Help wanted
by Robert Collins, BA'77
Do you remember when this title was used to advertise Employment Opportunities? Well, today, the debate about how much focus that a university should place on preparation for specific careers is even more prevalent as concerns with youth unemployment, anticipated skills shortages and priorities for scarce funds increase.
Wherever you stand on this continuum (and Western founders wisely positioned it as Veritas et Utilitas, Truth AND Usefulness, rather than either/or), I believe it is incumbent upon us all to extend a helping hand to fellow alumni and students as they explore, navigate and advance on their career paths.
So, what are some ways that we can all provide meaningful help?
Accept a call from a student or alumni and share your insights and link them to people and opportunities. This is a common expectation of alumni from major US universities (including the one with the single word motto, Veritas!). Experience their enthusiasm and energy!
Give an Information Interview so that a keen career seeker can pose their questions and experience your work setting and sector. Please consider giving a tour and providing referrals to your network. Explore your shared "purple and proud" experiences. Become a mentor or host a work experience so that your enterprise is developing its talent pipeline and building its brand in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Opening doors is mutually fulfilling!
Alert Western to Career Opportunities through a faculty based contact or westerncareercentral.ca. Western has a wonderfully broad base of talent for you to draw upon and these contacts provide a great opportunity for job searchers to find you.
Attend a Career Day /Job Fair or Networking Event so that your profile and connections continue to build and realistic expectations are shared meaningfully. With over 260,000 alumni in over 150 countries, we have the potential to collectively enhance the value of Western’s total educational experience and its contributions to the workplaces of today and tomorrow . . . as well as provide that all important “helping hand.”
Robert Collins is president of Western’s Alumni Association
This article appeared in the Spring 2013 edition of Alumni Gazette
Giving To Western
Through Western’s ambitious fundraising campaign, Be Extraordinary, we are raising the bar to enrich The Western Experience.
We are preparing students to become the next generation of global leaders. We are also inspiring innovative learning and igniting world-class discovery to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
We invite alumni and friends to participate in our campaign, and help double the number of alumni who contribute to making Western extraordinary.
Be part of something that's already a part of you.
Why log in?
Logging into the Alumni Western web site at www.alumni.westernu.ca allows you to:
- Update your personal information
- Manage the types of email you receive from Western
- Easily register for events with pre-populated forms
- Use the Western Alumni Online Directory (once your alumni status is confirmed)
What about my privacy?
Western treats all personal information in confidence and does not share it with any individual or group, except for the purposes of gift transactions and necessary records. To view Western's privacy policy, please click here.
Need help with your User Name or Password?
Please use the Trouble Signing In? link to recover your User Name and/or Password.
HINT: User Names are often the email address at which you receive emails from Western.
If further help is required, please send an email to alumni-directory@uwo.ca. We are usually able to respond the same day during the week. Inquiries received during a weekend or on a holiday are addressed the first day back at work.
Log in with your social media account
You can now log into the Western Alumni website using your Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter account to access exclusive content including the career management portal and the alumni directory.
In order to log in via your social media account, your Western Alumni website email address must match the email address used to log into your social media profile.
For example: if the email you use to access the Western Alumni website is sallymustang@uwo.ca then your social media account's primary email must also be sallymustang@uwo.ca.
If you experience any issues with logging into the Western Alumni website with your social media account, please email alumni.web@uwo.ca and please provide your first name, last name, and postal code and we can help you through the login process.
