Writing in Forbes, Jamie Merisotis, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation, recently highlighted the important role alumni can play in providing students with more equitable access to social capital, or the personal and professional connections that lead to academic and career success. Merisotis urges colleges and universities to ensure alumni recognize the value “of directly engaging with students in ways that open doors to opportunity,” such as “serving as mentors during students’ time on campus and as crucial connectors to internships and jobs.”
Research shows that 70% of jobs are not published publicly on job sites, and up to 80% of jobs are filled through networking. First-generation and low-income students are less likely than their continuing-generation and wealthier peers to have the types of connections that lead to internships and employment. “College alumni can help fill that gap,” Merisotis writes, adding that “too few do.” Just 9% of college graduates surveyed by Strada-Gallup reported that their alumni network was helpful or very helpful in the job market, signaling a need for stronger alumni partnerships that help students fulfill their aspirations.
Related: ‘Who you know’ matters for job-seeking first-gen students >
To ensure students of all backgrounds have the support they need, alumni can volunteer as mentors and guest speakers who help students develop their soft skills. Very recent alumni, known as near peers, can also reach younger students and help them see their coursework’s practical applications.
Alumni mentorship programs
Merisotis shares several ways colleges and universities are engaging alumni to support students’ academic and career goals. At the Illinois Institute of Technology, alumni can establish a mentorship relationship with students through the Illinois Tech Alumni Mentorship Program, which focuses on students’ academic, professional, and personal development. During the program, mentors meet with students every two to four weeks and facilitate career-building activities and exercises, such as mock interviews, introductions to professionals in the mentor’s network, and coaching related to students’ internship/job applications.
Related: Social capital unlocks opportunities. Here’s how colleges can help Black students build it. >
The Center for Purposeful Work at Bates College has established a network of alumni who volunteer as employer partners and offer job shadowing opportunities, and Fairfield University’s alumni job shadow program matches college juniors and seniors with alumni and parents for career conversations during winter break. Programs at other colleges and universities, including American University’s School of Communication, the University of Colorado Boulder, Agnes Scott College, and Colby College, connect students to professional mentors who participate in career panels, attend career education and recruiting events, and mentor undergraduate and graduate students.
Supporting first-gen and low-income students’ career success
Through the Georgetown Scholars Program, alumni across the country work with first-generation college students one-on-one to help students network, learn about career paths, navigate the college experience, and engage in the job search process beginning their sophomore year. Read more about how the Georgetown Scholars Program has provided robust wraparound support and a welcoming community for thousands of first-generation college students and students from low-income households.