Ambassador Program
The Ambassador Program is about mentoring and making connections that matter. Ambassadors are involved alumni, parents and friends of the University who are ready and willing to share their time, practical advice, and professional experience with students who are focusing on career opportunities. This may result in e-mails, phone calls and potentially a personal meeting with a student, or possibly referring a student to a colleague who has additional insight into a particular area of the student's career interests.
Establishing and managing a career takes time, research, hard work and persistence. Having a strong mentor can significantly contribute towards a student’s ultimate career success.
Ambassadors need not be an employer or have a specific job opportunity. The goal is connecting with students and assisting them in the career development process, thus building the Washington University community in key geographic regions. Your participation could make a big difference in a student's future career.
Ambassadors can choose to participate in one of the following cities: Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C. and Hong Kong.
Overview of an Ambassador’s Role
A successful Ambassador can take on many forms. We do not expect each contact to result in a job, but we do expect most contacts to result in more informed and better prepared students. Your hard-earned experiences and insights can help Washington University students launch successful careers.
These potential activities can be critical components of their career search process:
- Identify key resources for student and background information prior to further networking attempts
- Bring the reality of persistence to a particularly difficult job market and at the same time provide coaching, support and enthusiasm
- Offer the opportunity to shadow you for a few hours or a day at your job
- Give feedback to students on their presentation skills
- Provide information about your city, or specific organizations along with tips on departments or organizations they might want to seek or avoid
- Host a student at your home while they are in town for an interview
The Ambassador's Commitment
To establish and maintain a relationship with a student, we ask for a commitment of a year to the Ambassador Program and hope that you will have a successful experience and reconfirm your commitment at the beginning of the next school year. You can continue your relationship as long as you wish.
Every attempt will be made to match up each Ambassador to a student. If no student is matched with you this year, you will be kept on the list for next year's roster. However, if there is a particular need, we will ask you if you are willing to work with more than one student.
Become an Ambassador
If you are interested in becoming a Washington University Ambassador, please fill out the online form and a program representative will begin the process of matching you with a prospective student.
For more information on the diverse selection of opportunities and industries that match student interests please visit the Demographics section of this website.
If you have any questions about the program or would like more information, please contact Jim Beirne at (314) 935-5956 or beirne@wustl.edu.