Converse Alumnae Build a Professional Network on LinkedIn
The Converse College Alumnae Office is facilitating professional networking across the college community by using the online service, LinkedIn. The Alumnae Office manages the Converse College Alumnae and Alumni Network on LinkedIn. This group, originally created by an alumna, is a one-stop place to connect professionally with other Converse alumnae; list and search job openings and seek professional recommendations and opportunities. The group is open to all Converse alumnae and alumni, students and current and former faculty and staff of the College. Beginning in April, the Alumnae Office will offer free webinars to anyone interested in learning more about LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is a free online networking site. Since its start in 2003, LinkedIn has aided millions of professionals worldwide. It is a multi-faceted professional networking site with a “strictly business” philosophy that offers a professional environment many other social networks lack. It provides a safe, secure forum for professional conversation and provides many ways to connect with other professionals, including people in a similar industry and former classmates and co-workers.
Many alumnae of Converse are already making connections through LinkedIn. Risé Brown ‘83 said, “LinkedIn has afforded me opportunities to ‘hook-up’ with people in the Technology Industry that I might not have ever been fortunate enough to meet. The groups aid in ‘networking’ between others in your same field. These groups have allowed me to expand my knowledge and keep abreast of new technologies that arise.” Brown goes on to say, “Also, the groups assist you in staying in touch with peers that you may have once worked with in the past.”
The Converse College Alumnae and Alumni Network on LinkedIn offers opportunities for networking, community and camaraderie within the Converse community. LinkedIn also has many opportunities available to young graduates and those who are re-entering the workforce with its “Grad Guide,” which teaches recent graduates how to maneuver the business world.
Building a strong LinkedIn network can translate into a solid professional network to help you in your current and future professional career. As Emily Jones Rushing ’73 said, “I expect to carry these connections with me, no matter what job, paid or volunteer, I take on in the future.”
Want to learn more about LinkedIn and how to use it? Attend a webinar to learn about LinkedIn: Mondays, April 12, 19 and 26 at 1 pm or 5 pm.
Webinars are hosted by the Converse Alumnae Office and will last approximately thirty to forty-five minutes. They are free but have a limit of twenty people per session, so please RSVP to Elizabeth A. Oswalt ’02, Director of Alumnae at elizabeth.oswalt@converse.edu or 864.596.9055. For any questions, please contact the Alumnae Office at alumnae@converse.edu or 864.596.9011.
