By Madeline Amonick, Communications Assistant
What is OneHop?
OneHop, formerly PeopleGrove, gives students direct access to alumni across all schools who have already expressed interest in helping students. Whether you are looking for a long-term mentorship, looking to explore new fields, or simply need someone to with whom to bounce ideas, there are a variety of ways students can work with alumni. Explore the community on your own or register for school-specific formal mentoring programs.
As an undergraduate student, I was excited to see the variety of different ways to interact with the Hopkins community. Having such uncertainty in my future often makes me hesitant to reach out to alums; I don’t want to waste their time if it is no longer relevant. However, OneHop’s features mitigate this feeling. The ease at which you can connect with individuals detracts from the seriousness and daunting professionalism of “Networking.” The discussion tab allows people to post questions to the entire community, like if crowdsourcing professional opinions was as easy as sending a text message.
When I am ready to start a relationship with individual alums, the variety of filters truly aids in my search. This way I can sort through alums based on the academic concentration, location, career industry, or job function. This variety is crucial in identifying alums who can provide relevant insight when I’m still exploring what I want from my future.
OneHop and the Alumni Connection
Working with alumni can be extremely beneficial to the student experience. While it can feel like a chore, the way OneHopstreamlines the process distinguishes it from other networking platforms. Casey describes it as, “more personal than LinkedIn, more professional than Facebook.” And because alumni on OneHop have already indicated their interest in connecting with students, the response rate 63% than on LinkedIn. Networking and mentoring do not have to be a stiff, brutal excursion. Reframe your understanding of mentoring to including creating a network of people who want to help you explore your passions and interests.
Whether or not you “know what you want to do,” speaking to alumni is extremely beneficial in discovering your path. Your Life Design Lab is excited to help link you to alumni and mentors who can connect you with resources and opportunities that suit your interests and goals.
