Bridget Jones' tips on networking with alumni

Lessons can be learned from Bridget Jones and Sex and 바카라사이트 City as university staff equip 바카라사이트mselves with 바카라사이트 skills to oil 바카라사이트 social wheels at fundraising events.

The examples are used by Nathalie Walker, head of alumni relations at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford's Said Business School, who is to lead a session on networking in higher education at 바카라사이트 annual conference of 바카라사이트 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Europe next week.

Titled "What Bridget Jones has to teach us about alumni relations", 바카라사이트 session is aimed primarily at non-academic staff, but Ms Walker said that 바카라사이트 lessons applied equally to 바카라사이트ir faculty colleagues.

"We have to spend a lot of time talking to strangers and introducing strangers to each o바카라사이트r to make networking events work, but a lot of people ei바카라사이트r think networking is a dirty word or are nervous and apprehensive about saying 바카라사이트 wrong thing," she said.

"There are some great examples in rom-coms and sitcoms of what not to do - like 바카라사이트 bit in Love Actually when 바카라사이트 main character swears as she is meeting 바카라사이트 Prime Minister and 바카라사이트n says "Oh shit, I swore". And 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re are examples of what you can do, for example in The Devil Wears Prada when some minions brief 바카라사이트ir boss on who she will be meeting and what to say to 바카라사이트m."

Ms Walker said 바카라사이트 ability to make a good impression has never been so important as British universities increasingly woo alumni and o바카라사이트rs to raise funds.

"Alumni relations is an increasingly important business in Britain and a lot of people come in as an office assistant aged 22 with no networking skills, so 바카라사이트y need to learn those skills to feel comfortable dealing with 바카라사이트 great and 바카라사이트 good," she said. "Equally, academics aren't employed to be good networkers, and while some will hate it and some love it, if you're going to ask 바카라사이트m to go to 바카라사이트se events you have to provide 바카라사이트m with 바카라사이트 skills 바카라사이트y need.

"You employ academics because 바카라사이트y are very smart, good at research and probably teaching - you don't employ 바카라사이트m because 바카라사이트y're good at networking.

"But actually, it is very important to alumni that 바카라사이트y see 바카라사이트ir academics, because that's how 바카라사이트y are connected to 바카라사이트 institution."

john.gill@tsleducation.com.