Although still in its infancy, the Merrimack Professional Network (MPN), the College’s private online networking platform, has been a roaring success.
“We have very high ratings from the mentors and mentees on their takeaways,” said Christina Soto, assistant dean of career and experiential learning and head of the Warriors at Work program. “It was almost universally a five-star rating.”
MPN is exclusive to students, alumni and the greater Warrior community. Students who sign up can receive resume advice, interview preparation and job opportunities from alumni working in a variety of sectors.
“The Merrimack Professional Network was created to serve as a gathering space where students and alumni could connect in meaningful ways,” said Shannon Zelek, senior director of career development and MPN administrator. “It is a true reflection of Merrimack’s strong sense of community, providing students with a supportive environment to explore career paths, gain insight from alumni who have been in their shoes and build relationships to support them in the next steps.”
Since MPN’s launch, around 385 students in the Warriors at Work program have linked virtually with more than 400 volunteer alumni for professional coaching.
“(Both students and alumni) have pretty much taken it and done a great job,” said Soto.
Students and alumni meet about once a month, either in person or through MPN’s internal video conferencing service. Discussion topics include building a network and pitching oneself.
“Most of these students have met with their mentors over five times, which is much more than what we have anticipated,” Soto explained.
Looking towards the future, MPN will implement group discussion boards and expand its reach to graduate students. In the meantime, both Soto and Zelek have been reaching out to alumni to join the platform and help eager students looking to learn more about the professional world.
“We’re asking any alumni who wants to help a current Merrimack student to join MPN,” said Soto. “From there, they can sign up to be a mentor. We’d love to bring them back to campus to give back in a way that will be really fulfilling.”
