The Student Success Centre at Western University in London, Ontario, has for many decades helped students embark on life in the workforce, providing career counselling, access to job opportunities, and advice on everything from resume-writing to handling interviews.
The Student Success Centre at Western University in London, Ontario, has for many decades helped students embark on life in the workforce, providing career counselling, access to job opportunities, and advice on everything from resume-writing to handling interviews.
In recent years, the centre has received more career-related requests from people who graduated years before. As this demand grew, advisers across campus asked themselves, "Why not provide a unique service to alumni, no matter where they are in their career?"
"There was clearly an appetite among alumni for career guidance. We had an opportunity to help our alumni work to navigate their way through their professional lives," says Western career coach Sarah Dawson. So, on May 7, 2014, Western Alumni Relations launched a new initiative called "alumni career management."
"This new career initiative reflects Western's belief that our commitment to students' success doesn't end at graduation," says Ms. Dawson, who heads up alumni career management. "This also builds on our commitment to foster lifelong relationships with alumni."
"We're targeting alumni all along the continuum, and our goal is expand our offerings to benefit all, regardless of where they find themselves on their career path."
- Sarah Dawson
is a career coach at Western University
Alumni seeking to navigate career advancement and transitions have access to resources that include an online career library, a Western Alumni Group on LinkedIn and a job/internship board, where they can post opportunities within their organizations targeted at Western students and experienced alumni.
Two career events were held in May – in London and Toronto – providing opportunities for alumni to do networking and hear career advice from speakers who are also Western graduates. The broad appeal of the services was evident at the Toronto event on May 28, with the theme of "Careers: Moving In, Moving Up and Moving On."
"We had alumni from all different demographics, including people who brought their grandchildren who were just entering university, and alumni approaching the last five years of their employment and looking for advice on transitioning into retirement," Ms. Dawson says. Some were making major changes mid-career, while other attendees were graduates just about to attend their convocation ceremonies.
"We're targeting alumni all along the continuum, and our goal is expand our offerings to benefit all, regardless of where they find themselves on their career path," she says.