By Emily Clark ‘15
From the first-year student trying to decide between two majors, the sophomore looking to get an internship in a new city, the junior looking to study abroad, and the senior ready to break into their career-field, the Rhodes alumni network can be a valuable resource. And part of the mission of the Office of Alumni Relations, located in King Hall, is to connect students to Rhodes graduates—both recent and those established in their field—who are eager to offer advice, help students network, and so much more.
Katherine Dunbar-Smith ’09, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and an alumna of Rhodes says she wishes she had utilized the Alumni Relations Office more as a student. “There are so many resources here that many students don’t know about. Every year, we’re making it easier and easier for students to get connected.”
For freshmen and sophomores, alumni can serve an important advisory role. From discussing potential majors and possible career paths to ways to make the most out of their years at Rhodes, alumni provide another set of ears and a different perspective for underclassmen—whether they’re indecisive, over-eager, or anything in between. Alumni also give informational interviews about their field or business. These sessions can be great prep for future internships or job interviews; it’s an easy, no-pressure way to ask general questions that students may be hesitant to ask a potential employer.
For those upperclass students looking to use the career network for post-graduation opportunities, Dunbar-Smith suggests getting started junior year with a trip to Career Services to perfect your resume and clarify your post grad plans—as far as you can. At that point, Dunbar-Smith suggests you email the Alumni Relations Office to set up a meeting to start a conversation.
“For seniors, a conversation can get the ball rolling in the right direction. If a student wants to go to grad school, we can connect them with alumni that went to that same institution. If a student plans on moving to New York City, we can connect them with the alumni chapter in that city,” she explains. The initial conversation helps the Alumni Relations Office understand the goals of the student, while simultaneously creating a game plan for the most effective way to reach out to the network of Rhodes alums. “We want to make sure students are representing themselves and the college well. But we also want to make sure they’re getting the most out of their alumni connection, and talking to someone who can really help them.”
From a simple conversation to a mentorship to career opportunities, current and recently graduated Rhodes students have benefited from the connections they have made though the Alumni Relations Office.
Mary Walters, who graduated in December 2014, currently lives in New York City and has an internship with Anna Olswanger ’75, a literary agent and author. She says, “The [Alumni Relations] office really helped in my transition with finishing up school and finding a job.” Olivia Menick ’15 was also looking for an internship in New York City, the summer after her junior year. When she reached out to the Alumni Relations Office, Dunbar-Smith connected her with Richard Pham ’99, the CEO of 1stdibs.com, and helped Menick schedule a meeting during her networking trip to NYC. Pham later offered her an internship for the summer.
In a completely different field, Andrew Jury ’14 was interested in learning more about the craft brewery industry when he reached out to the Alumni Relations Office. He was connected with Steve Wright ’04, the COO of Jackalope Brewery in Nashville, and eventually was hired as a full-time employee at the brewery.
More recently, senior Sophia Anderson met with Dunbar-Smith to discuss careers in marketing and communications. She says, “Katherine was extremely helpful to me in connecting with alumni who currently work in the field I’m interested in. She exceeded my expectations, and because of her I got several responses from alumni in my area of interest, and was even contacted by several recruiters as a result of these conversations.”
Here are our top suggestions for making the most out of the Rhodes alumni network.
1. Seek out and meet with alumni for career advice. Meet with Dunbar-Smith to help you get connected and see alumni for career events during homecoming week and on campus throughout the year.
2. Join the Rhodes Alumni Network on LinkedIn. This network is an easy, online way to look for jobs, find alums in your field, and make immediate connections. Just make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to par—you never know who will be looking!
3. Become an Ambassador. This position—which all students can apply for through the Student Leadership Application—serves as a resource when alumni are on campus. You work directly with the Alumni Relations Office, and do everything from giving tours to groups of alumni to helping out with Reunion Weekend to hosting young alumni speakers on campus. Current Ambassador Rachel Harris ‘16 says, “I was thankful to get involved with the alumni office my freshman year through the Ambassador program. I’ve had the opportunity to meet many interesting alumni, and I look forward to working with the office after I graduate to give back to Rhodes as an alum.”
4. Participate in the Alumni/Student Career Adviser Program. This program, which was implemented this year, connects students with like-minded alumni to create multi-year mentorship relationships. For the first year, this program was only offered to Ambassadors. However, Dunbar-Smith says all interested students can apply for the second year of the program, beginning in fall 2015.
5. When you graduate, join the Rhodes College chapter in your new city. This is especially important for current seniors. These chapters offer everything from meet-ups and social events to group volunteering and fundraising. “It’s important to be active, and joining your local Rhodes chapter when you graduate is an easy way to do it,” explains Dunbar-Smith. “Engaging with the college is so important, because you’re part of the Rhodes family forever.”