Recently, I had the opportunity to forge a collaboration between the Manhattanville College Peer Mentor program and Center for Career Development through the production of a virtual networking event, entitled Virtual Networking Night.
In addition to meeting with first-year students and assisting with new student orientation, my role as a Peer Mentor requires me to plan and host a few events geared towards first-year students. Since this spring semester is still virtual, I knew I needed to produce an event that was digitally based to be accessible to all students, but it also had to be something unique and exciting that would entice students to attend. Our program director had requested that the next event be more academic-focused than social-focused, but knowing that so many students were craving social connections, I developed an idea that would combine both.
I also currently work at the Center for Career Development (CCD) as an Office Assistant Coordinator, and I am primarily responsible for the marketing, social media, and promotional materials. Beyond my core responsibilities, it is also expected that I act as an ambassador for the department and help advocate for students to discover its offerings. Knowing the notion of career development can be daunting, especially for first-year students, I saw a natural connection between the two positions. For an upcoming event specifically, I felt that networking was an inherently social activity that all students may struggle with, but could be enhanced with a virtual setting since attendance was not restricted to any specific region.
From these initial thoughts, I developed an event entitled “Virtual Networking Night,” where students of all class years could connect with peers interested in similar career trajectories, as well as alumni working in those fields. I invited dozens of alumni who were active in their fields and connected to the college to speak with current students. The event itself operated with several breakout rooms – one for each of the different “career communities” as outlined by the CCD. Once attendees logged on, they would request which room they’d like to be assigned to and then enter the breakout room to join the conversation.
The event became the most-attended Peer Mentor event of the academic year. While I received excellent feedback from current students, both first-years and upperclassmen, the alumni attendees were extremely enthusiastic about returning for more events like Virtual Networking Night. This event helped to pave the way for later alumni networking events, such as the Salon Series and alumni panels, that have become a staple of the CCD’s programming.
Leave a Reply