Participant Testimonials
Experience the Value of Networking
Become an ICAN advisor today. Inspire fellow alumni and current students. Photo: ©Dreamstime.com/ Kineticimagery.
An estimated 60-80 percent of jobs are found informally through networking with direct or indirect contacts such as friends, relatives, former colleagues, and alumni. Read how ICAN has had an impact on ICAN advisors and users of the network:
"It is a painless and simple way to network and stay in touch with campus activities. I have been extremely impressed with the caliber and quality of the students and alumni with whom I have corresponded. I find that I can offer a unique perspective in working for a large, multi-national company. As the lead recruiter for General Electric at MIT, I can bring an insight into the vagaries of the hiring process…Ah, little insights that I wish had been so easily available (through ICAN) when I graduated!"
-Jennifer Pinson '98, ICAN advisor
"I wanted to contribute back to the MIT community to help others in their career path. As an undergrad, I used ICAN to find a senior internship that led to a job offer after graduation…I learned a lot during the internship, so as a result, I was inspired to become an ICAN mentor to other MIT students and alumni."
-Genevieve Owyang '97, ICAN advisor
"ICAN is a stupendous networking platform for the MIT community and I had some amazing response from the alums. People are more willing to help than you really think."
-Atul Agarwal '05
"ICAN has been an invaluable source of career transition contacts. I have been amazed at the willingness of the ICAN advisors to provide insight, advice, and additional networking assistance. ICAN is a great place to start for anyone building a career transition network."
-Gary Brown '85
"It allows potential applicants and potential employers to connect without having to go through recruiters. Getting a resume directly from a student cuts out the middle man and allows us to start a dialogue. If there's a potential match, I then go to my HR department to start the official interview process."
-Rahul Saha '94, ICAN advisor
"I ended up in my current job through a lead originating in an informational interview I had with an ICAN member. I was able to contact a number of people in the aerospace/defense industry who were willing to talk to me about potential jobs and careers. One such person referred me to the person who referred me to the person who referred me to his company's recruiter who called me in for the interview that landed me my new job."
-Blake Gottlieb '03
"I am pleased to have the opportunity to offer career advice to recent grads and alumni users. Today's job market is tougher than it was in the 80s and 90s because employers are trying to fill specialized needs rather than simply go after generally talented people. I hope that I am able to impart to advisees enough of my experience from the business world to get the type of position they want."
-Ira Gershkoff '73, SM '74, ICAN advisor
"I was able to assist a young alum with information about the semiconductor industry and interest him in my company. As a result, he had an excellent job interview and has now accepted a position with us. I think it's great that MIT alums have an informal channel for communication on professional concerns."
-Mat Waltrip SM '89, ICAN advisor
"My goal when contacting an ICAN member is to learn more about what it's like to work for a company before I apply or to get tips for my interview. I really trust the opinions of MIT grads on evaluating their work environment. Often the results of using ICAN exceeded my expectations. Mainly looking for informational interviews, I was often asked to send my resume immediately."
-Diana Buttz '98
"I get a great deal of satisfaction talking with students and recent alumni about career topics. The MIT community is very supportive-people will go out of their way to help you just because you share a common educational bond…ICAN is just one element of a very powerful MIT community, and I encourage everyone to get involved."
-Daniel Callahan SM '87, ICAN advisor
"I'm embarking on a career change after being an engineer and stay-home mother. When I discovered the ICAN website, I had already started at law school. I was able to find two alumni who were also course 3 and had gone on to practice patent law. They were both very open and honest about what a career in patent law would be like and what skills are required for success. I plan to keep in touch with both advisors as my law career progresses. I also plan on signing up as an advisor when I'm in a position to do so."
-Debbie Koker '89
"I used the ICAN database in order to learn more about what investment bankers do and what a first-year analyst should expect. I was able to speak with bankers in sales and trade, research, and corporate finance, from first-year analysts to senior level managers, across many of the top-ranked companies. I am very appreciative of the alum who recognized my interest in economics and informed me of divisions that she thought best suit me, even though such divisions do not commonly recruit on-campus."
-Jeffrey Greenbaum '04
"I value my role as an MIT ICAN advisor and find unique rewards in advising each student that contacts me. Being an ICAN advisor has provided me with a wonderful opportunity to help people make very important, life-affecting decisions based on my own experience. These individuals are bright and motivated, but often lack the real world knowledge that is so crucial to planning their future. I'm able to provide them with honest, unbiased, and often frank advice that enables them to take a hard look at what lies ahead and helps them decide in what direction to head."
-Rick Roos '92, ICAN advisor
