Are you using your alumni association membership to its fullest advantage? Here are the best ways to use your benefits to advance your career – and why winter may be the perfect time to do it.
Use our free career guides
Every month we post free career guides and articles to the alumni blog to help our alumni members get the most out of their college qualification. No matter what stage you’re at in your professional life or your education, there’s bound to be plenty of articles to help you reach your goals.
Here are some of our latest guides:
Great podcasts to kickstart your career during your commute
Changing your career: where to start
The 4 most powerful words in business
The ultimate apps for running a small business
Look out for our regular bulletins in your inbox to stay updated with the latest guides.
Free business and productivity book summaries
Visit your exclusive alumni benefits page to read our summaries of the best business and productivity books out there – so you don’t have to spend hours reading and can focus on your own results.
Take advantage of our networking opportunities
As a former student of Derby College, you’re part of a vibrant network of professionals from a huge range of industries and levels. Whether you’re looking for business networking opportunities, the chance to get involved in industry discussions or just seeing what your old classmates have been doing since leaving college, you can get networking on the Alumni LinkedIn Group.
Hear about the latest professional courses
We send regular updates to our alumni about our professional courses – just look out in your inbox or on the Alumni LinkedIn group for the latest information.
Why this winter?
It’s always a good time to work on your career, but it can be tempting to relax a bit in the winter months. However, we encourage our alumni members to take advantage of the benefits that come with job hunting and personal development in winter.
You’ll get a head start on the new year rush
January is a very busy time for recruiters, as all those people who made new year’s resolutions to find a new job start looking for opportunities. What’s more, many people who are already looking for job put their hunt on hold over the holidays, so there can be less competition for those jobs that are available.
Hiring doesn’t stop over the holidays
Recruiters The Undercover Recruiter , Techno Jobs and Baxter Personnel suggest several reasons why determined job seekers could take advantage of the temporary quiet period.
- Some companies need to spend whatever is left of their hiring budget so they don’t lose next year’s funds
- Some companies like to start the new year fully staffed up, so try to fill all of their positions before the end of the year
- Many people leave their jobs in anticipation of finding a new one in the new year, leaving vacancies to be filled as soon as possible
- Many companies still work through the Christmas period – business doesn’t stop for everyone
- If companies are advertising positions over the holidays, you can make yourself stand out by applying during a quieter time – hiring mangers don’t always switch off their email during the holidays
Want to find out more about what your alumni association can do for you? Visit the alumni benefits page now