Join Breakthrough Alumni on Slack!

Hi friends,

My name is Kayla Burns, Breakthrough graduate class of 2015, and now attending Columbia University. Several members of the Alumni Relations Committee and I have been working on a short-term, yet very exciting project that will open many doors for all of us. We have an easy and effective way for you to connect and network with Breakthrough board members and friends, and other alumni!

Our very own Slack channel: Breakthrough Public Schools Alumni

A little background: We have been looking for a short-term solution to help our alumni find
internship/job opportunities and to grow their professional networks. While we complete the
work on the alumni portal and the employer pages (coming soon!), but we don’t want to miss the
opportunities of this hiring cycle. And, we have a growing list of companies who are interested in
hiring Breakthrough grads!

What do you need to do? Join and start talking!
The Slack channel will be a place where all of us can congregate and make introductions and connections. We chose Slack because it’s very easy to use, and it is designed for messaging, which will allow for easy communication. You can access Slack on your computer and on your mobile devices. (This is a quick, 5-minute, getting started tutorial.) Join the “alumni-networking” channel, and any industry specific channels that interest you (i.e "marketing," "entrepreneurship," "finance," etc.).

How it works.
After you join the industry specific channels, you are then free to start connecting. It can be as simple as posting messages to the channels asking for opportunities, or just waiting for opportunities to be posted. You can say things like, "I'm seeking internships in communications and technologies, does anyone know any opportunities or people I can reach out to?" or, "I want to learn more about careers in accounting and finance, is there anyone I can speak to about this?" Slack also allows for direct, private messaging for you to talk to people 1 on 1, which is also highly encouraged.

Last things.

• Remember to turn on your notifications so that you don't miss any opportunities that might be posted!
• Don't be afraid to advocate for yourselves. Don't hesitate to reach out to people or be afraid to speak up; everyone involved in this is dedicated to helping YOU.
• This is not only an opportunity for potential internships and jobs, but it is also to help you grow your network and be introduced to people that will be very useful to you now and in the future. Take advantage!

Join the conversation here: Breakthrough Public Schools Alumni.

If you have any questions at all, please reach out to us! Odell Coleman, Eric Baumgartner, Karen Cascio, and I are working on this effort and we are a resource for you.

As a sophomore in college myself, I recognize the stress of the internship and job search, and the pressure of growing my network as soon as possible. So this is a great start and opportunity for you--let’s make it happen!