For students seeking an avenue of networking for jobs or internships, Career Services has never made it easier to connect Hillsdale alumni, parents, faculty, and friends.
In October, it launched The Hub, a networking service dedicated to Hillsdale student’s personal and professional development, according to Director of Employer Relations John Quint.
Before The Hub, students were often counseled to use Handshake while seeking internships and jobs both on campus and in town. However, with The Hub, these opportunities are easier to find as students find personalized opportunities and have mentors to guide them through their career searches.
“The value of networking isn’t just about securing a job or internship,” Quint said, “It’s certainly not the primary function of The Hub.”
The Hub provides students with a chance to better understand one’s interests and career prospects. Through personalized searches, you can find ways of gaining experience and knowledge required to succeed in a particular field. It also allows for external advice regarding simple things such as picking a major, editing resumes and cover letters, discussing personal goals with professionals , and expanding one’s network in a particular field of interest, according to Quint.
One of the greatest benefits of The Hub is its student-mentorship program, in which students are paired with a mentor who will help challenge and support them.
“By engaging with an alumni mentor, students will gain a deeper understanding of the value of their education and the possibilities it affords,” said Director of Career Services Joanna Wiseley.” “Mentees will also learn about the actual work their alumni mentors do, which can influence whether or not they want to pursue a similar vocation.”
While the mentoring aspect of The Hub is not required, students do have the opportunity to talk with professionals and learn about certain fields, an opportunity that cannot be overestimated.
The Hub has grown from its original 56 participants in the fall, to include 456 students. There are over 2,200 users and over half of them are alumni. Some of these include: attorneys, surgeons, teachers, engineers, sales managers, investment bankers, homemakers, executives, entrepreneurs, data scientists, researchers, pastors, event planners, and graduate students, according to Quint.
Career Services Career Coach Michael Fleischer has had a mentor since the f all launch, and has received lots of helpful career advice.
“The Hub is a really powerful search tool because you can find alumni in anything and connect with them,” Fleischer said.
Hub mentors are volunteers who want to be in the program and help students further their careers.
“I’ve reached out to about 10 mentors, and they all responded to me,” Fleischer said.
The time commitment for the program is minimal, and students can become as involved as they please. The minimum commitments are to respond to emails within 24-48 hours, and attend scheduled meetings with a mentor according to The Hub’s guideline form.
For students interested in getting involved, the spring semester mentorship program will launch at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 18 in Lane 123.
