Networking with professionals can help you find a job when you graduate.
Now, you can get in touch with them without leaving your home.
UNM's Online Mentoring Program has about 800 alumni in 120 fields who are ready to give students advice and help them choose a career path - and they can be accessed with the click of a mouse, said Sue MacEachen, senior alumni relations officer for the UNM Alumni Association.
The free service can be accessed at
mentor.unmalumni.com It has been available to students for about 10 years.
"Students can go to our Web site and look at different career areas that they're interested in," MacEachen said. "They can contact an alum and ask questions from someone who's already been out in the field. It's almost like shopping online for a mentor."
The site allows students to browse career fields and select mentors by job description and location. Students can then register online, and the program contacts the mentors they have requested via e-mail.
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MacEachen said most mentors respond quickly.
She said the online program doesn't let students search for employment, but it can still help them find a job.
"The program isn't designed to be a job-hunting program," she said. "It's all about making connections. But the more people you know in your field, the better off you're going to be in getting a job. If somebody knows who you are, they're going to put in a good word for you."
Alumna Myra Luna Lucero said the program was easy to use and helped her quickly make some useful contacts.
"I had just graduated and was trying to figure out the next step," she said. "It allowed me to reach out to others who found jobs, life and success after UNM, and they outlined their experiences for me."
Lucero said she still keeps in touch with the mentors she contacted through the program, although she hasn't met most of them.
"I've been in touch with a lot of incredible professionals," she said. "It's been great to get to know so many people around Albuquerque, and I still network through the program."
Alumna Jennifer Riordan, a volunteer mentor, said the program's Internet setup allows students to receive a rapid response.
"Time is of the essence for most professionals," she said. "A large percentage of us mostly operate via e-mail and online. What's nice about the online format is you can initially make contact quickly."
Riordan said most mentorships shift to conversations over the phone or face-to-face meetings after a short period of time. She said connections are crucial to finding a good job.
"New Mexico is very much a networking state," she said. "The advice I give to students who contact me is always three things: Find a mentor, get an internship and network as much as possible."
