Tell me how your college alumni network helped you...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wellesley College network has helped me with so many things from career assistance:
My first internship was a recommendation from an alum.
My first job was a recommendation from an alum.
First time I had to negotiate stock options and compensation for a VP level job, I used advice from a Wellesley message board to dramatically increase how much I was paid.


The alumnae network also has helped me parent:
I hired a nanny recommended by an alum.
When one of my kids was sick in the middle of the night, and I was awaiting a call back from the pediatrician, a pediatric nurse on a Wellesley parenting message board correctly diagnosed it as appendicitis and suggested I take her to the ER. I was in the hospital parking lot by the time my pediatrician called back and suggested the exact same thing.


And even small little stuff like my favorite sweater is from a suggestion from the Wellesley fashion and clothing message board, and visiting restaurants or activities recommended by alums while on trips.

Wellesley network is unlike anything I've seen from any colleges that my friends or family have attended. It's a force!

+1

I have to agree. My friends and family who attended Wellesley are so supportive of each other - IMO, far moreso than women, in general. It is encouraging to see.

+2. I tap into the Wellesley alumnae network daily. There are groups for everything: a writer’s group, middle age progressions, raising kids, dealing with parent aging and death, etc. I’ve personally done many informational interviews for current students, hosted students or recent grads in my home when they were coming into town for interviews, and more. I feel the college growing even more important in my life as I age and feel it is a rock solid part of support system.

It sounds like a version of DCUM, from all of the people describing it.

Only the good parts of DCUM.

[Anonymous]

It is only good if you know how to use it. Unfortunately, most people have no idea. Opportunities are everywhere if you know how to leverage them. I attended UNC Chapel Hill with a Pell grant and Financial Aid from a low income family. I had no idea what to study in college because no one was around to guide me. Fortunately, I taught myself music at a very young age and became very good at it. My college roomate came from a very wealthy family and I taught him how to play guitar to impress girls and it worked. We became very close and he invited me to his family events, and his father became my mentor. I got a very good job after graduation from my roommate's father. I am now making more money than I know what to do with it. Opportunities are everywhere, you just have to look for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is only good if you know how to use it. Unfortunately, most people have no idea. Opportunities are everywhere if you know how to leverage them. I attended UNC Chapel Hill with a Pell grant and Financial Aid from a low income family. I had no idea what to study in college because no one was around to guide me. Fortunately, I taught myself music at a very young age and became very good at it. My college roomate came from a very wealthy family and I taught him how to play guitar to impress girls and it worked. We became very close and he invited me to his family events, and his father became my mentor. I got a very good job after graduation from my roommate's father. I am now making more money than I know what to do with it. Opportunities are everywhere, you just have to look for them.

Sucking up to rich people is not the normal way

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is only good if you know how to use it. Unfortunately, most people have no idea. Opportunities are everywhere if you know how to leverage them. I attended UNC Chapel Hill with a Pell grant and Financial Aid from a low income family. I had no idea what to study in college because no one was around to guide me. Fortunately, I taught myself music at a very young age and became very good at it. My college roomate came from a very wealthy family and I taught him how to play guitar to impress girls and it worked. We became very close and he invited me to his family events, and his father became my mentor. I got a very good job after graduation from my roommate's father. I am now making more money than I know what to do with it. Opportunities are everywhere, you just have to look for them.

Sucking up to rich people is not the normal way

And reaching out to school alumni is not sucking up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wellesley College network has helped me with so many things from career assistance:
My first internship was a recommendation from an alum.
My first job was a recommendation from an alum.
First time I had to negotiate stock options and compensation for a VP level job, I used advice from a Wellesley message board to dramatically increase how much I was paid.


The alumnae network also has helped me parent:
I hired a nanny recommended by an alum.
When one of my kids was sick in the middle of the night, and I was awaiting a call back from the pediatrician, a pediatric nurse on a Wellesley parenting message board correctly diagnosed it as appendicitis and suggested I take her to the ER. I was in the hospital parking lot by the time my pediatrician called back and suggested the exact same thing.


And even small little stuff like my favorite sweater is from a suggestion from the Wellesley fashion and clothing message board, and visiting restaurants or activities recommended by alums while on trips.

Wellesley network is unlike anything I've seen from any colleges that my friends or family have attended. It's a force!

+1

I have to agree. My friends and family who attended Wellesley are so supportive of each other - IMO, far moreso than women, in general. It is encouraging to see.

+2. I tap into the Wellesley alumnae network daily. There are groups for everything: a writer’s group, middle age progressions, raising kids, dealing with parent aging and death, etc. I’ve personally done many informational interviews for current students, hosted students or recent grads in my home when they were coming into town for interviews, and more. I feel the college growing even more important in my life as I age and feel it is a rock solid part of support system.

As a Dartmouth alum, in my early career, it was a network of older men. Now, it’s the women’s alumni clubs that are so active and provide support beyond just career help. This has been an added bonus I never anticipated thirty years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Within my big tech company, the top SLAC I attended has an alumni group. We've volunteered together a couple of times and help with networking for each other and students within the company.

I’m shocked that a company would organize/allow something like that. Not very inclusive!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wellesley College network has helped me with so many things from career assistance:
My first internship was a recommendation from an alum.
My first job was a recommendation from an alum.
First time I had to negotiate stock options and compensation for a VP level job, I used advice from a Wellesley message board to dramatically increase how much I was paid.


The alumnae network also has helped me parent:
I hired a nanny recommended by an alum.
When one of my kids was sick in the middle of the night, and I was awaiting a call back from the pediatrician, a pediatric nurse on a Wellesley parenting message board correctly diagnosed it as appendicitis and suggested I take her to the ER. I was in the hospital parking lot by the time my pediatrician called back and suggested the exact same thing.


And even small little stuff like my favorite sweater is from a suggestion from the Wellesley fashion and clothing message board, and visiting restaurants or activities recommended by alums while on trips.

Wellesley network is unlike anything I've seen from any colleges that my friends or family have attended. It's a force!

+1

I have to agree. My friends and family who attended Wellesley are so supportive of each other - IMO, far moreso than women, in general. It is encouraging to see.

+2. I tap into the Wellesley alumnae network daily. There are groups for everything: a writer’s group, middle age progressions, raising kids, dealing with parent aging and death, etc. I’ve personally done many informational interviews for current students, hosted students or recent grads in my home when they were coming into town for interviews, and more. I feel the college growing even more important in my life as I age and feel it is a rock solid part of support system.

Interesting. Are these Facebook groups?

[Anonymous]

I went to Syracuse and I work in media. I would say my first three jobs out of college came to me via fellow Newhouse graduates. And, I handed those jobs off to other Newhouse grads. I will say these were friends/acquaintances and we did it on our own, not really through the university.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dartmouth alum and it definitely got me my first big job.

I'm a Dartmouth alum and it hasn't helped me, but I've helped three alumni get jobs, so there's that.

[Anonymous]

I'm an Ivy graduate and not once have I benefitted from an alumni connection. My DH on the other hand went to a school most on this board have never heard of, but alumni seem to go out of their way to help him and he in turn does the same for other grads.

[Anonymous]

If you choose not to try to leverage your alumni network, that does not mean it is not useful. It would only be of zero value if you reached out to alumni and they told you to pound sand. I don't believe anyone is saying that is the case. I don't understand comments where one says they have not benefited from an alumni connection...did you even try? It doesn't magically happen.

Alumni networks can be very powerful in certain industries that don't typically hire tons of kids. VC, many hedge funds, boutique investment banks, start-ups, etc. These companies don't tend to have structured hiring programs, so reaching out to alums is well worth the effort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I'm an Ivy graduate and not once have I benefitted from an alumni connection. My DH on the other hand went to a school most on this board have never heard of, but alumni seem to go out of their way to help him and he in turn does the same for other grads.

Same! I hate meeting people from my school. My brother, on the other hand, loves it! But it may be because he has moved so far away it is an actual treat to meet alumni?