On Thursday, August 11th, 20 West End House alumni attended our first-ever Alumni Networking Night. The networking event took place from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at West End House and attracted rising college Freshman, Sophomores, and Juniors — many of whom had never attempted to network before. Seven professionals representing six Boston-area companies volunteered their time to practice professional networking skills with our alumni including Turner Construction, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Deloitte, Bain & Company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and the Bridgespan Group.
As extra motivation, alumni who impressed our professional guests received a “business card” to be entered into a raffle for a $250 New Balance gift card. Although the business cards for the raffle were “fake,” many alumni received real business cards from our guests and were encouraged to follow up about internships and opportunities at the companies present. Eighteen-year-old Claire said, “It was a great way to connect with people I would not normally have the opportunity to meet. I learned a lot about internships, job opportunities, and business etiquette. For one, I did not know that there was such a thing as business consulting, like Deloitte and Bain & Company do. I also learned that accountants don’t just work at accounting firms; they can find work anywhere.”
