Your career network is waiting just outside your comfort zone

According to the latest UMSI employment reports, networking tops the list of effective job search methods for bachelor’s and master’s graduates. 

Direct connections to industry and insightful dialogue made all the difference for Jessica Thomas (MSI ’23), senior UX designer at Logility. 

“Part of the reason I got into UX was because I had the opportunity to connect with other UX designers to learn more about the field and work,” Thomas says. “These conversations introduced me to a path I could take, and mentorship became important to me early on in my career.” 

Thomas now returns to UMSI through the Alumni Career Connections program to reinfuse the mentorship she received into the student community.

She doesn’t brush off the challenges students can face when trying to establish new career connections. 

“Networking can be intimidating,” Thomas says. “You may be nervous, but the other person is probably more than happy to help and converse. By being on both sides, I’ve learned that the framing of networking is based on people wanting to help.”

Read about Thomas’ role and responsibilities as a senior UX designer, and how her UMSI experience helped prepare her for success, in her UMSI Alumni Snapshot.