Morningside Connect

Throughout the course of a student’s stay at Morningside, faculty or staff on campus (including myself and Gene Ambroson), may reach out to alumni regarding connecting with students, providing targeted career advice, or even sharing job leads.

Whenever providing networking contacts or job leads for students, it is important to make sure you feel comfortable with the process.  When working with students you don’t know well, I would recommend taking some time to get to know them via phone, e-mail or in person, as well as have them send you their resume.  This allows you to get to know them better, while getting a handle on what their overall goals and aspirations are.

Don’t be afraid to ask a student to do some research and get back to you, or to get a recommendation from a faculty member.  This can be a good indication if the student will be able to follow up with others in a timely and respectful manner, and works toward you feeling more comfortable in recommending or referring someone for a position.

Remember that your job in this respect is to be a facilitator and a connector.  It is ultimately up to the student to impress the contact with their experience, personality, and skills; your involvement is to simply connect the student to the person/opportunity.

If you don’t have any current contacts or job leads, consider offering students resources and places you would recommend to find additional networking contacts or jobs in their preferred industry, including professional groups, industry memberships, or community events.

Remember that networking and providing job leads is a two way street.  Perhaps you or your company could benefit from the input and fresh perspective of a current college student.  Additionally, if you are able to refer an amazing student with one of your professional networking contacts, it can produce dividends for you and your company in the future. The end goal is to establish a mutually beneficial relationship.

Finally, if one of your professional networking contacts asks you for ideas in finding an intern or full time employee after graduation, utilize your resources!  Career Services is happy to promote these kinds of positions, and can even incorporate resume collections or faculty/staff endorsements.  Just contact Stacie at hays@morningside.edu or (712) 274-5032.

Stacie Hays

To make an appointment, please visit www.kroneadvisingcenter.genbook.com.