Newswise — Wellesley College, the preeminent liberal arts college for women, this week announced the next generation of the Wellesley Alumnae Network. Nicknamed the “W Network,” the Wellesley College Alumnae Network has been called the “most powerful women’s network in the world.” In choosing LinkedIn, Wellesley is following where the school’s alumnae have led: Half of Wellesley’s 30,000 active alumnae are already using LinkedIn, and several thousand of those are current members of Wellesley’s existing LinkedIn alumnae group. As the world’s largest professional networking site, LinkedIn provides an array of professional-networking services that will deliver real career value to Wellesley alumnae.
The refreshed site—open only to Wellesley alumnae and students—will contain 20 industry-based subgroups, with content provided exclusively by Wellesley alumnae. This provides a great opportunity for alums to share career-related information, referrals, and advice with other Wellesley women who share career interests. According to a 2013 alumnae survey, within 20 years of graduation, 60 percent of working Wellesley College alums report that they hold senior, executive, or C-suite positions and 19 percent serve as C-level execs within 35 years of graduation. Nearly one-in-five Wellesley alums have started their own company, and 60 percent have received a professional degree within 10 years of graduation. Indeed, more than 80 percent of Wellesley graduates pursue advanced degrees of all kinds. Fifty percent work at government, NGO, and other public agencies.
Wellesley’s career-minded alumnae span all fields and geographies, and a wide range in ages. In addition to making professional connections, the LinkedIn network is a great way for alumnae and students to stay in touch or get back in touch with Wellesley friends. It’s also an opportunity for alumnae to mentor students and recent grads, and for students to benefit from alumnae support.
The updated Wellesley Alumnae Network is backed by the College’s Center for Work and Service (CWS), Wellesley’s career-counseling team. The CWS will post job, internship, and fellowship opportunities on a weekly basis and provide a direct link to the CWS website, where alums will find ways to facilitate the application process. And through the LinkedIn search function, users will also be able to conduct proactive searches to find their ideal position (filter opportunities by industry, job function, location, skill set, key word, even academic major).
Wellesley is known for investing in women, and providing lifelong career support for alums is just one manifestation of that commitment.
About Wellesley CollegeSince 1875, Wellesley College has been the preeminent liberal arts college for women. Known for its intellectual rigor and its remarkable track record for the cultivation of women leaders in every arena, Wellesley—only 12 miles from Boston—is home to some 2300 undergraduates from every state and 75 countries.
Press ContactsAnne Yu, Assistant Director, Media Relations, [email protected], 781-283-3201 Sofiya Cabalquinto, Director, Media Relations, [email protected], 781-283-3321
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