We have all seen the emails and heard murmurs throughout the community, and now the Hamilton College Career Center’s newest addition is finally here! Introducing

My Hamilton Connect

(powered by

People Grove

), the new and improved alumni directory that features new advancements like private messaging, video chat, discussion boards, an alumni job board, resource pages and group creation tools.

According to Associate Director of the Hamilton Career Network Shauna Hirschfield, this platform has been in the works for years. Similar platforms at other institutions began appearing a few years ago, which Hamilton representatives discovered at conferences and in conversations with members of different colleges and universities. Hamilton staff members found such systems to be beneficial and have spent the past four years advocating for Hamilton to create and update its own program. During this period of time, the Career Center assessed different types of systems available and met with campus stakeholders.

My Hamilton Connect

specifically has been in development for about 12 to 18 months. Hirschfield emphasized that its creation has been a “team effort”, with Career Services, Alumni Relations, Advancement Promotions, Advancement Information Services, Communications, and Library & IT Services (LITS) collaborating on the developmental phases of

My Hamilton Connect

. Now that this new platform has been built, the Admission, Orientation, and Student Life departments are planning possible uses for it.

Hirschfield said that the primary purpose of

My Hamilton Connect

was “ to upgrade the old alumni directory.” However, “in doing so, we realized that the new technology that exists could both upgrade the old platform

and

offer a variety of other exciting features as well” said Hirschfield. She added that all of the new bonuses to the directory are meant to “offer a huge added value to our students, alumni, and other community members.”

My Hamilton Connect’

s name suggests the goals of the platform: connections. Every Hamiton student knows how important networking is towards building one’s career. This new platform aims to better facilitate that process. For example, the system provides an easier and more practical way for alumni to maintain contact with Hamilton, as it functions as an all-inclusive place to reconnect with former classmates, current students, recent graduates, and the school itself. The organization of the online platform is easy to navigate and helps Hamilton community members find better connections, as users can filter searches for potential contacts. Filters include campus involvement, career interests, and geography of the contact.

My Hamilton Connect’

s potential is not just limited to career prospects and motive, but it also has a more general intention of building community. As Mrs. Hirschfield explained, “This isn’t just a Career Center resource — though it can and should certainly be helpful for career-related support. The new platform is intended to help folks identify other community members that they relate to and who can be uniquely helpful to them around whatever topics on which they might be seeking guidance.”

Jafar Sharipov ’21, People Grove Operations Associate at the Career Center Connect Team, said:

“The new

My Hamilton Connect

is the improved version of the old Directory that allows you to enjoy all the perks of having such a supportive community like Hamilton. The platform helps you to skip several intermediate steps and players (emails, calendars, Zoom), and use all these features in one place. It really is a one-stop shop. I would even say that using

My Hamilton Connect

is like having a premium subscription on LinkedIn, restricted to the Hamilton Community. One of my favorite features is the ability to view all alumni from a map view which comes in handy when you travel or look for connections in a certain region.”

Since it does have a different setup and a variety of new functions, the Career Center has already planned events for students to learn how to navigate the new platform. Among them include the “Explore 201” workshop, the “Advanced Networking” workshops, and info sessions for students who would like the support. It’s a great opportunity to learn how to get the most out of

My Hamilton

and how to tailor it to your interests.