Saying "Goodbye" and "Stay Connected" to Soon-to-be Alumni

Maybe you have already left CERN or perhaps you will be leaving in the coming months, or even further down the line. One thing we can all be certain of, is that one day we will all leave CERN (if it has not happened already). Psychological evidence finds that endings matter and are often what we remember most due to the recency effect, where the last words, emotions or memories are often the strongest to recall.  

Goodbyes can be difficult to process on multiple levels; you might feel a hint of melancholy that your contract is coming to an end, as well as tinge of trepidation about what comes next and you might even be wondering what life after CERN looks like. Considering the importance of saying goodbye properly and that one of the goals of the CERN Alumni programme is to enable its alumni to stay connected with the Organization,  last Friday (23 September 2022) we hosted the first  "Soon-to-be Alumni" leaving drinks.

Individuals coming to the end of their contracts between September and December as well as a handful of CERN alumni were invited to the R1 terrasse after work to mingle and exchange experiences. This gave our soon-to-be alumni a privileged insight into "life after CERN" thanks to the alumni testimonies of their transitions from CERN to other sectors and industries. The event was also a great opportunity for the Alumni Relations team to outline the benefits of being part of the CERN Alumni Network and to meet its new members. One alumna present commented, 'We really enjoyed coming back to CERN, getting to know you and talking with other CERN Alumni or soon-to-be."

The next "Soon-to-be Alumni" leaving drinks is scheduled for January 2023 and will welcome those due to end their CERN contracts between January and April. Invitations will be sent out before the end of the year. If you are an alum and would be interested in attending one of the upcoming "Soon-to-be Alumni" leaving drinks, please contact us at [email protected]

We wish all those soon-to-be alumni every success in the next chapter of their lives and encourage them, like all of our members to keep their alumni.cern profiles updated and look forward to hearing how their careers have flourished. The alumni relations team would also like to thank those alumni who joined us and candidly shared their experiences.