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for Obie Alumni Association Connection
To
the Editors:
When
I was appointed to the Alumni Association Executive Board in 1999,
I articulated a vision of a strong network of alumni located in
different cities across the country who would assist Oberlin graduates
of any class looking for employment. These volunteers, in regular
contact with the Oberlin College Career Services Office, would make
it their business to know the alumni living and working in the region,
and also make it a point to know when their fellow alumni would
have jobs or internships open at their respective organizations.
It has been my experience that Obies are almost always glad to help
other Obies, so it was really only a question of formalizing the
network building an infrastructure so that new resources could be
developed and existing resources better utilized.
In March, the Career Services Advisory Committee recommended that
five “Regional Alumni Career Liaisons” be added to the
Alumni Council, and I am happy to announce that in June, the Executive
Board unanimously adopted this measure. We now have Career Liaisons
in the metro areas of New York City, Washington, D.C., Boston, San
Francisco and will soon have one Chicago. In future years, we hope
to add more.
What does this mean? Especially for the graduating seniors 5th-years,
it means that if you are planning on moving to one of these cities,
there is a contact in place who can help you connect with Oberlin
alumni working in your desired field(s). This is a point person-a
first contact who can help steer you in the right direction. I don’t
mean to suggest that this volunteer alum will get you a job-they
will be there to assist you with the job seeking process.
For alumni, if you find yourself laid off, returning to the work
world after some time off, or simply looking to change careers or
locations, I believe these Career Liaisons will prove to be invaluable
in navigating your career path and making new connections.
A couple of years ago, the Alumni Association adopted a vision statement.
The very first line reads, “Provide a lifelong community for
students and alumni of Oberlin College.” The strong ties we
develop with our fellow alumni and future alumni add value to our
already valuable Oberlin education-these ties hold the fabric of
our community together. When one of us needs help in the future,
I think we will come to know that the lifelong Oberlin community
will be behind us and supporting us.
I want to thank the Career Services and Alumni Association staffs,
especially Wendy Miller, for their guidance and administrative support-they
have been instrumental in making this vision a reality.
There is still work to do, but I honestly believe we are well on
our way.
– Chris Pinelo
OC ’94
Chair of the Career Services Advisory Committee Member of the Alumni
Association Executive Board
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