Information for HighlanderConnect Alumni Volunteers

HighlanderConnect is a secure searchable online database of alumni, faculty and friends from various career fields and geographic locations who have volunteered to share their knowledge and experience regarding careers, industries, work life, professional/personal development and more with interested students or other alumni.

As a HighlanderConnect Career Volunteers you can play a critical role in helping students making more informed career decisions through the information you provide and the conversations you have with students.

How can you be most helpful to students with career questions?

To be most helpful, it is important to realize the very different questions, needs, and issues of students using HighlanderConnect. Students will be at varying levels of knowledge about careers and the job search process. Some may be just beginning to explore careers options, while others have good work experiences and focused goals. In creating HighlanderConnect, we tried to keep this wide range of students in mind. So as you complete your profile, please provide as much information as you can, and keep in mind:

• Students may decide whether they contact you based on whether your job title and job description is understandable and interesting, as well as other aspects of your background they share such as culture, common interests, and activities.
• Some students will have questions or concerns about disability, gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, citizenship, or international work.
• Some students will get career information simply by reviewing the various profiles, so please provide as much information as you can.
• Internships are critical to career preparation, so please consider possibilities and contacts within your organization or beyond.
• Some students may not have a clear idea about what type of work they can do with their major, or may not have clear career goals.
• Advice you can offer on how to prepare for a rewarding job and career: recommended college coursework and experiences, internship possibilities, graduate school(s), early career steps, and work-life balance issues.
• Do less talking and more listening so the student can share her/his thoughts

What is your commitment?

With HighlanderConnect, your commitment is entirely up to you.

• You can specify how often you'll be contacted by students on a monthly basis. All student requests to make a contact are routed through the HighlanderConnect software which regulates the number of contacts according to your preference.
• You can specify what type of assistance you'll provide: sharing general information on your career field; advice about the job search process; contacts for jobs and internships; job shadowing possibilities; or speaking to a class or student organization.
• Students can contact you only by email initially, though they will not have direct access to your email address. Their inquiries to you are routed through the system.
• You are able to delete your profile at any time.

Who has access to your information?

Only currently enrolled students and graduates have access to the database. Your email address and other contact information are not available to others through HighlanderConnect—all requests for contact are routed through the system.

On behalf of students, we hope you consider serving as a Career Contact. Your help can make a tremendous difference for the lives and careers of our students. Please contact Career Services at csc@radford.edu if you have any comments, feedback, or suggestions.