ASK eNews: December 2009
Alumni Sharing Knowledge connects students and alumni to the DePaul community to enable professional growth through a range of opportunities like
career mentoring, practice interviews, networking, and job support.
:: Greetings & Salutations!
As is customary when we hear holiday music and see It's a Wonderful Life on TV, we feel a sense of jolly and cheer, quickly followed by surprise and worry of how quickly the year went by. Is the new year really only a few weeks away? As we celebrate the end of 2009 and ring in 2010, I invite you to reflect on two important areas at home and at work that we often neglect to think about.
- Who did you help? In a culture that values productivity, it is often times tempting to measure your impact in terms of tasks and activities. How many events did you attend? How many reports did you create? But why do you do all these things? What is your real impact on the world? Isn't it about the person you encouraged to take a leap when he was afraid, or the stranger who was moved because she knew you cared? Think of the students and your fellow alumni who took comfort in knowing that there are volunteers like you willing to provide guidance out of pure good will and joy of seeing others succeed. Whether you mentored 1 or 100, you made a difference. Whether you were formally asked to mentor or just gave casual advice, you helped.
- Who helped you? No one succeeds on his own. Somewhere along the way, someone extended a lending hand to you just as you extended yours to others. Who gave you the missing link to help solve a problem? Who encouraged you to keep going when nothing seemed to be working? You may not have noticed then, but perhaps they made an impact on the decisions you made and the actions you took. Whether momentary or enduring, these relationships helped shape the mentor you are today.
In your reflection, you might have noticed missed opportunities. People you could have helped but didn't. People you could have thanked but have forgotten. As the curtain drops on 2009, let it be time for us to celebrate the lives we touched but also time to recognize those missed opportunities. Let's forgive ourselves but never forget the lessons we learned. Remember that it is never too late to help and it is most certainly never too late to thank.
Do you have an end-of-year reflection that you would like to share? I would love to hear it. Please contact me at gsian@depaul.edu or 312.362.8282. Let's stay connected.
Best Wishes,
Gina Sian
Program Director
Alumni Sharing Knowledge Volunteer Network
Stay connected! Visit our website for ideas on increasing your volunteer activity or chat with other volunteers on the ASK LinkedIn Group
::Tip of the Month
Tip No. 124: The 5 Ps
A famous adage reminds us that "Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance." When meeting with a mentee, remember that some preparation on your part is also needed. If your mentee shared his/her resume with you in advance, take the time to read it and have questions ready before the meeting. If you already know the career interests of your mentee, have some resources handy to share during the meeting rather than during the follow up. Remember that mentoring is a collaboration and a two-way street. Prepare for your mentee as you would for any business colleague. Be physically, mentally, and emotionally present, just as you would expect them to be for you.
::Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
For more information on any of the following activities, click on the corresponding links below or call (312) 362-8281.
Lessons Learned - Call for Articles
Here's a new way to mentor our students and alumni. We are gathering short articles (3-4 paragraphs) on a lesson that you personally learned while you were in college. Perhaps it's something you're glad that you did, or maybe something you did not do but wish you did. Share the impact of that experience and how it helped you in your professional life. It's a great way to virtually mentor our students! You are welcome to submit more than one article, but please focus only on one lesson per article. Submit your lessons learned
to us for consideration and we'll select a few to display on our website.
Success Stories
Do you have a great mentoring story to share? Share with us some Aha moments of your mentees. Simply click this link for a short questionnaire.
Job Test Drive and Company Visits
Help students and alumni learn more about your job or industry by hosting a job shadow or company visit at your workplace. We are especially looking for companies located in the loop Chicago area, particularly for job functions in social service, education, government and green jobs. For more information or if you would like to share an idea contact us.
Hire Blue!
If you or someone in your network are hiring, remember to Hire DePaul! Think of internships, temporary, and permanent opportunities that could be a great match for our graduates. For more information on how to hire a Blue Demon, contact the DePaul Career Center.
::Professional Development & Networking Opportunities
ASK Volunteer Breakfast Series
Connect with other ASK volunteers at our monthly networking breakfast in the Loop. These informal meet and greet events include a brief presentation, followed by an opportunity for informal networking. A continental breakfast is provided. Make sure you save every third Tuesday of the month from September to June on your calendar, 8am - 9am, for opportunities to learn and network.
Dreaming Big, Achieving Bigger
Tuesday, December 15, 8:00am - 9:00am
Loop Campus, DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson, 11th Floor, DePaul Club
Have you made progress towards your dreams? Let 2010 be the year you throw away your New Year's Resolutions and set real goals that get results! Join certified Executive and Personal Coach Elene Cafasso, Founder & President of Enerpace, Inc. as she covers common barriers to success and how to overcome them. Save the date and RSVP Now to attend this December presentation.
Success @ Social Sites
Tuesday, January 19, 8:00am - 9:00am
Loop Campus, DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson, 11th Floor, DePaul Club
Save the date for an exciting presentation on how you and your organization can incorporate social media into your business and how you can coach students to smartly utilize these tools toward their professional success. Click here to RSVP for this January presentation.
Alumni Career Conference Call
Wednesday, January 13, 2010, 12:00pm - 1:00pm, US CST
Teleconference
New Year, New Career! The topic for the January phone conference is "Hot Jobs for 2010". During this teleconference, moderated by the Office of Alumni Relations, learn about employment trends for 2010 and what industries are looking to recruit. Event is free but requires pre-registration. Click here for details or to register.
Career Transitioners Work Group
Thursday, January 21, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Loop campus, DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson, Suite 9500
In the process of changing careers or looking to make a change in the near future? The Office of Alumni Relations and DePaul's Career Center are co-hosting the Career Transitioners Work Group for adult students, graduate students and alumni who are considering or already in the midst of a career change. This accountability group not only provides an avenue to connect with fellow members of the DePaul community for networking opportunities, but participants will offer support to one another throughout the job search process. This group meets every 3rd Thursday of the month (except December). To pre-register, email Donna Del Giudice at ddelgiud@depaul.edu.
::Quotable Quotes
"Mentors are very important and helpful in guiding and helping shape one's idea of future career goals."
– Student, after hearing ASK mentors in a classroom panel, 2009
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