be accessed anywhere in the United States via teleconferencing. If and when we have such a program, anyone would be able to access a particular topic and/or participate in a phone conference to learn about résumé development, networking, or interviewing techniques. We hope to implement such a program by October 2007.

In addition, U-News & Views, the Alumni Association’s e-newsletter (which you are currently reading) is an ideal place to announce potential topics and dates, and provide access to program information. This would allow our various alumni chapters around the country to connect readily with Alumni Career Services.

Need more information?  Why not call me, Julie Swaner, at (801) 585-5036.

Featured Offering for September
Alumni Career Services at the U offers strategic career management through CareerBeam, a comprehensive, user-friendly online program available 24 hours a day. CareerBeam offers:

• Up to 10 assessments of your talents, interests, and skills
• one in-person or telephone session with a career coach
• Access to information about 15 million companies and 20 million industries

Sign up for CareerBeam during the month of September and receive a full résumé critique, free of charge, in person, or by phone or e-mail. CareerBeam is offered for a full year at the special price of $99.

Ignite your career! Go to www.alumni.utah.edu/career and click on “CareerBeam,” or contact Julie Swaner at (801) 585-5036.