8
Tuesday, April 30, 2002
Alumni Connections , Reputation
Aid UNC Graduates in fob Market
By Rachel Leonard
Staff Writer
Some people say it’s not what you
know but who you know.
Others say both are important.
But one thing is certain: for UNC-
Chapel Hill graduates wondering how
their diplomas will help them find jobs,
the University’s good reputation and
extensive alumni network throughout
the state can be a blessing, especially in
a lagging economy.
“It never hurts to be the top univer
sity in the state,” said Tim Stiles, an
associate director at University Career
Services. “We have the brand-name
recognition. We have the reputation.”
But simply graduating from the
state’s flagship university isn’t enough
to secure a job. Networking has
become even more important in light
of the recent economic downturn.
“A degree from any good university
isn’t enough to get you a job these
days,” said Linda Conklin, manager of
UNC-CH Alumni Career Services.
About 70 percent of all jobs are
“hidden” jobs, or jobs that aren’t
advertised, Conklin said.
These jobs are found through net
working. Employers would rather hire
a person recommended by a friend
than sift through piles of resumes, she
said. “Networking is crucial to tap into
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that hidden job market.”
In times of economic downturn, job
seekers have to “dig a little deeper and
work a little harder,” she added.
That’s where alumni contacts can
help. Tapping alumni resources also is
a valuable skill, Conklin said. “They
are a wealth of knowledge.”
UNC-CH alumni often feel a special
loyalty to UNC, which doesn’t always
exist at other universities, Conklin
added, and the network of UNC-CH
fans isn’t limited to North Carolina.
“They’re all over the world,” she
said. “There is a network in place.”
Alumni often help with on-campus
recruiting, give students advice or do
networking sessions, Stiles said. “They
want to come back to Chapel Hill
themselves.”
Carolina alumnus Homer Duncan,
now CEO of the Raleigh accounting
firm Lynch & Howard, said he consid
ers UNC-CH graduates over graduates
of other N.C. universities when hiring.
“We know that the students there
are generally very capable people,” he
said.
Duncan said UNC-CH graduates
receive a more well-rounded education
than students from other schools - an
essential quality even in the business
world.
“How do you deal with a business
problem if you don’t understand the
Arts & Features
underlying world?” he said.
Wayne McPeters, a 1998 UNC-CH
graduate who works for the (Raleigh)
News & Observer as an online sports
producer, said the School of
Journalism and Mass Communication’s
good reputation gave him an immedi
ate advantage in the job market.
“Automatically I had an advantage
because everyone knew (UNC-CH),” he
said. “I thought that gave me credibility.”
McPeters said the University’s pres
tige has helped him through the eco
nomic downturn. “I’ve been able to
stay in the field without having to com
promise what I want to do,” he said. “I
think a lot of that is because I graduat
ed from (UNC-CH).”
Rajal Patel, a 2001 UNC graduate of
the Kenan-Flagler Business School who
works for the Bank of America in
Charlotte, said the company’s close
links with the University “definitely”
helped him get his job.
“There are a lot of Carolina alums
that work here,” he said. “There’s a
good relationship between the
University and some of the big compa
nies as far as the business school goes.”
Patel was part of a team sent to
recruit UNC-CH students for Bank of
America this year. He said his superiors
told him to “recruit hard at Carolina.”
Brad Dellinger, a 2000 UNC-CH
graduate who also works for Bank of
~ ~. >
DTH/BRIAN CASSEIIA
Linda Conklin, manager of UNC-Chapel Hill Alumni Career Services, works in her office in the George Watts
Hill Alumni Center. Conklin directs the program that helps match graduates with prospective job openings.
America, said UNC-CH graduates are
usually given priority in the N.C. busi
ness community over alumni of small
er UNC-system schools.
Dellinger said that although the
“good old boy” network of UNC-CH
fans is out there, it’s not as prevalent in
urban areas or in large corporations. “In
small towns, you definitely see Carolina
graduates grouping together more than
you would in a big city,” he said.
Sara Batten, a 2000 UNC-CH grad
uate in English and psychology, now
works as a production editor at Oxford
University Press in Cary.
Although she found that UNC-CH
wasn’t an especially well-known name
when she worked in Boston directly
after graduation, the climate is differ
ent in North Carolina. “Around here,
it’s well-known enough it’s considered
an advantage,” she said.
But the University’s reputation
might not be as important in fields
requiring specific skills, such as medi
Art Group to Give UNC
A Taste of N.Y. Flavor
The performance art group
Jump Arts will showcase
jazz music, poetry, modern
dance and painting May 1.
By Jenise Hudson
Staff Writer
With all the changes New York has
gone through since September, it seems
one thing will never change - its repu
tation as one of the country’s biggest
performing arts centers. Spectators have
long flocked to the city, hoping for a
taste of its lively arts culture.
But with the New York-based arts
group Jump Arts coming May 1 to Hill
Auditorium as part of the first Jump Arts
American Road Project, local residents
might not have to travel north to expe
rience Manhattan’s arts scene.
A nonprofit organization, Jump Arts
works to promote
awareness about
emerging artists in
New York’s down
town arts commu
nity.
“It’s about giv
ing artists a chance
to widen their audi
ence,” said Tom
Abbs, Jump Arts’
“Here in lower Manhattan,
the music is really free jazz,
avant-garde. It’s about
freedom and love. ”
Tom Abbs
Jump Arts' Founder
founder.
Abbs, who has been involved in New
York’s arts community for more than
five years, said the American Road
Project is an opportunity for people to
experience New York’s unique style.
“Here in lower Manhattan, the music is
really free jazz, avant-garde,” Abbs said.
“It’s about freedom and love.”
A four-hour long concert,
Wednesday’s performance will feature
jazz bands like The Transcendentalists.
But music won’t be the only art form
audiences are exposed to. Abbs said the
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Book signing and discussion with Charles Rowell,
editor of Callaloo Literary Journal and professor
of English at Texas A&M.
Making of Callaloo:
25 Years of Black Literature
May 8
12-2 pm
039 Graham Memorial
Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence
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cine or computer science.
Heather Graff, a 2001 UNC-CH
graduate in computer science who now
works for IBM in Raleigh, said her aca
demic performance and internship
experience was what was most impor
tant. “That’s what’s going to matter, not
so much where you got your degree.”
But a UNC-CH degree can’t hurt,
she added.
Neither can alumni connections.
Stiles noted that many alumni feel an
affiliation with UNC-CH. He said,
“Maybe it’s nostalgia."
The State & National Editor can be
reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.
concert, which is being sponsored by
the Carolina Union Activities Board,
will also include modern dance, poetry
and five painting.
The reed player for The Gold
Sparkle Band, Charles Waters said he is
excited to be coming to Chapel Hill
with the American Road Project.
“The students (in Chapel Hill) are
smart and interested in new music,”
Waters said. “It’s a diverse campus, and
one of our main tenets is to preserve a
diverse style.”
Waters said that after Sept. 11, audi
ences will be refreshed to see the diverse
group of artists being featured on the
tour. “We have African-Americans tour
ing, white dudes, Asians.” Waters said.
“To put that on the road after Sept. 11 is
a big triumph. It’s a celebration of life.”
Abbs said that after everything that
has happened in New York City, the
tour is a chance for artists to share how
they’ve been coping. “Writing, music
and playing is the
only way we’ve
been able to deal
with what hap
pened,” Abbs
said.
Yet Abbs said
the ultimate goal
of the tour is to
simply give artists
an outlet for
expressing them
selves that will hopefully touch audi
ences.
“All artists have something to say,"
Abbs said. “We all have an opinion and
we want to tell it to people and get dif
ferent reactions so we can expand our
horizons and hopefully expand yours.”
For more information on the Jump
Arts American Road Project, contact
CUAB at 962-1157.
The Arts & Entertainment Editor can
be reached at artsdesk.unc.edu.