Alumni Back on Campus
The questions students really have are rarely the ones on the agenda
Students come with questions they would not ask a faculty member or a recruiter: what is the work really like, was it worth it, how do I tell my parents. In this session one or two alumni answer questions the students have chosen, in an open hour with almost no presentation. The speakers say what they know, say when they do not, and decline what they would rather not share.
Explore this page6 sections
A formal talk answers the speaker's questions. An open hour answers the students'.
Most campus talks follow the speaker's agenda. Students sit through it and then, in the last five minutes, ask the one or two questions they had from the start. By then the time is gone.
Reversing the order puts the questions first. The speakers have almost nothing prepared except their willingness to answer honestly. Students decide what is covered, and the quieter ones can send questions without being named.
It is also a practical lesson. Students see which questions get a full answer and which get a polite one, and they learn how to ask a better question next time.
How the hour is organised
31 topics across 7 areas. Seven parts, from collecting questions to what happens afterwards.
Collecting Questions BeforehandSo the hour does not begin with silence.4
- A short form or a box where students can submit questions, with or without a name
- A facilitator who groups similar questions
- Questions the college would like included
- A few starter questions from the facilitator in case the room is quiet
Anonymous questions often turn out to be the best ones.
Questions About WorkWhat the job is like.5
- What does a normal day or week look like?
- What is the hardest part?
- What do you enjoy that you did not expect to?
- How do you learn something new at work?
- What would make you leave your job?
Questions About Getting ThereHow they found and prepared for work.5
- How did you find your first job?
- What did you do in your final year?
- What would you practise first if you were a student now?
- How do I prepare if I am not strong in one subject?
- How many rejections did you face?
Questions About Choices and FamilyWhere there is often no easy answer.4
The speakers give their own experience and say clearly that they cannot decide for a student. They are not asked to counsel.
- How do I choose between two options?
- How do I talk to my parents about a different path?
- Is it a mistake to take a job far from home?
- What if I do not know what I want?
Questions About MoneyThe speaker's choice.3
- How did your first salary compare with what you expected?
- How did you manage money in the first year?
- Is it sensible to take a lower-paid job that teaches more?
Speakers may decline to give figures or personal details. A polite no is a perfectly good answer.
Questions the Speaker May DeclineAgreed in advance, so nobody is put on the spot.5
- Requests for a job, a referral or a recommendation
- Questions about the speaker's employer that would need company approval
- Questions that ask the speaker to criticise a named person
- Medical, legal or psychological advice
- Personal contact details
Keeping the Hour Safe and UsefulThe ground rules.5
If a student needs to speak to someone about distress, the college counsellor is the first route. Tele-MANAS, the national helpline, is on 14416.
- A staff member from the college stays throughout
- The facilitator can redirect a question that is unsuitable
- If a student appears to be in distress, the staff member is told and the college's own support takes over
- Follow-up questions go through the college, not through personal channels
- Nobody is photographed or recorded without the college's permission
What the alumni prepare
- Nothing in slides: a few minutes about who they are
- A readiness to say 'I do not know' or 'that depends'
- A list of what they would prefer not to be asked
- A reminder that their answers are about their own path
What students can do
- Send a question beforehand, with or without a name
- Ask for an example rather than a rule
- Follow up on an answer instead of moving on
- Write down what they learned and what they will try
How the session runs
One or two alumni introduce themselves in a few minutes and the rest of the hour goes to questions. The questions come from the pre-collected set, the room and paper slips, and a GullyFuture facilitator picks, groups and sometimes rephrases them. The facilitator can end a line of questioning that is going nowhere and invites quieter students to contribute. Speakers are briefed not to promote an employer, course or business, and not to share personal contact details. A staff member from the college remains in the room throughout, and the length is agreed in advance.
What your students leave with
- Answers to questions students would not ask in a formal setting
- Practice in asking a good question of a senior
- A sense of what different alumni say about the same question
- Honest 'I do not know' answers, which are also useful
- A named route for follow-up questions that goes through the college
- More comfortable conversation between students and seniors
Scheduled sessions
Nothing scheduled yet
Sessions are arranged with a college once a date is agreed. Ask us and we will find the right person for it.
A student rather than a college? See what is coming up, or ask your placement team to host this.
Let the students set the agenda.
Tell us who your students are and what stage they are at. Sessions are free for participants.