Career Connection - Guidelines for Use

Networking in the career world can help you at various stages in your career or life planning:

EXPLORING CAREER FIELDS: Contacts can offer advice that can help you focus your career planning and determine if a particular line of work is of interest to you and if you might fit into that work setting.

FINDING JOB LEADS: Contacts can help you uncover the hidden job market that composes 70-80% of all professional jobs (those which are never advertised), and may possibly open channels for an interview. Making a network of contacts may be helpful for your future.

Briefly, here's what networking looks like:

• Generate a list of possible contacts from the Career Connection database. (If you need your UVM ID# for logging on to the Career Connection, contact alumni@uvm.edu or call (802)656-2010 and ask for your UVM ID#.)  
• Call or e-mail the contacts you have identified and tell them who you are, what your interests and/or skills are and ask if you can set up a time to interview them about their career and their job. You might ask to meet for a half an hour. You ask most of the questions and in return, you gain insights into their profession. In addition, you may ask for advice regarding your own job search.
• Always ask for the names and phone numbers of other professionals whom you might also interview.  Follow up with a thank-you note and keep in touch. Etiquette and professional presentation do matter!