|
Looking for a new job? Ready for a career change? We now provide our alumni with
free access to CareerToolsTM/ExecuPlanet, a complete virtual career service. This
great toolbox of online resources includes résumé templates, an index of job sites,
career assessment tools, research resources, a career “wizard,” networking resources,
“Ask a Coach” Q&A, and much more. For a nominal charge, Smith alumni may upgrade
to premium services, including access to more than 2,500 key trade publications,
business and popular magazines, newsletters, newswires, newspapers, and analyst
reports. The upgrade also gives you access to a continuously updated database of
more than 1.2 million public and privately held U.S. companies, which you can use
to create a personalized target company list for your job search. Check out CareerToolsTM
on our Web site.
The original Mentor is a character from Homer’s epic The Odyssey. When Odysseus
went to fight in the Trojan War, he entrusted the care of his household to Mentor,
who served as teacher and advisor to Odysseus’ son Telemachus for many years. Over
time, the word mentor came to describe a wise and trusted advisor or teacher.
At the Smith School of Business, we are tapping into the wisdom of our alumni
to advise, instruct and teach our current MBA students. We are building meaningful
interaction between our alumni and students, which is critical for building a world-class
reputation. The MBA Alumni Mentor program functions with three levels in a cluster
format. Senior-level mentors provide their time and experience to assist four to
five young alumni mentors. The young alumni mentors in turn offer their experiences
in developing the skills of current MBA students. This arrangement allows for relationship-building
that can continue throughout and beyond a student’s time at the Smith School. Mentors
are encouraged to share information and advice about their chosen career field,
as well as general information regarding their organization and industry trends
which might be helpful to their protégés.
Participating in the Alumni Mentor Program is an excellent way to give back and
stay involved with the Smith School. We are currently recruiting new members and
would love to have your involvement! If you are interested in participating as a
mentor, please contact Francena Phillips Jackson at 301.405.9461 or e-mail
mentorpro@rhsmith.umd.edu.
 Dargeelyn Loftin (Finance ’80, MBA ’90) is ready to hit the ground running as
the newest president of Smith’s Alumni Chapter Board. Loftin was in her second year
on the Alumni Chapter Board when the opportunity arose to serve as president, allowing
her to marry her two loves, the University of Maryland and giving. “My hometown
in North Carolina was smaller than the university; being here opened so many doors
for me,” says Loftin. “Thinking about my time here always puts a smile on my face.
I want to give back.”
Loftin’s education opened doors for her that she never expected. She worked for
GE before starting her own consulting firm, Loftin Management Consulting Inc., which
she ran for 10 years. Today she is the vice president of marketing and strategy
at The Baldwin Group, a strategic change management consulting agency helping companies
understand where business processes, technology and people come together. “It’s
easy to come up with new plans, but harder to get people to see the value in them,”
says Loftin. She would like to see more alumni become involved during the school
year. “We see a lot of people who come back at homecoming, but one of the goals
of Smith’s Alumni Chapter Board is to help the school create diverse and meaningful
experiences to engage alumni throughout the year,” says Loftin. “I’d like alumni
to be more accessible to current students. The mentoring program is a great way
to help students become more effective business leaders when they graduate. Alumni
events are also great opportunities to network.”
|
