Mocktails & Mingle events prepare KU students for networking
Sessions offer lessons in small talk with substance.
Whether we’re gregarious or shy, most of us know the dread of walking into a gathering of strangers for awkward introductions and small talk—especially if a professional or social event requires us to “work the room.” How do we start conversations? How do we join discussions without barging in? And how do we politely exit and move on before we’re trapped?
Enter Mocktails & Mingle, a series of events to help students gain experience in navigating a room and making small talk with substance. The Association’s Jayhawk Career Network, in partnership with the University Career Center, various academic units and KU groups, hosts these gatherings at the Jayhawk Welcome Center to connect students with alumni, community professionals, and faculty and staff.
During the 2023-’24 academic year, five events drew a combined 259 students and 117 professionals, averaging 52 students and 23 volunteers at each occasion.
In postevent surveys, students reported meeting an average of 4.5 networkers at each Mocktails & Mingle, resulting in 1,165 total combined interactions, according to Howard Graham, the Association’s senior director of career and professional development.
The success, including favorable reviews from participants, has spurred the team to increase the number of events for the 2024-’25 academic year; six are on tap—all at the Welcome Center.
- Oct. 24, 2024—Classroom to C-Suite
- Oct. 30, 2024—Arts & Design
- Nov. 4, 2024—First-Generation Students
- Feb. 26, 2025—STEM
- Mar. 12, 2025—International Careers
- Mar. 26, 2025—Nonprofit & Public Service
Staff members from the Association and the Career Center make sure that neither the students nor the volunteers walk into the events cold. Before each session, Graham, g’09, PhD’20, sends information on best practices and students’ expectations to alumni, friends, faculty and staff, and he invites them to arrive 30 minutes early. “We want to make sure that alumni and friends in the community get time to talk to one another before turning their attention to networking with current students,” he says.
The Career Center team offers similar practice runs for students, says Wendy Shoemaker, program director, and the rehearsals pay off in productive connections. “The Mocktails & Mingle sessions are a bright star in our career program offerings,” says Shoemaker, EdD’23. “I am so pleased by how we have built them up to be warm, welcoming and instructional experiences for both students and working professionals and alumni. Networking is such an important skill, and there is no better way to learn than a practice session with friendly KU alumni and community members. I’ve had alumni tell me how much they have enjoyed their conversations with students at these events—a few told me that they learned a thing or two from students.”
For fall and spring dates or to register for Mocktails & Mingle, alumni can visit the Alumni Association’s KU Connection page. Students can register on the University Career Center website.
Photos by Dan Storey
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