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Reunions present an opportunity to share, learn and connect, consciously
choose not to make it about comparing your own life to that of your classmates.
If you still need some convincing, let me share some metrics that the CMC
has collected, alumni are continuously in transition.
Two thirds of alumni change companies in the first five years after
leaving business school, nearly 60% or
all alumni have changed careers since graduation so, you're in good company.
There are really three things we'd suggest you focus on, practice your introduction,
have an ask, and network across classes, here's what I mean by that.
Chances are every time you run into a former classmate,
they'll ask you some version of the question, what have you been up to?
Anticipate it and be prepared, write it out and practice your introduction,
and I mean literally, write it out and say it aloud.
If possible ask for feedback from a spouse, or friend, or
FaceTime yourself, assess yourself, do you sound confident or defensive?
The most important suggestion I can make is this, if someone asked
you what you've been doing, lead with what's next not what is over,
don't start with I just left company XYZ, I hated it.
This anchors you to your past and not your future,
a past you're trying to leave behind, versus the future you want to move toward.
The better way, is to lead with your expertise and
what you're looking for next, here's one example,
Once you have your introduction, formulate a few networking goals and a specific ask.
If you're exploring a new career path, it may sound like,
I'm hoping to learn more about the online payment space,
would you have any suggestions for people I should connect with?
Here are a few other ideas,
One final recommendation, is to use reunions to
expand the communities you contribute to and receive value from.
Research shows that you're most likely to find job opportunities through what
is referred to as a weak contact, in other words friends, of friends, of friends.
Review the reunion agenda and look for opportunities to connect with
alumni across classes, look for ways to engage around common interests,
Feeling nervous?
My favorite advice comes from GSB Professor Deb Grunfeld,
who encourages people to use power poses to channel confidence,
take a moment in your hotel room to stand in a power pose.
Take 25 deep breaths, breathe in assurance,
breathe out self doubt, breathe in confidence,
breathe out anxiety, or my favorite dance around to some great music.
Second, connect with people in ways that are meaningful and
honor your personality, for introverts, that might mean focusing on
having just a few deeper one on one conversations throughout the day.
Third, look for opportunities to help others, helping others not only will
benefit you in the long run, but it will shift your focus away from yourself.
Make up and hand out a contact card,
don't forget to follow up with the new connections through LinkedIn or
email remember, be present and have some fun.
Recognize that other people would love to be able to help you in your career
transition, First,
let's reframe the statement, you're exploring what's next period.
And that's an exciting place to be, and guess what,
we're all in a constant state of designing, prototyping, testing and
iterating, particularly if you've taken a D school course.
It's become my favorite thing to do, it keeps me young,
whether you're working or not, you are still experienced and capable.
Speak with confidence about your expertise,
your most recent experiences and what you're exploring,
chances are your fellow alum may have a suggestion or a contact.
They may open up about their own exploration,
I like to compare networking to just asking someone for directions,
when was the last time someone stopped you on the street and ask for directions?
Most people are happy to help someone find their way, networking is the same thing,
it doesn't matter if you just graduated or if you graduated 50 years ago.
You just need to remember to be as specific as possible,
because otherwise your friends won't know how they can help you.
Finally, make sure to reciprocate, it's a virtuous cycle,
Many of our alumni take a career break to raise a family, men and women,
it's a very personal decision, introduce yourself unapologetically.
For example, after having our second child I decided to take a career break to
focus on my family, Find ways to engage,
talk about things that really stir your cocoa.
That could be a trip you took, a marathon you ran, or
the activities that are expanding your horizons.
Please know that alumni Career Services,
is here to support you throughout your lives as you navigate career transitions,
we have programs during the unions and throughout the year.
We provide one on one coaching and a wealth of practical tools and content for
conducting a job search.
The GSB alumni Career Resources website, is the best place to start
to learn more about all of these services, we hope we'll see you soon.