Lehigh Connects students with career opportunities

A degree, a strong resume and networking are typically regarded as necessary in jumpstarting a career. Lehigh Connects, a platform similar to LinkedIn, attempts to bridge the gap among Lehigh students, alumni, professors and student groups to push students into the workforce. 

Jashanae Day Brinker, a career coach for the College of Arts and Sciences in The Center for Career and Professional Development, said Lehigh Connects aims to bring together these groups by providing an online space to promote professional development and host affinity groups.

Lori Kennedy, the director of the center, said Lehigh Connects was established in 2018 in response to student demand. This project was a collaboration between Development and Alumni Relations Services and the Career Center.

The site hosts discussion boards, markets alumni-related events and helps members find nearby employment opportunities. 

Experiential learning opportunities were recently added to the platform, many of which are paid upon completion and posted by alumni. Day Brinker said these can be especially helpful for students looking to work on short-term projects during time off from school.

“Students are getting that mentorship and that connection right away when they sign up for one of those experiential learning projects because now they have that person to turn to later when they are ready for an internship or they have some other questions,” Day Brinker said. 

Ben Best, the associate director of digital communities with development and alumni relations, said the College of Engineering and College of Business use the site most, but they are working to improve the variety of users. 

Day Brinker said the site is marketed to students through class presentations, coaching appointments and the Career Lab. These discussions often overview how to approach sending messages to alumni. 

She said the program often has message prompts available to look at before contacting people. 

In 2023, Kennedy said there were over 5,000 messages sent through the platform.

“It’s an important metric because it shows the drive of Lehigh students to reach out to alumni, as well as the responsiveness of our alumni to take time out of their busy work schedules,” Kennedy said. “They’re highly successful, they’re busy, they have families, and they’re taking time to share their knowledge with current students or fellow alumni.”

Day Brinker said last year, the first virtual alumni panel was held as a result of Lehigh Connects.

She said they had an overwhelming response and had to shut down the Google Form because of the number of active alumni who were interested on the site. 

Jennifer Cunningham, the associate vice president of development and alumni relations, said the department has been looking to integrate parents into the site so they can be a source for internships, jobs and guidance for students. To facilitate this integration, she said the department has hired a Director of Parents Engagement, Melissa Ciment. 

“One of our biggest goals is to show our alumni that even after you graduate, we’re still here for you,” Best said. “We’re still providing a place for the Lehigh community where you can come back, you can network with your peers, and you don’t have to feel so intimidated by switching industries or finding a new job or solidifying your career at whatever age you may be.”

Best said PeopleGrove, the company that hosts the Lehigh Connects website, is looking at future integration with Handshake. PeopleGrove has recently undergone an upgrade, Best said, and the site is seeing a surge in member usage.

Day Brinker said, unlike LinkedIn, Lehigh Connects is a much more intimate site catered for the Lehigh community and the number of alumni on the site can be less intimidating. 

“That is why you come to a place like Lehigh,” Kennedy said. “It’s the power of the alumni network.”