The 30 Minutes program brings students interested in a specific job or industry face-to-face with alumni experienced in that field. In just half an hour (hence the name), Carleton networking magic happens.

• 30 Minutes Spring 2013 Schedule
• 30 Minutes Winter 2013 Schedule
  
• 30 Minutes Fall 2012 Schedule
• Background/General Information
• Logistics and Particulars
• Program Content
• Outcomes

Background/General Information

The idea is simple: Alumni take an afternoon off from work to meet with students for casual, candid, one-on-one conversations. Students ask questions about the alum’s industry, a typical day/week in their shoes, educational requirements, resources for learning more, and ways to gain experience in the field. Furthermore, alumni often refer students to contacts or resources outside of the Carleton network. 

These meetings are a quick thirty minutes, so students can get on with their busy lives at Carleton. The brevity and informality of the sessions makes them an engaging and low-pressure way to introduce students to the power of networking.

Since the program’s inception in 2009, more than 250 students have connected with over 100 different alumni, leading to internships, interviews, and other opportunities.

Logistics and Particulars

• If we can find ten social activists, for example, who are willing to visit campus one day a term, we have one day every week of the academic term for students to access professional/career coaching.
• The current model has alumni visit campus in the afternoons from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m., holding half-hour, individual appointments with students interested in learning about them and the industry in which they work.
• The Career Center initially thought wed identify new retirees for this program, but mid-career alumni have said: One day a term? I can do that, easy!
• One model might be to coordinate visits from lawyers, for example, with the schedule of courses/seminars relating most closely to law (Law and Society, for example). Many other possible models exist.

Program Content

• Medicine, law, finance, public health, creative professions (e.g., architects, advertising gurus, arts administrators, curators, performing artists, playwrights, producers), bench chemistry, field biology, political consultants, environmental engineers, the helping professions, and the roads less traveled (e.g., street musician/day trader).
• Members of Chapters provide information and advice about their field, typical day/week, qualifications and entrance to career/career path, educational and experience requirements, common issues and opportunities, resources for learning more, ways to gain experience in the field, and related occupations. Members also give referrals to colleagues or friends outside the Carleton network for students to get in touch with.

Program Outcomes

• Regular, predictable, on-campus advising related to career/fields.
• Students get direct feedback/coaching on interpersonal skills and self-presentation skills.
• Advisors academic expertise is supplemented by the real world expertise of alums in the field.
• Students test their interests with minimal expense in terms of both money and time away form classes for travel.