[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Diver_networking.jpg” caption=”Patricia Diver enjoys a laugh with alumni and special guest, career coach and Bank of Montreal representative, Barbara Wunder. Photo credit: Deborah McIvor”]It's a hot, humid evening on the west side of campus and a group of twenty have gathered in the President's Residence to explore the benefits of networking. Why are they so interested in being inside instead of outside enjoying the summer weather? Patricia Diver, career coach, is leading the first in a series of alumni career guidance sessions, which will no doubt continue to grow in popularity as the word gets out – Mac cares about its grads.

If you thought that walking across a stage to receive your diploma was the last you heard of McMaster – think again. Just a few years ago, McMaster's Career Services manager, Lisa Boniface began to notice a 'gap' in the relationship between the University and its ever-expanding alumni population.

“Students were graduating and embarking on the complex task of securing employment. It can be overwhelming to approach a job search without the necessary skills. Two things were evident: there was an opportunity to reach out to new graduates and invite them back and we needed to design services to meet their specific needs.”

Boniface and her colleagues brought Patricia Diver on board to work on a pilot project in 2004 aimed at helping graduates discover the 'hidden job market', where 85% of job searchers find success.

“Searching for work through conventional or technological means can be successful for some folks, but there is a lot of competition and it can really take a toll on a person's self-confidence if they are continually overlooked,” says Diver. “And managers, often with demanding workloads, would prefer to interview candidates based on personal reference. It gives the candidate credibility to be recommended by someone who is respected in an organization.”

Diver feels online job searchers are “only as good as the screening mechanism they use” to narrow down the list of opportunities to those that might be a good 'fit'. What she would like to impart to clients who visit her office or attend her sessions is a sense that networking is an essential skill to develop in any stage of a career. Diver coaches them on the value of relationships – how to grow and how to maintain them.

“Networking is giving back. It's finding the motivation to make a connection, to take action and go for what you want while at the same time learning to identify the needs of a potential employer or referee and showing how you can fit that need,” says Diver.

In an interview situation, or in a casual conversation, Diver suggests that finding common interests can 'pave the way' for that initial contact that may build a reciprocal relationship. “It's planting seeds, so that in future, that person who has a positive impression of you and your talents will think of you if the right situation arises,” says Diver. “It's not who you know, but who knows you that can make the difference.”

Diver warns that networking does not mean 'selling' yourself in a pushy manner, but to get to know your skills and interests well enough to be able to respond to questions or make comments that come across as genuine yet informed. For example, instead of the 'elevator speech' approach of “I'm Joe Smith and I am an Engineering grad from McMaster interested in a job in field 'X'”. Diver suggests people look at what has motivated them and brought them to where they are now. The engineering grad may have loved making Lego models as a child, and, after analyzing why, discovers he “loves challenges and finding creative new ways to approach problems.”

“Wouldn't that make for a much more interesting conversation?” asks Diver. “In that way, a conversation can evolve naturally and the networking grad might even find an opportunity to work in a comment about how McMaster helped him to build on those strengths. People do not want to have others push themselves on them. They want to discover other's qualities on their own terms.”

The pilot project has taken shape and, with support from the McMaster Alumni Association, is now a full-fledged program that is instantly popular with those alumni who feel they could use a helping hand in tackling the mysterious art of networking in order to reach their goals. Diver uses a coaching model when working with clients on an individual basis and has embraced technology, communicating with clients electronically when necessary to accommodate the needs of alumni living outside of the Hamilton area.

“There is much more to this program than simply coaching the client to land in their first career position. McMaster University cares about the success of its graduates,” says Boniface. “We want to help them be successful in their first job and also have the skills and confidence to manage their careers successfully over the course of their lives.”

To find out more about excellent career resources such as the alumni coaching program visit the Career Services website, email careers@mcmaster.ca or phone 905.525.9140 ext. 24254.

McMaster staff members interested in pursuing career guidance will find support through Employee Career Services, managed by Sonia Hawrylyshyn. For more information contact success@mcmaster.ca or phone 905.525.9140 ext. 26545.