Career Advice: Network More
It’s one of the first things Lea Alvarado advises CU-Boulder alumni: When looking for your next job, network more, browse job listings less.
“Networking gives you access to the ‘hidden job market,’” says Alvarado, manager of CU-Boulder’s alumni career program. “More than 80 percent of jobs never make it to any job board, and the only way to find those opportunities is through networking.”
Alvarado, who works one-on-one with about 500 alumni each year, says job seekers should spend the vast majority of their time networking — about 80 percent. This means attending events to meet new people or conducting informational interviews, a more targeted networking approach used to gain advice and cultivate relationships in a field of interest.
In addition to coaching alumni in a variety of networking strategies, Alvarado and her team counsel alums about the most effective use of job boards — which ones to use for particular searches, for example.
Schedule a meeting with Career Services. The first two sessions for alumni are free. Call 303-492-6541 or visit .
Chapter News
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Boulder Retired Marine captain Rex Laceby (Hist’02) and 14 others from the revitalized CU Veterans Alumni Club spent a rainy day helping to rebuild a 1,200-square-foot home in Jamestown, Colo., destroyed by the 2013 Boulder County floods. “It was great being able to help,” Laceby says. “It was a rare instance where it was an all-around good.” |
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D.C. Chapter leader Landon Mock (Psych’07) accepted the Mark R. Tallarico Award from the Capital Alumni Network, a group of more than 250 Washington-area alumni clubs, on behalf of CU’s D.C. chapter. The award, which includes a $2,000 donation to the chapter’s scholarship fund, recognizes a D.C.-region chapter committed to scholastics, service, social programming and sports. |
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California San Francisco Buffs are connecting over monthly happy hours hosted by the NorCal chapter. The Orange County chapter is preparing to hold events under a newly established volunteer board. And San Diego is seeking volunteers for its board: Contact Travis Fawcett (Span’05) at president@sdbuffs.com. |
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Philadelphia Just in time for football season, a new CU chapter has been formed in Philadelphia. Brad Martin (EPOBio’94) and Gordon Workman (PolSci’93) are the chapter leaders. Now for some wins! |
Get involved in your local chapter: Visit for details.
