<p>See if your LAC Career Center keeps a list of alumni from all years, indexed by profession. No matter their age, if you write a charming email to ask about information in their field, you will be “networking.” </p>
<p>Introduce yourself and ask one good question about the work they do, or the city in which they live. If there’s some new building or program on campus, mention it just because for them it’s nostalgia and an update on their alma mater. Let them know you WILL be looking in the future for work, but for now, you just want to “gather information and ideas about careers” with the relevant major or whatever it is you share.</p>
<p>Some people enjoy sharing a thought if they don’t feel you are pressuring them for an immediate job. It’s okay to introduce yourself this way to alumni from an LAC. Write to as many as you wish. Invite them to e-reply or phone you if they prefer. Some won’t ever answer, others will.</p>
<p>You don’t have to know them beforehand. Keep the list, and when you get closer, you can write them a second email, asking a new question and saying you’re now in actual pursuit of employment.</p>
<p>Also have you picked the brains of your current academic major advisor or favorite professor? Sometimes they hear of opportunities outside of academia, or might suggest a work environment. For example, from your majors mentioned, have you ever thought to just google up the U.S. State Department, to see what career pathways they describe?</p>