What’s Next

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Power Up with graphic of a battery charging and a phone plugged in to a cord

Fall 2022 | Power Up: Super (Power) Skills for Your Life + Career
Starting in September, we’ll be unpacking four essential Power Skills needed to be successful in the world of work, where employees are navigating remote/hybrid environments and a more globalized and inclusive workplace. To get access to this exclusive content, including webinars and related programs, subscribe to our e-newsletter list, Beyond the Forest, here.

Year One online course with blue circles

Open Enrollment | *NEW* Year One Online Course
This self-paced course has been designed to accompany the book, Year One: How Young Professionals (And Their Managers) Can Thrive in Their First Job After College. This course includes five modules, with each one containing a Watch, Read, and Do section. Each module connects to specific chapters of the Year One book. While we recommend you get a copy of the book to read along with the course modules, it is not required. By the end of this course, you will have the tools and resources needed to figure out how to navigate work, life, relationships (at work), your personal development, and what comes next.

Five For Your First Five online course for young alumni

Open Enrollment | Five For Your First Five Online Course
Over five modules you will be introduced to the five key competency areas that we believe all young professionals need to master in their first five years after college; reflect on your values, skills, strengths, and learning goals; identify the people you need to have in your network; and create a plan for what comes next, for you. This self-paced course has been designed to accompany the book, Five For Your First Five: Own Your Career and Life After College, written by Allison E. McWilliams, Assistant Vice President for Mentoring and Alumni Personal & Career Development at Wake Forest University.

Jumpstart job search course with multicolored stacked triangle graphics

Open Enrollment | JUMPSTART: A Job Search Strategy Prep Course
Between endless online applications and emails to networking contacts, the job search can feel like a shot in the dark. But it doesn’t have to be! There are effective tools and strategies known to increase success, and in this self-paced online prep course, we’ll break down what you need to know for your next job search. At the end of this prep course, you will have clarity on your job search target, a refreshed resume and LinkedIn profile, greater understanding of the strength of your network, and a plan for what’s next. This open enrollment prep course is entirely self-paced. You’ll have access to all the materials and we won’t remove you from the course after you finish.

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September 29, 2022 | Alumni Book Discussion: Big Friendship
Join us for the next meetup of our Wake Forest Alumni Book Group, where we’ll discuss Brene Brown’s conversation with Aminatou Sou and Ann Friedman about their book Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close. We’ll talk about default social groups versus chosen ones, the intentional hard work of relationship-building, what it means to create “big friendships” (and why they matter), as well as the varied and diverse types of relationships we all need, to grow and to be successful. As a bonus, you’ll get to do some relationship-building with a group of fellow Wake Forest alumni! Space is limited.

Young Alumni Mentoring Groups

September 30, 2022 Deadline to Register | Young Alumni Mentoring Group (Virtual)
Young Alumni Mentoring Groups provide a unique opportunity for Wake Forest young professionals to come together in a small group for facilitated conversation, reflection, action planning, and to make meaningful connections about life and work. This virtual group is open to alumni who graduated from the undergraduate College in class years 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Each group meeting will take place on Zoom on Thursdays from 12:00-1:00pm EST on the following dates: 10/13, 10/20, 11/3, 11/10,12/1,12/8, 1/12, 1/19, 2/2, 2/16. Participants are responsible for purchasing their own copy of the Five For Your First Five book.

October 7, 2022 | Coffee Chat with Alumni in October
We know it’s tough to connect with new people right now. Whether you’re hoping to build your network professionally or just take a few minutes to meet someone new, sign up for these 1:1 alumni conversations! Here’s how it works: register by Friday, October 7th. Our team will match alumni for 1:1 conversations and on Tuesday, October 11th, we’ll connect each conversation pair with a short introductory email. Each conversation pair will work to find a time to meet that works for you both! It’s that easy! Plan to chat for 15-minutes, maybe over coffee or a quick bite to eat!

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October 19, 2022 | Managing Well: How to Set Effective Goals and Clear Expectations
Management can be challenging, we know, but one of the most effective tools you have to be a great manager is goal-setting. Specifically, when you know how to write specific, action-oriented goals, tied to clear expectations and accountability measures, you increase employee engagement and satisfaction, improve relationships with your people, and get better outcomes. Especially in this time of “The Great Resignation” and “Quiet Quitting,” you can’t afford not to know how to do this well. In this online workshop we’ll look at the research behind effective goal-setting, talk through models for setting and upholding expectations and accountability from day one, and do some practice together. As a bonus, everyone who attends will be given the opportunity to receive individual feedback on their personal or team goals.

November 4, 2022 | Coffee Chat with Alumni in November
We know it’s tough to connect with new people right now. Whether you’re hoping to build your network professionally or just take a few minutes to meet someone new, sign up for these 1:1 alumni conversations! Here’s how it works: register by Friday, November 4th. Our team will match alumni for 1:1 conversations and on Tuesday, November 8th, we’ll connect each conversation pair with a short introductory email. Each conversation pair will work to find a time to meet that works for you both! It’s that easy! Plan to chat for 15-minutes, maybe over coffee or a quick bite to eat!

Colorful graphic of a gauge showing frowning and happy faces on a scale

November 30, 2022 | Book Discussion Group: Thanks for the Feedback
During this month’s Alumni Book Group, we’ll discuss the TedTalk How to Use Others’ Feedback to Learn and Grow with Sheila Heen, author of Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well (Even When It’s Off-Base, Unfair, Poorly Delivered and Frankly, You’re Not in the Mood) and the article The Best Leaders are Feedback Magnets. We’ll talk about what works, and what doesn’t, when giving and receiving feedback, feedback triggers, whether there’s such a thing as “bad” feedback, and some simple models for giving and receiving feedback that works.

Check out the following opportunities from the WFU School of Business (open to all alumni):

(Virtual) Technical Series: While each class builds on the other, they can be taken independently or as a series. *These are for alumni only.

(Virtual) Leadership Series: Presented by the Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character.

Executive Education: Sharpen your talents as a business leader and improve your company’s competitive advantage. Alumni discounts are available. Classes fill-up quickly.