Skipping class reunions may cost you

When you get that invitation to your college or grad school reunion once every five years, does it go straight into the recycling bin? You might want to reconsider and go to that reunion, because it's one of the best ways to raise the value of your degree.

Have you ever thought about how you'd calculate the value of your college degree?

I have, and it seems to me a degree can really be broken down into three distinct assets. It's a credential, an education, and a community. Over time, the value to you of these three assets moves in different directions.

As a credential, the asset value of your degree is more or less fixed. Once you have that credential, it's yours forever.

The education you received is a depreciating asset, since over time you've probably forgotten some of the knowledge you gained, and some of it has fallen out of date.

The one degree-related asset that can appreciate over time is the community. As we advance in our careers, we become more valuable to our fellow alumni other as professional contacts. Our membership in our community of alumni gives us access to those who graduated before and after us, not just those we met when we were students.

But here's the catch: Just like some other appreciating assets (think real estate), your alumni network only appreciates in value if you commit to reinvesting in it over time to maintain and improve it. Some examples:

• If you stay in touch with your classmates, they'll be more likely to return your calls when you have a question.
• If you're helpful to other alumni when they contact you for advice, you'll find it easier to contact other alumni when you're the one in need of advice.
• If you participate in events and your alumni club, you'll become better known in your part of the alumni community, better connected, and more likely to benefit from information and opportunities you would otherwise have missed.

If you feel like you can never find the time to be an active alum, you're not alone. Fortunately, once every five years your school probably makes it really easy and appealing for you to take a long weekend and get in back touch with your college community.

So go to your reunion -- it's the best way to reinvest in that degree you worked so hard and paid so dearly for, so it will appreciate in value.

One final reunion suggestion: It's OK to just sign up and show up. But it's even better to contact your favorite classmates in advance, and plan a few reunion weekend get-togethers outside of the scheduled reunion events.

Peter Gray is the head of executive recruiting at QTI Professional Staffing in Madison.