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Alumni Career Advisory Program (ACAP)

The Office of Career Services and the Office of Alumni Relations are proud to introduce our online alumni directory, SIPA Global Connection, which consists of more than 14, 000 SIPA graduates living in 153 countries around the world.

The Alumni Career Advisory Program (ACAP) is part of the SIPA Global Connection site. ACAP is an online directory of SIPA alumni who have volunteered to serve as career mentors to current SIPA students and fellow alumni. ACAP is an excellent source for networking. The Office of Career Services contacts all SIPA alumni annually to request their participation and the update of their personal information. Therefore, the accuracy of the ACAP information is dependent on the responsiveness of the alumni. Please be aware that the information that you view on the web is made accessible by each.

If you would like to search the database please click here.

For more information visit: www.alumniconnections.com/SIPA

Why use ACAP?

  • To obtain valuable career information and feedback from SIPA alumni.

  • To enhance your current knowledge of a field or sector.

  • To gain exposure to new career paths.

  • To develop your professional network.

  • To discuss other working world-related issues.

Who are the ACAP mentors?

  • SIPA graduates working in a wide variety of fields.

  • Recent graduates, as well as those who are more experienced.

  • Alumni who hold positions ranging from entry level to executive.

How to select mentors?

  • Begin with researching careers or jobs that interest you.

  • Narrow your search to alumni whom you would like to contact.

  • Research the specific organization the alum is working with, and learn more about the type of position they hold.

How to Contact Alumni and Conduct Informational Interviews?

  • The purpose of networking phone calls or meetings is not to ask for a job, but to ask for career and job hunting advice and contacts.

  • You should always have your resume ready to send before you contact anyone about your job search. Do not send your resume unless you are asked.

  • Do not ask an alum to forward your resume to someone else without first establishing a relationship with him/her.

  • You should be well prepared for your informational interview. Since you will be taking the lead, Decide what kind of information you would like to gather, and prepare questions in advance.

  • Dress professionally and be on time.

  • Be honest about your background and skills. Promise only what you can deliver.

  • Always follow up a networking meeting or interview with a thank you letter within two days of the interview.

  • When you receive a job offer, send a note of thanks to your networking contacts for their help in the process. Even if they might not have provided you with that specific job, their advice helped you become a successful interviewer.

You may log into to SIPA Global Connection using your student UNI (Columbia's unique user name for alumni, students, faculty, and staff) and password. Typically, your UNI is your initials followed by an arbitrary number, e.g., jk122. For information and help with navigating the system, please email Bobbie Cappiello, Assistant Director of Career Events and Alumni Relations, at: bbg2105@columbia.edu.

Search Tips

To narrow down the number of returned entries you may use the Advanced Search option. Keep in mind that a number of alumni may not list their concentration, so if your search results yield a small number of alumni, broaden your search or limit your search by different criteria.

If you are looking for a specific person or organization, enter his/her last name or the name of the organization in the appropriate section. Type in multiple versions of the organization name, for example AIG, Inc. may also be written as American International Group.

For additional questions, please visit: ACAP FAQ.