connections Archive

Building relationships – with peers, mentors, colleagues, managers, industry leaders, friends – is a key power skill for you to develop and hone both personally and professionally. Why is this skill so important? Having strong relationships at work is how you get access to opportunities and resources, mentors and sponsors, and helps you navigate organizational politics. […]

By Allison McWilliams (’95), Ph.D., Assistant VP, Mentoring and Alumni Personal & Career Development, Wake Forest University At this point you likely have heard that you need to find mentors, sponsors, and other support systems to build a successful career. In this age of boundaryless career paths, hybrid or fully remote work, uncertain economies, and […]

Do you have friends at work? For many employees, the pandemic and remote work have made relationship-building with colleagues more challenging than before. Check out this article from Forbes about how to cultivate friendships at work and the positive benefits that result from these relationships.

Relational needs at work typically begin with the manager-employee relationship. In this June 2022 article from the MIT Sloan Management Review, the authors’ research “revealed that to be successful in the new world of work, managers cannot depend only on hierarchical position as the basis for providing leadership. They must also recognize the role of […]

Ever wondered how to best stand out to recruiters and employers on LinkedIn? In this LEARN with @LifeAfterWake webinar, Wake Forest alumna and executive recruiter Katie Hooper (’14) shares insider tips and strategies for showing an interest in job opportunities on LinkedIn, how to message and respond to recruiters, and how to find networking contacts […]

In this Wednesday Webinar from our LEARN with @LifeAfterWake platform, Wake Forest alumna Erin Andersen (MSM ’17) shares tips and strategies for how to leverage LinkedIn to be seen by recruiters, employers, and new connections. Watch the recording below:

The pandemic has challenge us in many ways, and one of the biggest might be our ability to form new and lasting connections. No matter how great we might be at meeting new people, doing so over a computer screen is hard work. But that doesn’t mean this work should stop! In this piece for Fast […]

For building relationships, creating more authentic connections, asking for help, and even becoming a better manager and leader, there are few skills more value than effective listening. What a shame it is, then, that so many of us have such poorly developed listening skills! In this profile from First Round Review, author and seasons user […]

Networking has always been tough. Business cards, small talk, networking events – just these images may make you cringe. With the addition of remote work, the challenges of building authentic relationships have increased for most people. And yet, we know the value of these connections remains incredibly important, for our career trajectories, for our workplace […]

This past fall, we heard from hundreds of alumni navigating burnout, languishing, career trajectories, and just life during this pandemic. You all told us something similar: we need specific, tactical advice.  We’re starting a new monthly column to help. We’ll address your most confusing career conundrums. And we’ve asked some of the best advice-givers we […]