OCS Keeps Students Engaged Through Summer With Social Media Initiatives

Summer may seem like a time to slow down, but new initiatives created by the Office of Career Services (OCS) kept students networking even during the dog days of summer.

Audrey Mullins ’24, an OCS student intern for the 2023-2024 school year, leveraged OCS’s growing LinkedIn platform and reached out to alumni who have engaged with OCS for a feature in its “Alumni Spotlights” content—a weekly post on the OCS LinkedIn page about the Smith alumni. In return, the Smith Terp would offer some time for students to sign up for a virtual “coffee chat.”

The initiative was launched during the 2023-2024 school year to foster new connections between Smith alumni and students. It resulted in an increase in activity on the OCS LinkedIn page, growing an audience of 300 followers in the fall to over 1,300 followers in the spring of 2024.

Mullins says she wanted the stories about career journeys and successes to “inspire and build relationships with students.” She also used them to capture LinkedIn's growing audience, increase engagement, and create a community that connects all members, specifically alumni.

Mullins adds that the connections also helped students “understand potential career paths” and inspired those who may have different interests by showcasing a wide array of alumni stories.

Assistant Director for Employer Relations Luke Dieguez credits Mullins with setting up initiatives on the LinkedIn page to keep engagement active during the summer months. “Audrey wanted to keep the momentum,” he says. She also developed “Terp Tip Thursday,” which has been offering tips weekly since November 2023 about networking advice and campus engagement suggestions for students. The page also highlights graduate and undergraduate students and their internships.

Dieguez says that as the Alumni Spotlight coffee chats were developed, the team intentionally differentiated these casual, 20-minute, one-on-one opportunities from other OCS offerings. One is the Terp Network Team, a more formal meeting where an OCS career coach is also present. “We appreciate all the time [Smith Alumni] are able to give back,” he says.

“Getting involved with OCS is a great way to meet students who are in the same position you once were,” Mullins said about alumni who volunteer with OCS. “Sharing your path and story can significantly aid students in their journey.”

Students or alumni who would like to learn more about connecting with OCS can reach out to Luke Dieguez for more information.