Switchboard Operators Make Asking for Help Even Easier

Reaching out for help can be daunting, especially if you don't know the person you're asking.

Some Switchboard users go the extra mile to make sure that their fellow community members feel welcome reaching out.

Tiffanie '99 of Oberlin heard that current students were intimidated by the prospect of asking alumni for help and advice, so she posted an offer on the Oberlin Switchboard to connect students with people she knows—to serve as a switchboard operator.

Tiffanie's offer makes it even easier for Obies to find what they need on Switchboard. We asked her to share her story.

Why did you start using Switchboard?

I started because we (of the then-constituted Oberlin Alumni Council) were encouraged to use Switchboard to keep in touch with one another and with students through this new "Craigslist for Obies." I signed up mainly just to "see how it worked" and get a sense of it.

you offered to send people in the right direction if they don't know where to go—TO BE A Sort of Switchboard Operator. WHy?

I was recently on campus and heard from many students sentiments like, "I'd love to get in touch with alumni to ask about networking, job/career stuff, grad school stuff but I don't really even know how to approach an alumnus. I don't want to bother people/I don't know where to begin or how to open the discussion."

And while many of the alumni have said a thousand times to students, "Remember, we are all Obies. Every alumnus is an Obie like you. You already have this in common. Very likely people will be eager to help if you just reach out," I realized there was still a big hurdle for some students who just couldn't stop standing in their own way—they didn't feel confident to just reach out.

Instead, I simply invited them with an Offer. And somehow, that cracked the code.

I've had several email exchanges, several great phone calls with really enthusiastic students who have great questions or just want to hear ideas of things to look at and consider. I've connected people to others in my network (often other Obies, but sometimes not).

Would you recommend Switchboard to fellow Obies?

I would highly recommend Switchboard. It is a great tool to help people meet needs—their own or the needs of others. I've used it to send a friend a hug, to help students think about graduate school or career options, even to help friends get rides! It's simple and easy—it works!

Switchboard Connects Job-Seeking Alumni with Like-Minded Peers

Finding the "perfect job" soon after college is, well, nearly impossible. Whether young alumni are looking for a job in a particular sector or for a job with a special sense of purpose, they often have to compromise.

This is the story of Seán, who graduated from Oberlin in 2011. Seán recently used Switchboard to transition from a job in IT to a job doing what he really wanted to do. He was already happy in his old job, but the culture and experiences he shared with other Oberlin Switchboard users helped him find a job that was even cooler.

Seán missed the spirit of social justice activism he enjoyed at Oberlin. When he saw that Chad, a fellow Oberlin alumnus, was hiring a developer, he also saw an opportunity to work with someone who would understand his drive to make the world a better place.

How did you find out about the Oberlin Switchboard?

I started using Switchboard about the same week I got in contact with Chad, initially to help increase volume after I'd heard my friend Ma'ayan was working to help it gain traction amongst Oberlin alumni and students.

You posted an ask on the Oberlin Switchboard looking for a programming job. How did that go? 

I posted a simple post looking for junior development positions, though I wasn't actively looking and was happy in an IT/technical operations role for a major advertising corporation.

When trying to write a polite note of thanks to the people who replied, Chad's post came up in the suggested posts, and it turned out to be a perfect complement to the one I had posted.

Working with Chad was simple—we replied back and forth once, then organized an interview complete with coding examples and discussions with other Product team members.

Chad was sure to bring up partnerships with community centers, penitentiaries, and other organizations during the interview, which was a huge boon for me, having missed ties to social justice activism that Oberlin had instilled.

I knew the opportunity seemed perfect, and a month later, I joined Apploi as a junior developer. A few months later, I'm now happily working as Apploi's UI/UX Engineer and helping to prepare a much-needed and anticipated redesign of our core product!

What do you appreciate most about the Oberlin Switchboard?

Being able to post to Switchboard was pretty great, because I knew I was interacting with a community of people who pulled from similar experiences as mine from Oberlin.

I was looking for companies that had an awareness of social justice and an appreciation for diverse backgrounds and interests. These are definitely subjects I've learned to delay in discussions with recruiters or potential employers that are focused on experience and specific technologies, but are so closely associated to the passions that make me a fast learner and creative thinker... so to be job-seeking in an environment where I could count on these passions to be lauded was definitely a boon.

Mentors, Mentors Everywhere, & Switchboard Helps You Link

Communities are defined not just by proximity, shared experiences, and common interests, but by the willingness of their members to help one another.

Anna '14 used the Reed Switchboard to find alumni mentors.

For recent college grads, alumni communities offer offer just that: a network of people who are willing to help. But unlocking your network's potential can be difficult. It's not that alumni aren't willing to lend a hand. They just aren't all in the same place, they don't know what each other need, and they can't connect with one another easily.

To solve this problem, one recent Reed College grad, Anna, turned to the Reed Switchboard to ask for advice. With four thousand users, Reed Switchboard is home to almost a quarter of the college's alumni community. It was the perfect place for Anna to look for mentors with writing, editing, or publishing experience.

We asked Anna a few questions about her success.

How did you find out about Switchboard?

I started using Reed Switchboard when I was lucky enough to meet Mara, Switchboard's founder, in Florence. I was studying abroad and she was there temporarily, and I had reached out about finding a host.

We met in the early days of Switchboard, but I knew that it was a magical thing even then. The very fact that I found a Reedie as far away from home as Florence attested to the power of Switchboard. As I approached graduation, I used Switchboard more and more frequently to share and look for opportunities beyond Reed.

You asked the Reed community for advice on Switchboard and got quite a few responses. What was that like?

I feel so lucky to have gotten the responses I did to my post. Though I do have some writing experience under my belt, talking to Reedies in the fields of journalism, publishing, and PR was incredibly helpful for me as I decide what I want to pursue after Reed.

It's pretty remarkable to me that people will take time out of their very busy lives to share their wisdom with me, but I certainly appreciate it. These folks gave me many ideas and in turn connected me with other people they thought could help me. A wonderful domino effect has occurred, and I'm still meeting with people (Reedies and non-Reedies) to chat about all kinds of writing-related ideas and opportunities. In sum, I received not one mentor, but many, and that's pretty darn neat.

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND SWITCHBOARD TO YOUR FRIENDS?

Would I recommend Switchboard to a friend?! Absolutely. And I often do. I feel like Switchboard is a fairy godmother. It's there if you're looking for a friend, a pet-sitter, a job, advice, or housing.

Switchboard, however, is also a community. Which means that you get to give back and make that same magic for someone else, too.

Check out Anna's project, A Year of Twenty, which profiles a different "twenty-something doing something" each month.