CMC extends outreach to alums

By Deborah L. Cohen

Kellogg Alumni Career Services Director Matthew Temple has spent much of the past year ensuring that alumni have access to an extensive menu of career development resources, many of which have been expanded to address the challenges of the recession.

The CMC has also stepped up outreach regarding those offerings with an alumni career services newsletter, e-mail campaigns and an increased presence on the Kellogg School's Web site, as well as through new venues such as Facebook and Twitter.

"One of the challenges alumni face is just getting out there in front of people and networking," Temple says. "Some of these alumni have been marketing world-class products for companies, but they may not be as comfortable marketing themselves."

With that in mind, the CMC has expanded its slate of alumni-focused workshops, last year offering 26 sessions in major U.S. cities as well as in London, Hong Kong and Singapore. Workshop topics have ranged from turbo job searches to work flexibility to speed networking, all designed to help alums get up to speed on the latest job-hunting techniques. The center offered its first alumni webinar in May, helping participants make better use of the online professional networking Web site LinkedIn. It has also created virtual job groups that meet regularly to collaborate on searches.

Kellogg is also one of the few business schools offering free lifelong one-on-one alumni coaching. Career coaches assist with everything from diagnostics for self-assessment to the development of résumés and cover letters — skills that may have become rusty over the years.

"Our alumni coaches have very deep institutional knowledge," says Temple, noting that counselors are well versed in everything from salary negotiations to midyear reviews, onboarding to promotions — even providing resources to help alumni starting their own businesses. "The biggest percentage of what we worked on last year was job-search tactics."

To share a job or internship posting with the Career Management Center, please contact:

John Boley (consulting, entertainment/media, high tech, retail, services)
j-boley@kellogg.northwestern.edu

Kate Onn (financial services, public/nonprofit, real estate)
k-onn@kellogg.northwestern.edu

Sam Samberg (energy, manufacturing/CPG, pharma/biotech/healthcare, transportation)
e-samberg@kellogg.northwestern.edu