Flash Networking

Alumni can volunteer for this virtual initiative to assist second-year Smeal students who are at a Commonwealth Campus and "tracking" toward Smeal. The students are in the BA297 Career Planning & Strategies course, and this initiative is part of their unit on networking.

In addition to providing a forum for low-pressure networking practice, the students may also be focused on fine-tuning their resume, exploring future student organization involvement, considering various career paths, discovering key resources and sites to pay attention to, and advice for planning their summer & fall internship experiences. The students will come prepared to the conversation with a few questions they might want to ask, related to these topics. 

Volunteers are not expected to build long-term mentoring relationships with the students they connect with. The purpose is to give the students a chance to gain a quick, outside perspective on what they can be doing to get ahead.

Students or alumni who wish to participate in a more long-term mentoring relationship should learn more about the Smeal College of Business Mentoring Program, where students and alumni are matched for a full academic year. 

REGISTER HERE TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE SPRING 2024 SEMESTER (deadline is Feb 5)

What to Expect

1. In mid-February, alumni volunteers will receive the name, contact information, and further instructions on how to connect with their assigned student. In most cases, conversations with students will be virtual and most likely held during the month of March.
   
   
2. Pairs will schedule a 30-minute virtual meeting or phone call and alumni can make recommendations during the meeting, based on what they learn about their student's concerns and the areas they may need assistance with.
   
   
3. Alumni can learn more and find resources to assist with a successful conversation on this page with Frequently Asked Questions.