Stronger Together: Empowering Sanford Alumni Through Career Transitions

Image

Sanford Alumni,

We recognize that this is a challenging time for many of you, particularly those impacted by the recent reductions in the federal workforce. Career transitions—whether unexpected or planned—can bring uncertainty and anxiety, and we want you to know that you are not alone. The Sanford community is here to support you.

Even if you are not personally affected, many of your fellow Sanford alumni are facing difficult transitions, and this is a moment for us to come together as a community.

As you navigate this period, we encourage you to take proactive steps that can help position you for new opportunities. First, we urge you to update your LinkedIn profile and your alum profile in the Duke Alumni Directory. These updates ensure that you are visible to potential employers and connected to fellow alumni who may be in a position to help.

Additionally, we encourage you to leverage Ask a Blue Devil, a valuable resource that facilitates connections between Duke alumni for career advice and networking. This platform can serve as an essential tool in exploring new paths and expanding your professional network.

While the Sanford community is here to help, there is also tremendous strength in the 203,000+ Duke alumni network, and we want to ensure you feel connected to this vast and supportive group. Your Duke affiliation extends far beyond Sanford, offering countless opportunities for mentorship, career growth, and professional connections.

Sanford’s alumni network is a powerful and supportive community, and we are actively mobilizing to provide guidance and resources. If you have job leads, mentorship opportunities, or insights to share, we invite you to extend a helping hand to fellow alumni in transition. We will continue to look for ways to strengthen our network and provide meaningful assistance during this time.

When we face times like this, I’m reminded of the words of our founder: Terry Sanford, during his inaugural address in 1970 as Duke’s new president.

“In a time when problems of our society are so complex, when its future hinges not on conserving the status quo but in the development of major changes, we cannot afford to graduate students who will just "fit into place." We must aspire instead to develop in our students the brain and the heart and the nerve to lead the kind of life that will make a creative difference, in whatever human endeavor they may undertake.”

“We know of the threats to the existence of private universities, as we know the threats to human existence: but we also know that times in history that were grimly discouraging have often in retrospect been recorded by historians as periods of extraordinary human achievement and societal progress.”

I firmly believe that you, our Sanford alumni, are the stewards of that progress.

Warm regards,
Manoj Mohanan, Interim Dean

Resources

Sanford Career Services Alumni Page

Sanford’s Career Services team offers resources to alumni, particularly the latest addition of alumni in job transition resources.  Check back often to access the most recent resources.

Update Your Duke Alumni Profile

Keeping your alumni profile up to date ensures that your most current information and interests are viewable to all Duke alumni.  The directory allows you to filter by location, affinities at Duke, your professional connections, and more. 

Utilize Ask a Blue Devil

Ask a Blue Devil is a Duke alumni resource that connects you with the best alumni experts.  This tool is a way for alumni to pay it forward by offering advice and introductions or asking for advice and introductions.  With over 200,000 Duke alumni around the world, this tool is a great connector. 

Update Your LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn is a great way to share your professional background and highlights, all while connecting with fellow alumni.  Be sure to follow Duke Sanford and explore the multiple LinkedIn groups affiliated with Duke, including Duke Sanford School of Public Policy Career Group.

CivicMatch

Civic Match by Work for America is a nonpartisan program connecting federal workers and campaign staff with meaningful roles in state and local governments across the country.  Connecting top public sector talent with essential local government jobs.

Supporting Federal Employees Through Change

This hub is a resource that answers the questions Partnership for Public Services are frequently asked about how various proposals may affect federal employees,  creates a safe space for information sharing and community building, and  responds to what they need in this moment and in the months to come.