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AROUND THE QUADS

Columbia Career Connections

Helpings students, alumni network with Columbia alumni

University Alumni Relations has partnered with the undergraduate school alumni offices, the Center for Career Education and undergraduate student leadership to launch Columbia Career Connections, an online career networking community where students have the opportunity to make connections with alumni in a wide variety of professions, industries and locations.

Columbia Career Connections was launched for alumni last fall, and as of February 1, more than 1,300 alumni from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds had registered. In February, undergraduates from the College, SEAS and GS were brought into the networking community.

The Center for Career Education emphasizes networking as an important aspect of career development. Networking can help students gain valuable industry insight, find contacts for informational interviews and develop a more nuanced understanding of organizations and professions.

In Columbia Career Connections, alumni are able to develop profiles on their current and past work experience and describe how they were able to achieve their current position. Each profile also may contain information on the industry, organization and type of work in which the alumnus is engaged. Alumni also have the option of identifying networking preferences based on common interests and affinity groups. While students do not create profiles, they can search profiles by a variety of criteria and, using blind e-mail, contact directly those alumni who have expressed a preference to network with students.

Students must attend a networking workshop before using Columbia Career Connections so that they are equipped to maximize their online experience. Alumni wishing to participate in CCC should visit www.alumni.columbia.edu.

Other networking opportunities organized by CCE include networking nights highlighting different industries, and the “Careers In ...” series, which brings alumni to campus to discuss their current work. For example, CCE is hosting a Media and Publishing Networking Night in Low Rotunda from 7–9 p.m. on March 28, bringing together students and professionals in the media.

Similarly, the College alumni office, in conjunction with Columbia College Young Alumni, hosts industry-specific networking nights, and the Office of Student Affairs, in conjunction with the alumni offices of the College and SEAS, hosts networking panels for students. Several campus affinity groups have networking or mentoring programs as well.

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