Walter Center introduces new tool for alumni, student networking
The Walter Career Center for Achievement will implement a new platform for connecting students with alumni mentors in fall 2018, giving Media School students access to tailored career guidance.
The center’s new program, the Walter Center Success Network, is a tool for alumni flash mentoring.
“It’s a really powerful tool,” said Joe Lovejoy, director of the Walter Center. “Students can connect with alumni who have already said, ‘Hey, I want to help students.’ It removes the cold calling aspect.”
The program allows alumni and students to link their LinkedIn profiles to a Walter Center Success Network account. WCSN will then look at the characteristics between the two accounts and recommend matches based on their interests.
“We have hundreds of alumni who reach out to us every semester who want to help students,” Lovejoy said. “There’s too many students and too many alums for us to do these one-to-one handoffs.”
That’s where the Walter Center Success Network comes in. The program not only matches students with alumni, but it also schedules meetings and provides a platform for videoconferences, making it a one-stop shop for mentorship.
Media School students, as part of the College of Arts and Sciences, will have access to this tool.
Lovejoy said he anticipates the program will be extremely popular. The center piloted it with The Media School over the summer.
“We’ve talked to alumni, and they’re very interested in the program,” he said. “That’s one of the biggest reasons we did it.”
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