Pitt networking event spans U.S.

During his time in college, John Voinski was an avid socialite. As a Student Government Board… During his time in college, John Voinski was an avid socialite. As a Student Government Board member and business major, he saw firsthand the benefits that came from knowing the ‘right’ people.

Now, Pitt’s Alumni Association wants others to meet those people, too.

To facilitate networking among past Panthers, the association organized National Pitt Networking Day, when 14 cities across the country hosted networking events June 10.

Voinski, who now works as a tax attorney in New York and is the president of the New York Pitt Club – the association’s New York chapter – said that networking is a tactic that all students and alumni should utilize.

‘More than likely, when I recommend someone for a job, I start with someone I know instead of using the guy that looks great on paper,’ said Voinski of the benefits of networking events.

Along with Pittsburgh, alumni groups hosted events in Philadelphia, San Diego, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, New York City, Atlanta, Boston, Washington, D.C, Fort Lauderdale, Fl., Lancaster, Pa, New Brunswick, N.J., and Palo Alto, Calif.

Rather than following a concrete format, the events were organized as informal cocktail hours, leaving participants dependent upon their own social skills to meet new people and network.

Attendees may follow up on their face-to-face meetings through Pitt Career Network’s online database. The database contains 6,000 students and alumni.

‘People took it upon themselves to talk to one another,’ said Voinski of his New York City event, which attracted 75 attendees.

‘People staying showed they genuinely enjoyed the event,’ he said.

The idea for the gatherings came from Alumni Outreach Coordinator Laraine Hlatky after a networking event held at Bossa Nova in Pittsburgh last year.

Pittsburgh was slated as the sole host of the event, but after some thought it changed to include more locations.

‘At a staff meeting, we were talking about different events, and I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be really unique if we had [this] all around the country,” said Hlatky.

About 600 people participated in Networking Day, a number the Alumni Association considered a success.

Associate director of Alumni Outreach Alyson Kavalukas said she was happy with the event’s outcome.

‘It was a terrific way for alumni to connect with alumni,’ she said. ‘It was a great opportunity for people to make professional connections. It was also great for alumni to promote Pitt Career Network.’

Plans are now underway to expand the event to even more cities in the future.

‘We’d like it to grow to 20 [locations] next year,’ said Hlatky. ‘When we met with our alumni professionals at the regional campuses, we told them about the event, and next year they may join in as well. Perhaps even our international reps can get in on the act.’