If there is one message to be taken from recent Hamilton alumni and Career Center events it's this: the Hamilton network is stronger and busier than ever. A very recent example is the first GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) Summit that took place April 3-5.
Some 60 GOLD members registered and attended the event that was billed as a weekend of career, volunteer and social networking. Dave Steadman '03, director of Young Alumni Giving and event organizer observed, "Over the past few months, the College has been taking extra care to provide venues and opportunities to bring the network to life and real and tangible ways."
A highlight of the weekend was the series of career panels in the fields of law, health, film and television, sales and marketing, government and public policy, and media and communications.
Alumni panel participants were generous in sharing advice for members of the class of '09, who turned out for the panels in droves. Warren White '92, a career transition consultant with Drake Bean Morin, said "Students are going to need to be flexible and open-minded to opportunities that might not exactly match their desired field, but might set them up for a better opportunity down the road."
He advised, "Try to establish a contact either through the Hamilton network or other means … the concept of growing a network of contacts and having that network working for you to uncover opportunities is going to be more important than ever."
Dzu Bui '00, campaign manager for The Advertising Council, suggested that job-seekers "highlight your communication skills. Hamilton prepared you well and it is a major asset that many other applicants might be lacking."
Lauren Reynolds '02, who participated in the media and communications panel advised students to "be flexible. Don't be afraid to move to a different part of the world for a good job." Reynolds said she wishes she had gotten more professional experience while she was in school. "I would have made more connections, had a more specific and realistic idea about what I wanted to do and the learning curve wouldn't have been so steep," she observed.
Peter Arturi '75, general counsel and assistant secretary at Callaway Golf Ball Operations offered some realistic advice. "If you're like me, you'll have eight or nine different jobs throughout your professional career. All will be different, and all will have their own challenges and rewards," he said. "You have the rest of your life to narrow down what you want to do. Use these four years to expand your mind and horizons," he advised." You never know what you'll learn today will benefit you in the years to come."
Alicia Colabella '07, a programming research assistant for Comedy Central, assured students that "It's okay if you go into a field and discover that you don't like it. Make sure you give it a real chance, but if you can't stand it - move on. She admits that she was "very reluctant to use the Hamilton network at first because I assumed myself a burden to alums, but as it turns out most of them really enjoy talking to fellow Hamilton students. The Hamilton network should be seen as an expansive resource."
Finding a mentor wherever you start your career was the advice offered by Julie Ross'84, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center. "A good mentor can help you to put your role in perspective, to see how the work you are doing fits into the bigger picture, and to find your own path to success," she said. "Second, do not let your job take over your life. You should make it a point to maintain your connections to the people you care about and to pursue interests outside of your employment," Ross said. " Those outside connections and interests help to keep you sane and balanced and can also lead to interesting new opportunities."
In addition to the GOLD Summit panels, Steadman said the Alumni Office held a reception in Washington, D.C. that featured an alumni professional panel, current DC semester students and a bevy of regional alumni. "The connections fostered from students to alumni and alumni to alumni are what is at the core of the Hamilton community," Steadman added. "The Alumni Office, in tandem with the on campus Career Center, is making every effort to create meaningful opportunities to connect, especially in these challenging times."
An upcoming career networking event will be hosted in New York City with several schools from the NESCAC network on April 29. It will be orchestrated through a speed networking approach, much like the concept of speed dating. At this event, participants will meet at least 12 other NESCAC alumni for six minutes each, on a predetermined schedule based on their stated preferences.
