March Alumni Career Profile

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Name:   Christine L. Tempesta                                                                                   Class Year:  1984 Major:  English Current Employer: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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Describe your career path since graduation.

I started my career working two full-time jobs, one in advertising layout and design and one in special event planning. I found that the non-profit arena and volunteer management were my strong skills, so I have built my career in those areas, although the design, marketing and communications skills built in advertising still come in handy. I came to MIT in 1996 after a thirteen-year career with the American Heart Association, where I served in successive roles as Assistant Director of Development, Director of Field Services, and Greater Boston Executive Director.

 

 What is your current position and how long have you been with your employer? 

 My current position is Director of Alumni Relations and I have been at MIT for 11 years.

 

Describe the main responsibilities of your position. 

It is a senior staff position and I am responsible for all alumni relations activities including alumni clubs, career services, alumni education, alumni travel, reunions and class programs, online services, and volunteer leadership development. Also I oversee Parents Association and Parents Fund, MIT Enterprise Forum, and student/alumni programs. I manage a staff of thirty-four. I serve on senior staff committees responsible for strategic planning, communications and technical operations and regularly interact with a wide variety of senior volunteers and staff throughout the Institute.

 

What do you enjoy most about your job? 

I like managing staff and volunteers, meeting people from around the world. I also enjoy technology special projects; I am currently leading the redesign of my group’s web pages, and I have key roles on the Association’s web-leveraging project teams with each new technology initiative. I've made it a priority to use technology resources to communicate, create community and establish web-based interactions between staff, volunteers, alumni and students, while still enabling more traditional relationship building that makes for successful partnerships.

 

What do you find most challenging about your job? 

Business travel is very challenging, and time consuming. It takes time away from my family, and there is always too much to do upon return from a trip.

 

Describe your typical work week.  (How many hours you work, your work environment, etc.) 

I typically work around 50-65 hours each week. My days are filled with meetings -- individual meetings with direct reports, group strategy meetings, project-based meetings, meetings with alumni and volunteers. I get about 100 emails a day that require response, along with lots of FYI stuff. I work in an on-campus building, and also spend a fair amount of time "walking around" talking with my staff and students. I work at least a couple of nights a week and usually one weekend a month. Air travel takes up about 10% of my time.

 

What job search methods did you use to obtain your current position?  

I was contacted by a "headhunter," but I use Linked In and am present on Facebook.

 

What advice could you give to students interested in your field? 

Take on an internship with a non-profit or academic institution. We are always looking for inexpensive help and don't mind giving inexperienced people real projects. Get involved with our professional organizations like CASE (www.case.org) (I am on the District 1 Board) or WID (www.widgb.org) or AFP (www.afpnet.org). Their conferences and meetings are great places to network.