The Raven Walk logo from the official website.
Kathleen Storen, The Circuit
Recently, Benedictine launched The Raven Walk, an online platform which offers mentoring and networking opportunities for current and past Ravens.
Following suit with professional platforms like LinkedIn, The Raven Walk seeks to connect students with alumni to bolster their career pursuits.
The website matches students up with potential contacts in one’s field of interest(s), and students are encouraged to reach out to alumni on the network.
According to Megan Klebba, Director of Career Services, the conversations and connections built on Raven Walk are vital in the job search process.
“Through that conversation you can put your best foot forward and at the end hopefully they would be willing to pass along that recommendation to the hiring manager,” Klebba said. “This is key because you’re fourteen times more likely to get a job through a referral.”
Paul Seaton, a recent graduate of Benedictine, is one alumni who is involved in the platform and hopes to assist students along their career journeys.
“I’m sure I speak on behalf of all BC alum that are Raven Walk users, but I hope to connect with a greater number of current BC students and help them out in any way I can as they prepare to enter the workforce and life after school,” Seaton said.
In addition to networking and mentoring, The Raven Walk provides current students the chance to connect with alumni to help navigate deciding on a major.
“[Students] can also use this as a tool to reach out to alumni for that informational interview to get a more realistic picture of what being a major in that field or having a career in that field actually looks like,” Klebba said. “It’s definitely applicable to students in all grades.”
Though it may seem intimidating for students to approach professionals in their desired field, Klebba encourages students to make the most of this platform and the college’s alumni network.
“If students are nervous about engaging with it, look at that resources page, and reach out to me certainly,” Klebba said. “I encourage students to continue to interact, everyday there are new job postings and new alumni on there.”
Seaton, too, hopes students will be bold and take advantage of the friendly Raven community. He encourages students to reach out and be confident as they begin their careers.
“As a young professional, I can empathize with the natural fear that comes with initiating contact with professionals that appear to have a high status,” Seaton said. “However, at the end of the day, we’re all part of the Raven family and eager to help out young Ravens in any way we can.”