CAREER GUIDELINES
FOR CONTACTING ALUMNI
Dear Students,
The Alumni Career Advisory Program (ACAP) is an online directory of SIPA alumni who have volunteered to serve as career mentors to current SIPA students and fellow alumni. ACAP is an excellent source for networking. The Office of Career Services contacts all SIPA alumni annually to request their participation and the update of their personal information. Therefore, the accuracy of the ACAP information is dependent on the responsiveness of the alumni.
We ask you to be aware of the following PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT GUIDELINES which relate to the networking process.
- Always address your networking contact in a professional manner by using Mr. or Ms.
- The purpose of networking phone calls or meetings is not to ask for a job, but to ask for career and job hunting advice.
- You should always have your resume ready to send before you contact anyone for advice about your job search; however, do not send your resume unless it is requested.
- Do not ask alumni to forward your resume to someone else without first establishing a relationship with them.
- Do thorough research on the company in which you are interested in. You should be well prepared for your informational interview. Since you will be taking the lead, come prepared with a list of questions (refer to the OCS web Career Resource Room – "What is Networking" at www.sipa.columbia.edu/ocs).
- Dress professionally and be on time.
- Always follow up a networking meeting with a thank you letter.
- If you receive an internship or job offer, please notify your networking contact and thank them for their assistance in the process. Even if they might not have provided you with that specific job, their advice helped you become a successful interviewee.
If you would like to search the database, please click on the "ACAP Participant Search" link located in the top left corner of this screen.
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