Episode 9: How to Cultivate Meaningful Connections and Network with Lauren Obersteadt & Sarah Whitney Anderson
Guest Spotlight
Lauren Obersteadt
Lauren Obersteadt currently serves as Executive Director of Alumni Relations for Vanderbilt University. In this role, she leads engagement strategies and program development to connect alumni and students with each other and the university in meaningful ways. Lauren earned a BA in English from Vanderbilt and joined her alma mater after posts in music journalism, marketing and Film/TV production. When not working, you can find Lauren exploring, scuba diving, or (most likely) somewhere in her yard.
Sarah Whitney Anderson
Sarah Whitney Anderson is an Assistant Director for Alumni-Student Engagement at Vanderbilt University. In this role she manages the alumni career programs and coordinates opportunities for students and alumni to network with one another. Sarah Whitney received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from Georgia Southern University and a Master of Education from Clemson University. In 2017 and 2018 while at Clemson, Sarah Whitney worked in the #1 Career Center helping students find their career path. Sarah Whitney’s passion for student affairs leads her to help students and alumni pursue their professional goals by connecting them to the resources they need to achieve success.
Questions Lauren and Sarah Whitney Address in this Episode
Please share a brief overview of your career journey.
What's the best career advice you have ever been given?
Your job is all about forging genuine connections. The "networking" part of the job search is intimidating for many people. How do you take those first steps to establish meaningful connections with someone when you just met?
What do you include in an email when you are reaching out to someone for the first time?
How important is follow-up?
How can a job seeker find the balance between an appropriate amount of follow-up and too much?
How do you keep a contact fresh (how often do you reach out and in what context)?
How do you approach in-person/zoom meetings with your contacts - what to wear, what to prepare, topics - questions to ask?
Can you describe social cues you pick up from other people and how that affects your networking strategy?
For example, reading body language to signal when it's time to wrap up a networking meeting?
What advice do you have for someone who is hesitant to reach out to someone new because they are shy?
Can you think of a time when someone was really great at networking? What impressed you about how they presented themselves?
What are things people should avoid when networking?
Any tips for networking events with lots of people? How do you connect in a room full of people?
Any tips for using LinkedIn as part of your networking strategy?
How can alumni make the most of their school's alumni services? What about the online database that most schools have for their alumni?
What career advice would you like to share with the audience?
Mentioned in this Episode
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