Careers, Life, and Yale

What Is "Careers, Life, and Yale"?

Careers, Life, and Yale is all about connections – connecting Yale alumni to each other and with current students for networking, advice, and mentoring – and developing career and life skills for navigating today's modern world. Alumni and students hold a roundtable discussion during the Careers, Life, and Yale "Changemakers" event.

Here's how Careers, Life, and Yale events impart wisdom and create connections: 

  • Alumni-led, on-campus events and meet-ups (see the YAA events page for more)
  • Alumni-led, away-from-campus events and meet-ups (again, see our events page for more)
  • Yale's Cross Campus mentoring and networking community of approximately 30,000 Yalies
  • One-to-one paired student-alumni mentorships on Cross Campus, accounting for thousands of Yalies, for both Yale College and the graduate and professional schools
  • Thursday evening (8 p.m. ET) monthly programs held online and available to all alums and students.

These connections accomplish several goals: 

  • Thoughtful career/life exploration and reflection 
  • Exposure to diverse, traditional, and non-traditional career and life paths 
  • Jump-starting the networking process 
  • Acquiring practical life skills 
  • Enhancing a sense of "One Yale" 
  • Activating Yale's alumni network  
  • Complementing Yale's on-campus career, personal, and wellness resources 

"For alumni, this is an opportunity to reconnect with campus and guide the next generation in developing robust and meaningful life paths. For students, it will lead to a better understanding of themselves, their intended careers, and their plans to lead productive and fulfilling lives. And for Yale, it will be a cornerstone of a university that is ever more unified and more excellent."

Former Yale President Peter Salovey, on Careers, Life, and Yale

Careers, Life, and Yale Events

Led by alumni volunteers with support from many organizations around campus, Careers, Life, and Yale events offer insights into unusual and established career paths. These events go deeper than career wisdom – alumni also share insights about leadership, teamwork, life transitions, financial literacy, and greater self-awareness.

To find an event near you, go to the YAA events page and search by Careers and Networking under "Type" or use the keyword Careers, Life, and Yale.

Cross Campus

Cross Campus is Yale’s networking, community-building, and mentoring platform. It facilitates relationships among Yalies – whether among alumni or between alumni and students – and is open to all Yale students, alums, and alumni affiliates. Cross Campus offers many ways to engage and extends our Yale community beyond campus by harnessing the power of Yale's alumni network.

Cross Campus Mentorship

Cross Campus has three mentorship programs. One pairs alumni with Yale College students in a one-to-one (1:1) match. Another pairs alums with graduate/professional school students, also 1:1. And our third program pairs alums with other alums 1:1. Alumni mentors encourage and support students and alums, and serve as resources as students navigate their academics, aptitudes, and aspirations. Learn more and become a mentor (and/or ask for your own mentor) today!

Students study outside Sterling Memorial Library.

Careers, Life, and Yale Thursday Shows

On monthly Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET, alumni volunteers, supported by Yale students and YAA staff, produce themed one-hour “episodes” that educate and entertain. All shows are virtual and available online. You can attend any one or all of these informal gatherings. Each episode features an alum or small panel of alums (or students), each is moderated by an alum or student, and each is attended by alums and students. The four areas of conversation include:

  • Life and personal growth: Discussions of the types of wisdom and soft-skills that can help us navigate life after Yale.
  • Career Reflections: Exploring, comparing, contrasting career & life paths that may have taken twists and turns as well as those with long tenure in one job/company.
  • Lux et Veritas: Discussions of collective experience and looking forward. What are Yale alumni doing that meets the challenge of our times, that offers fresh perspectives based on an understanding of the past.
  • Yale Then and Now: Co-sponsored by STAY, Students and Alumni of Yale, exploring Yale as it is today for students from all parts of the university and sharing those experiences with alumni and other students.  Featured guests will volunteer from Yale College and our Graduate Schools and Professional Schools.   

Want to suggest a topic, discussion leader, or format? Email the Careers, Life, and Yale team.

Careers, Life, and Yale Webinars

Browse our collection of webinars and stay tuned for more discussions from expert panels featuring Yale alums.

College Street stock image

Careers, Life, and Yale Resources

The only constant is change. Whether you are launching your career, changing direction, reinventing yourself, or re-entering the workforce, you can find resources to guide you.

Get Involved & Contact Us

Careers, Life, and Yale relies on alumni volunteers to share professional and personal wisdom with current students and with fellow alumni.