Morningside Connect

Chances are, at some point in your professional career you will be approached by college students or others, either directly or indirectly, interested in pursuing careers in your field of study.  It’s sometimes difficult to know how to guide young people in the right direction.  What kind of information should you share?  How much should you do for students?

As a college alum, the best advice you can offer to students is the value of your experience!  Think back to your own thoughts, fears, and regrets.  Can you think of a time when you passed up a great opportunity that you later regretted?  Were there things in your college experience you credit with getting you where you are today?  How did your experience shape your career choices?  For example, it may be difficult for a student to understand how being the president of the Climb Club could help them become an effective educator,  how participating in choir could affect their career in business, or how being a collegiate athlete could lead to becoming a nurse manager.

In addition, talk about the types of things you participated in or the college decisions you made and how those impacted your relationships.  Maybe there are some relationships you still have today?  How have those impacted you? These are great experiences to share with students, as well as a helpful nudge for students into making decisions that will impact their career and their lives in a positive way.

Whether you are at a basketball game, theatrical event, or just back on campus once a year for Homecoming, as you connect with alumni, faculty, staff, Alumni Relations, Career Services, and students of the college, a simple invitation that indicates that you are open to sharing your experience with students will go a long way.

Next month, I will offer some tips on the appropriate way to provide networking contacts or job leads to students.

Stacie