Connect@WES Helps Students Develop Networking Skills

On Friday, April 1, almost 70 students and 38 expert advisors (including 31 Wesleyan alumni and parents) came together for one-on-one speed networking sessions during Connect@WES: Creating Connections in Beckham Hall. Sponsored by the Gordon Career Center, the annual event is designed to teach students how to develop professional relationships outside of the Career Center and Wesleyan.

This year’s event included advisors representing Peatix, RNSights, Northeastern, JP Morgan, NBC Universal, Merrill Lynch, Planned Parenthood, the State of Connecticut, Aon Hewitt, Epsilon, Perella Weinberg, FCTRY, Citi and many others.

Ahead of the speed networking sessions, students were asked to prepare and present an answer to the question, “Tell me about yourself.” Expert advisors responded with feedback to help students understand how they might further develop their answers and present themselves to professionals in their fields of interest during other networking opportunities.

“This event gives students a safe space in which to practice their personal pitches and refine the way they speak about themselves,” said Anne Holstead Santaniello, associate director for operations and events at the Gordon Career Center. “With more than 100 people in attendance and parents and alumni helping students to develop their networking strategies, we couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”

(Photos by Will Barr ’18)