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Join at many Career Interest Groups as you want.

There is no obligation and you can leave anytime!  To join multiple groups, select your first Career Interest Group when you and log in the first time; join additional groups (as many as you like) using the left navigation. 

Remember that the folks you find here have already raised their hands to help.

Search the directory for alums with interest jobs, who share an identity, live in an area of interest, or had the same major, etc... and then click on those with a "Willing to Help" banner to see exactly how they're offering to help.  Some will let your shadow them for a day at work, others are happy to meet for coffee, or offer resume feedback.

Explore possible paths for yourself by seeing other people's journeys.

Find someone with a job that sounds interesting and see what they studied, where they interned, or how they got started.  You might even reach out to see if they have advise to offer... (Alums love talking about themselves - I'm mean really, don't we all?!)

Ask for and use leads. 

Ask the folks you're connecting with who else you should be connecting with - if they say, "Oh, you should talk to so & so" be sure to reach out to [so & so] and tell them who recommend them.  In this way, networking can help you discover new opportunities, expand your job search, or simply connect with cool new people who hold common interests and passions. (See below for more on informational interviews)

Networking is the process of gathering and exchanging information with individuals to help focus your career planning. When you network, you are intentionally developing relationships that can help you gain a greater understanding of an industry, career path, or company. While networking is not a readily available source of jobs, the relationships you develop may lead you to a connection that becomes a future job or internship.

Below, you'll find a series of tools that will help you connect with ¶¶Òõ̽̽ alums and prospective employers. Remember, you can always come by the Career Center for help practicing your networking pitch!

• is an exclusive network for ¶¶Òõ̽̽ alums and students, this tool connects you with alums working all over the country. From the directory, you can search and reach out to alums who have offered to provide career support in various ways -- such as meeting in person, offering to shadow, sharing industry expertise.
• allows you to research and reach out to the roughly 75,000 alums on the platform. Search alums by industry, region, and keyword. If you are just getting started on LinkedIn, joining ¶¶Òõ̽̽ groups on LinkedIn will help you to grow your ¶¶Òõ̽̽ network.
• Not sure how to reach out to alums or other professional contacts? Check out these using ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Connect and LinkedIn.

Info about networking online

A job shadow is a great way to get exposed to what a career is really like while making some useful connections. 

We have resources to help you find a job shadow and get the most out of it. 

Job shadowing

An informational interview is a structured process of networking where you reach out to professionals to learn about career field and gain insights into your job search. You identify people in fields of interest, ask if they’d be willing to talk or meet with you, and arrange a time in which you interview them about their career. You should develop and ask most of the questions. 

Here are some steps to get started: 

• Know your purpose. Think about what you are hoping to get out of the meetings.
• Identify contacts in your field of interest. Start with your existing network -- friends, family, friends’ siblings and parents, and current and former colleagues. Alums are an invaluable resource; check out ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Connect and LinkedIn to identify potential contants. 
• You have limited time, so plan your questions well. Prepare 5-10 questions to ask. Check out these .
• Be sure to follow up with a thank you message. Don't be shy about keeping in touch afterward.