Direct Connect
As part of the pilot program, we built a list of industry-specific contacts, mentors, and opportunities for participants to form connections outside of our organized events.
If you'd like to connect with fellow alumni through the Career Initiative Directory, please reach out to the Career and Life Design team at alumnicareers@brown.edu.
Community Communications
Networking 101: The Informational Interview
Are you new to networking? Would you like to connect with others, but do not know how? The Informational Interview is a great way to start having conversations to learn about others and gain insight from them. An informational interview is a way of asking a conversation partner if you can talk to them about their experience in connection to what is it that you would like to learn.
Here are some helpful tips on how to conduct an Informational Interview:
1. Start by choosing a platform. We recommend using a combination of platforms, such as LinkedIn, and BrownConnect. Keep your profiles up to date!
2. Keyword search features will be helpful to identify people with your interests. eg. "Technology", "Leadership", "Entrepreneurship". The more narrow and specific you can be with your keywords, the more targeted your results will be.
3. Often, platforms will provide additional criteria to assist your search. This can be helpful in narrowing your results. Keep in mind that everyone's career journey is unique and there is something to learn from every conversation. With every informational interview, you will be able to answer more questions which will get you closer to defining your unique career path.
4. Once you've identified a few people, you can connect with them directly on the platform and outside of it. A quick message introducing yourself and your interests is usually enough to excite others about connecting with you. Schedule a time for a phone call and video chat, and repeat with as many people as you would like!
5. Make sure to ask your most pressing questions. An informational interview is intended to learn more about someone who is working in a field or company of your interest. Rarely will it lead to a job (like most first-time interactions), but it is a good way to begin gaining insight on your topic of interest and start building a community of people who share your interest.
6. Follow-up! There are no parameters defining how long a connection needs to be maintained. It may be a one-time conversation or it can become a maintained relationship to help you prepare for your next career move. Whatever the interaction, be sure to thank your conversation partner for their time, this is a step often missed and it will help you maintain sincere connections.
Alumni Network Outreach
One of the most celebrated components of this initiative is the opportunity for alumni to connect with other alumni. We would like to continue supporting these connections!