Colgate University
Center for Career Services

 

 

The Colgate  Connection

The Colgate Connection, coordinated by the Center for Career Services, is a group of approximately 3000 alumni and parent volunteers who offer students and alumni opportunities for exploring career options and making professional contacts. In addition to those who have specifically volunteered to help, Colgate alumni, in general, are usually receptive to being contacted for career-related information.

To receive a Colgate Connection list, make an appointment with a Career Services advisor by calling extension 7380.

Reasons For Contacting Colgate Alumni & Parents

You may wish you contact Colgate alumni, parents of current students, friends of your family, or other professionals for a variety of reasons, including to:

• develop a clearer understanding of a specific career field.
• gather information about the types of career or summer opportunities that might exist within a particular field or organization and learn successful strategies for finding employment.
• develop contacts with people who either do the hiring or who act as resources for those who do.
• learn about a specific geographic area; including, the strength of its economy, major employers in the area, preferred residential areas, cost of living factors, etc.

Although alumni and parents are generally responsive to providing the assistance mentioned above, they are under no obligation to find you a job or to obtain an interview for you. In some cases, a job interview might result but this is a fringe benefit and should not be an expectation. The type of assistance you receive is usually the result of cultivating relationships and making positive personal impressions with contacts.

Identifying Contacts

Alumni and parent contacts can be developed in a number of ways. In addition to contacting the Center for Career Services for networking leads, please consider the following creative, more personal, and often more effective ways for identifying and meeting alumni contacts:

• Participate in A Day in the Life program, which is sponsored by alumni and parents;
• Attend Colgate Career Seminars where alumni and parents participate on career panels;
• Read about alumni in The Colgate Scene and follow up with a phone call or letter;
• Volunteer to assist the Office of Alumni Affairs with Reunion Weekend in May;
• Attend Colgate Club functions in your geographical area;
• Attend an alumni presentation on campus.

We want to make your interaction with alumni and parents as successful as possible. To do this we ask that you make an appointment with a career advisor prior to receiving names of networking contacts. The purpose of this appointment is to:

• Critique and/or help you develop a professional résumé and letter of introduction. It is recommended that you bring drafts of each to your first appointment.
• After discussing your career interests and how contacting alumni and parents might be helpful to you, the names and business addresses will be provided. Personal follow-up is crucial for the contact to be successful. In addition, Career Services needs to be respectful of alumni time and the number of requests they receive. Therefore we do not provide exhaustive lists.

How to Contact Alumni and Parents

The best way to gather career information and to develop a professional network is through a face-to-face informational meeting with an alumnus/a or other professional. When this is not possible, a phone conversation can often be helpful.

The Career Services staff suggests that your initial contact with the alumna/us be through a letter of introduction. In your letter, include who you are, why you are writing, a brief description of your career goals and past experience, the type of information that will be helpful to you, and how you plan to follow up your letter. Be specific about the type of information that will be helpful to you. The more specific you are, the more helpful alumni can be. It is also appropriate to enclose an updated copy of your résumé with the letter. Since you are the one making the request, do not expect alumni to telephone you. Rather, one week after sending the letter, it is appropriate to follow up with a phone call.

When you phone the alumna/us, introduce yourself, mention that you are following up your letter and briefly state the purpose of your call. A phone call introduction might go as follows:

Hello, Ms. Robinson. This is (Your Name) calling from Colgate University. I am following up on a letter I wrote to you last week in which I mentioned my interest in the field of advertising. I learned of your involvement at (Name of Company) through the Center for Career Services at Colgate and I would greatly appreciate an opportunity to meet with you to discuss (be specific)...

As a follow-up to the phone call, you may want to write a letter confirming the appointment and expressing appreciation for their willingness to meet with you.

Preparing for an Informational Meeting or Phone Call.

The following are questions you might consider asking:

1. What is the main function of the business, organization or agency?
2. How did you get started in this career field?
3. What do you do? What does a typical day look like?
4. What are your major responsibilities?
5. How does your position fit into the organization?
6. What do you find most satisfying about your job? Most frustrating?
7. What skills, education and experience are required to be successful in your organization?
8. What are the toughest problems you face in your organization?
9. What are the professional organizations to which you belong?
10. What sort of changes are occurring in your field?
11. What are typical entry-level positions in your field for someone with a liberal arts background? What are some of the typical career paths in your field/organization?
12. What additional courses/preparation would you recommend?
13. What types of training programs exist?
14. What advice could you give me if I wanted to start out in this field?
15. What other businesses, organizations or agencies employ people doing similar things that we've talked about?
16. Can you suggest anyone else I could contact for additional information? May I use your name as a referral?

Follow-up

Developing professional contacts is not a "one-time" interaction. The success of your career often depends on the positive and supportive relationships you have developed along the way. Alumni and other professionals are resources for your entire career, not just for initial exploration. Keep in touch with those who seem interested in your plans, taking opportunity to update them periodically.