Understanding how to leverage networking with alumni can be a game-changer for your career growth.
Alumni are a natural starting point for expanding your professional network, as your shared educational background creates an instant connection. By building a relationship with these individuals, you open doors to job opportunities, mentorship, and valuable industry insights.
In this article, we’ll explain what networking with alumni is, why it’s important, and how to find them. Plus, we’ll share 10 strategies to help you get the most out of these connections.
Let’s get started!
Key Takeaways
- Networking with alumni provides access to mentorship, industry insight, and job referrals, making them valuable connections for career growth.
- Attending alumni events is a great way to connect in a low-pressure environment while building relationships.
- You can find alumni for networking on platforms like LinkedIn, career fairs, university mentorship programs, or class reunions.
- Keeping the interaction genuine and personalized will lead to a long-lasting, mutually beneficial professional relationship.
What Is Networking with Alumni & Why Is It Important?
Networking with alumni is all about connecting with former graduates who attended the same school or university as yourself. Given the same educational background, most of these people likely ended up in a career you might be interested in pursuing or switching into.
This provides an excellent opportunity to ask questions about the steps they took to reach their career goal, the types of interviews they underwent, or the challenges they faced along the way.
Whether you’re looking for career advice, job referrals, or expanding your professional network, alumni are easily approachable, as they already share something in common with you.
Why is this networking with alumni important? They’ve been in your shoes and can relate to your journey. Alumni are more willing to provide advice, share their knowledge, or even send you job opportunities than someone without that connection.
Networking with alumni is crucial for your professional growth because they:
- Provide mentorship opportunities based on their career experience
- Give insider information on specific industries, companies, or job roles
- Have strong professional networks and can refer you for open positions
- Are more likely to respond due to the common ground
- Are many companies’ preferred options when it comes to recruiting
How to Find Alumni For Networking
Finding alumni for networking can be pretty simple if you know where to look; think social media, industry events, or even accessing alumni directories.
All these channels, especially when combined, will lead you to the right alumni associations and open doors to new opportunities.
Here are some of the best ways that’ll help you find alumni for professional networking:
- LinkedIn. Networking on LinkedIn is one of the most efficient ways to connect with fellow alumni. The alumni option is integrated into LinkedIn’s general search features. All you need to do is type in the name of your university, and once you’re on the page, you’ll notice the alumni section. That’s where you can dig deeper and use filters such as location, company, and starting year. If you want to receive job referrals from alumni, leveraging LinkedIn is a great option.
- Career fairs. Another great option is attending career fairs. Your fellow alumni are likely to participate as speakers or company representatives, so don’t hesitate to introduce yourself and mention the shared university background. To make yourself more memorable, engage and ask alumni networking questions about their career paths and industries.
- University membership programs. Think about tapping into your university’s membership programs to access alumni directories. These are goldmines for getting detailed information about the alumni, including their current roles, industries, and locations.
- Class reunions. Even though these can feel awkward for some, class reunions are a great way to get in touch with former classmates and expand your network. Because they’re informal in nature, it’s easier to spark conversations, which can lead to gaining valuable career insights, new job opportunities, or even collaborative projects.
Networking With Alumni: 10 Effective Strategies and Tips
Networking with alumni doesn’t have to be a daunting task; you just need to have the right mindset and approach in place.
To provide an answer to the question ‘how to network with alumni,’ we’ve prepared 10 effective strategies and tips. Let’s see what they’re all about.
#1. Attend Alumni Events
Attending alumni events is a great way to connect and engage with former classmates and other graduates. You can find such events on social media, and it’s especially easy on LinkedIn, thanks to its dedicated section for upcoming gatherings.
Look for opportunities like conferences, webinars, and online meetups, then choose those where you think you’ll find alumni that match your career goals.
To make the most of the opportunity, think about preparing in advance. If the attendee list is available, plan your conversation points and think about specific questions to ask each person. This will help you make your connections more meaningful and help you stand out.
#2. Work on Your Elevator Pitch
The elevator pitch is a short, 30- to 60-second summary of who you are and what you do professionally. It’s an effective way to make a great first impression, so let’s go over some things to consider when delivering it.
First, focus on your background, skills, experience, and what you aim to achieve. Keep a natural yet confident tone and avoid sounding robotic or rehearsed. Be sure to mention your shared academic background, as this helps establish common ground and makes your pitch more relatable.
If you plan to use the elevator pitch in a more casual setting, then consider mentioning some personal details as well, like your hobbies and interests.
#3. Create a Connection
When reaching out to an alumni, avoid sounding like you’re only looking for a favor. Instead, try to personalize the interaction as much as possible. You can start with a gentle greeting, then mention the shared experience at the same university or being a part of an alumni association.
This helps to add a sense of familiarity and curiosity on the alumni’s side. Show a genuine interest in their career journey; ask how they’re doing in their role and if they’re satisfied with the current position.
Focus on building authentic bonds that go beyond surface-level exchanges. After all, networking with alumni is about creating a meaningful and mutually beneficial relationship, not just transactional interaction.
#4. Engage on Social Media
Engaging on social media is an amazing way to build and maintain relationships with your alumni network. If you’ve already had an in-person meeting, a good practice to keep in mind is to follow up so you can solidify the connection.
A go-to platform for finding networking opportunities with alumni is LinkedIn—it offers an easy way to reach out and stay connected with fellow graduates. Once you connect with an alumni, check out their profile and like or comment on relevant posts.
Engaging with their updates keeps you on their radar and shows your interest in staying connected. However, don’t overdo it; over-engaging can sometimes come across as transactional, leaving the impression that you’re only reaching out for personal gain.
#5. Be Respectful of Their Time
Being respectful of the alumni’s time is key when reaching out. Whether you’re dropping them a message or scheduling an in-person meeting, make sure you pick an appropriate time.
Your message should be clear, concise, and to the point. Acknowledge that they probably have a busy schedule and show appreciation for the time they can spare to respond.
If you’re scheduling a meeting, offer flexibility, letting them choose a convenient time. During both the meeting and the chat, stay focused on relevant topics and avoid taking up more time than necessary.
By not being pushy, you’re showing professionalism but also increasing the likelihood that they’ll respond in the future.
#6. Offer Value
Networking with alumni goes beyond what you can get from them—it’s about providing value in return. Take a moment to consider potential pain points they might face in their role or industry; if you have the opportunity, ask them about these challenges directly.
Then, think of ways your expertise could help them or if you know someone in your network who would make for a helpful connection.
Don’t think too big here—the value doesn’t need to be something out of this world. Even sharing a useful resource like a blog or recommending a new tool goes a long way. When focusing on giving instead of taking, your relationship with alumni will feel more balanced and genuine.
#7. Be Authentic
Authenticity is a very valuable trait that sets you apart in a competitive professional landscape. Instead of trying to fit in a mold, show off your unique self and highlight the skills and personal characteristics that set you apart.
Another benefit of authenticity is that it helps you create a unique personal brand. By clearly communicating your values, skills, and personality, you build trust among your alumni network, and they know exactly what to expect from you.
Plus, it helps you differentiate yourself from others, and you can easily pop up in someone’s head when a relevant opportunity arises.
Remember, it’s very easy to catch when someone is insincere or putting on a persona, so stay true to yourself and watch the alumni network expand.
#8. Use Mutual Connections
When networking with alumni, mutual connections can greatly expand your reach. They’re helpful because people are naturally more inclined to engage with someone referred to them by a trusted source.
Plus, mutual connections make it easy to build rapport and give you a leg up with the person you’re interested in discussing business with.
So, if you notice a shared connection with someone in your university alumni network, don’t hesitate to ask for an introduction. Once introduced, make sure you show appreciation for both the mutual connection and the contact.
Afterward, the most important step is to keep the relationship going. For example, if you’ve been introduced at an event, follow up with a message to stay top of mind. Maintain regular communication, and the connection will grow stronger over time.
#9. Don’t Rush the Process
The key to networking with alumni is allowing relationships to grow organically. Building a network of any type takes time, so don’t rush the process.
Naturally, you want answers right away, but pushing too hard can come across as overbearing, and the person might not respond at all. So, here are a few tips to develop the connection gradually:
- Start the communication with a casual approach rather than diving straight into career talk.
- Find common ground through shared experiences.
- Be transparent about your intentions when reaching out.
- Show real interest in what the alumni have to say.
#10. Stay in Touch
Once you’ve made the effort to connect, engage, and build a relationship with alumni, it’s crucial to keep it alive. After all, you don’t want to leave the impression that you took advantage of their expertise and disappeared into thin air.
Staying in touch shows that you value the relationship beyond a one-time exchange. If the primary source of your interactions is through social media, then there are a few effective ways to make sure you stay in touch:
- Like, comment, and share their posts.
- Congratulate them on their recent accomplishments.
- Send articles, webinars, or networking events they might be interested in.
- Reach out occasionally to check their well-being.
- Send thoughtful holiday or birthday messages.
- Invite them to events you’re planning to attend.
Final Thoughts
Networking with alumni is a very powerful tool to get advice from those with similar education or career paths.
Whether you’re in the process of hunting for your first job or looking to change careers, these connections can offer valuable insight into the skills and qualifications you need for specific roles. The key to remember is that alumni can be a long-term resource, providing ongoing guidance and opportunities throughout your career.
So, it’s essential to nurture these connections through continuous genuine engagement and mutual support, ensuring both you and the alumni benefit from the relationship in the long run.
