Networking for Success Workshop Co-sponsored by GSG and UMaine Alumni Association

PRESS RELEASE                                                        Contact:Sarah Hinman  sarah.hinman@umit.maine.edu

 

FOR RELEASE: Immediate

 

DATE: January 18, 2012

 

SUBJECT:  UMaine Graduate Student Government and UMaine Alumni Association  co-sponsor “Networking for Success” Workshop, January 25, 2012

 

ORONO- The UMaine Graduate Student Government and the UMaine Alumni Association (UMAA) have joined forces to help UMaine graduate students sharpen their networking skills.  A two-hour, hands-on workshop will be offered to graduate students on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 from 5-7p.m. at Buchanan Alumni House on the UMaine campus in Orono 

 

According to Todd Saucier, President & Executive Director of UMAA, “This is the perfect student partnership for UMAA.  We will be assisting students in gaining skills that will result in their future employment.  When Graduate Student Government approached us and asked for our assistance in this effort, we were pleased to get involved.”

 

The workshop is being conducted by Susan E. Mullaney, CBC ,UMAA’s Director of Marketing & Communication.  Ms. Mullaney is a former co-owner of a successful Massachusetts marketing communications firm. She has presented numerous seminars and workshops on a wide variety of business communications topics and issues. She is a graduate of Emerson College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Communications.

 

“We have recently been doing some survey work with our alumni as part of our marketing planning for 2012 and beyond,” Ms. Mullaney explains.” We have uncovered two areas where alumni want increased involvement.  First they want us to focus on more networking opportunities and secondly, they want to be involved in helping current students to increase their employment potential.  Area alumni will be participating in this workshop as panelists and as coordinators to answer questions, demonstrate successful techniques and coach the participating students on developing more effective networking skills. There will be a lot of one-on-one learning in this workshop. We want to thank the alumni from the Black Bears of Bangor for volunteering to help us put this workshop on,” Ms. Mullaney concludes.

 

This two-hour workshop will cover basic networking tools and skills needed for networking success.  The session will present proven ways to improve networking effectiveness while lowering face-to-face anxieties.  The session will allow plenty of time for questions and answers from participants and also the development of a unique "60 second elevator talk", the most basic tool of networking, for each participant. After the initial session, a panel of five alumni professionals will discuss some of their most successful tips for face-to-face networking and will also answer audience questions.  The session will end with networking practice time to give participants a chance to try out the new concepts from the workshop immediately.

 

The session is offered at no charge for UMaine graduate students who preregister at the UMaine Alumni Association Website. Pre-registration is important because each registered participant will receive a customized package of materials to use during the workshop.  Space is limited to the first 50 students who register.  There are still a few places available to UMaine Alumni who would like to help out with the workshop. They should also use the registration form and indicate that they wish to volunteer for the session.