Alumni Personal & Career Development Center

With economic uncertainty and job market instability, more U.S. employees are staying put in their current job roles. A recent report from Resume Now revealed that 60% of workers have stayed in a job much longer than they’ve wanted to.

On top of that, many employers are choosing not to move forward with new hiring – or even firing – until they have a clearer picture of business needs for the upcoming year.

No matter what factors might be keeping you from switching job roles or companies in 2025, you can still take steps to grow, develop, and plan for the future.

Join other 🎩 WFU alumni for a conversation around how to grow your skill set and move forward despite your current work circumstances at our next Alumni Discussion Group on Wednesday, August 20, from 9-10am ET on Zoom. Grab your favorite morning beverage and come ready to chat!

Register now at the link in our bio or stories.

https://wakenetwork.wfu.edu/events/online-alumni-discussion-group-no-hire-no-fire-how-to-grow-and-plan-08-20-2025-0012179 …

Struggling with your job search or unsure about your next career move? You’re not alone! Studies show that 70-80% of jobs are found through the hidden job market—yet many professionals don’t know how to tap into it effectively. If you’re relying solely on online applications, you may be missing out on the best opportunities.

Join us for a webinar on Wednesday, July 30th, from 12-1pm ET on Zoom featuring Certified Career Coach and national career expert Hallie Crawford.

We’ll be focusing on:

✍️ How to define what’s essential to you in an ideal career

🔍 What the hidden job market is and how to leverage it for more opportunities

✅ Key first steps to expand your network and uncover unlisted job openings

📋Proven strategies to enhance your job search and avoid common mistakes

Register now at the link in our bio or stories!

https://wakenetwork.wfu.edu/events/online-07-30-2025-0012148 …

🎩NEW DEACON SPOTLIGHT🎓🎩

After graduation, Mark Handler (‘20) was the Wake Forest Fellow in the Office of the President and then worked for a research firm in Austin, TX. He quickly realized that he wanted to combine his love of soccer and sports with his next career opportunity, which landed him at Atlanta United. Today, Mark works as an account manager in corporate sponsorships at Sporting Kansas City where he builds connections with local businesses in the community.

Here are some fun facts about Mark:

🥗 I’ve been a vegetarian for almost six years now after deciding to give up meat during a writing project in Dr. Erhardt’s class! Sometimes I still dream of chicken wings, though.

⚽️ The highlight of my life was accidentally ending up in the same hallway as Lionel Messi after a match at our stadium. I didn’t know what to do so I just stopped and hugged the wall as he walked past me. Then I freaked out, ran away and called my parents.

🍩 My favorite spot to go in Winston-Salem was Dough Joe’s Doughnuts & Coffee just off the Reynolda Trail – the apple cider doughnut (warmed up, of course) cannot be beat!

We’ll leave you with some advice from Mark for anyone hoping to work in the world of sports:
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“In the professional sports world, networking can be a great differentiator when pursuing a first job in the industry! There’s often more demand for jobs than supply in the workforce, so having connections can be a meaningful tool when applying for your first job at a franchise or agency.”

Read more of our Q&A with Mark at the link in our profile or stories! Plus, you can always check out our past alumni spotlights in the “Deacon Spotlight” highlight reel in our profile.

https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/deacon-spotlight/deacon-spotlight-mark-handler/ …

Hey Deacs, just a friendly update that we won’t be in this online space next week, June 16-20. Hopefully like all of you, our team members are stepping away for vacation and time away from work to unplug and recharge! 🏖️

While we won’t be posting on or checking Instagram, you can always reach out to our team for career support – whether that be a quick question or request for a coaching appointment – on our website. Visit the link in our bio to get connected with us.

Happy summer! ☀️

https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/connect-with-a-career-coach/ …

🎩NEW DEACON SPOTLIGHT🎩

According to Wake Forest alumna Maura Connolly (‘14), her career path has been “one step, one job, one connection at a time.” She graduated with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Journalism, and developed an interest in community service programs while being involved in APO (Alpha Phi Omega) community service fraternity. She began her career post-college in the AmeriCorps program and now works as Project Manager at The Energy Coalition. Check out Maura’s full Deacon Spotlight story to learn more about the trajectory of her career path in sustainability!

Here are some fun facts about Maura:

🏹 When she was at Wake, she was part of the fencing club and the archery club.

📖 She did work study at the WFU Press and met several Irish poets.

🏃🏼‍♀️Maura has run marathons in three different states (soon to be 4, in October!). Plus, she’s won several social league soccer championships.

We’ll leave you with some advice from Maura on the importance of skill development to get where you want to go next in your career:
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“Work on your transferable skills! Think about what kinds of tasks you would want to do on a day-to-day basis, and apply for any jobs, internships and/or volunteer opportunities that involve those skills. Every organization expects to train new hires in the specifics of their sector/organization; being good at the basics will help get your foot in the door, regardless of your education or professional background.”

Read more of our Q&A with Maura at the link in our profile or stories! Plus, you can always check out our past alumni spotlights in the “Deacon Spotlight” highlight reel in our profile.

https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/deacon-spotlight/deacon-spotlight-maura-connolly/ …