THE IMPORTANCE OF ALUMNI NETWORKS.
"Success isn't about how much money you make; it's about the difference you make in people's lives." – Michelle Obama
Sometimes, the most successful people are often also those who understand the power of networking. Pursuing opportunities to connect with industry leaders or professionals with varying interests and perspectives is critical to your own career growth.
School can be expensive, and it is hard work. Education is more than just the paper and qualifications you receive at the end. It’s about the lessons you learn, the people you meet, and the relationships you build. So why would you expect to leave all of that behind after graduation?
Alumni networks provide the long-term value to an educational institution by giving alumni the chance to stay in contact and continue to learn from each other long after they have left school.
Support networks are hard to come by sometimes in the world and having a ready-made network full of people with shared experiences waiting to connect is a luxury that few can afford to turn down. When it is your turn, you should join your school’s alumni network, too.
SUPPORT
As graduates of the institution, the alumni have a special connection with the university and as a result are likely to be some of its more loyal supporters. An engaged network allows the school to benefit from the skills and experience of graduates, by offering their support to students, to the institution and to each other. If they are kept properly informed and engaged, they are often the most loyal supporters and best ambassadors, offering invaluable marketing and promotion across their personal and professional networks. Who does that benefit? It benefits you.
EXPERTISE
Talented alumni will likely have a wealth of experience and skills to share with current students via talks and newsletters. In certain cases, it could go even further with them offering to practically support students in work placements and help them launch their careers. Creating an engaged network is beneficial for the school because engaged graduates are much more likely to want to “give back” to the university. That could be, for example, by coming back and sharing their experiences with prospective and current students.
Be honest here: Landing the job of your dreams is often determined by who you know. Outside of those lucky enough to have helpful family connections, most unemployed 22-year-olds only know other unemployed 22-year-olds, which usually makes networking within your current social circle a pretty futile endeavor. Start tapping into your college’s network.
HOW THE NETWORKS CAN HELP
The notion that attending a certain college will automatically open doors to a life of luxury and privilege is not realistic, of course. Every employer is going to be different, but sharing an alma mater with a potential employer or networking contact can be helpful in the job search or career development process if you handle it correctly.
To effectively take advantage of networks, start early with cultivating meaningful relationships with those in your potential field throughout your college experience. Attend alumni events. Contact alums in your field and ask if you could speak with them about their career path. Most people will be happy to speak with you and offer advice.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 85% of all jobs are found through some form of networking. While there are no statistics revealing the exact percentage of college grads who find employment specifically through these university connections, it is safe to assume that the number is pretty big. It is also a logical bet that schools with stronger organizations will offer better networking opportunities than schools with less established and enthusiastic alumni communities.
IDENTIFYING A STRONG NETWORK
Two primary indicators of institutions with strong networks are sheer size and alumni generosity. Penn State has the largest dues-paying alumni network in the country with almost 173,000 members. Other large universities such as University of Illinois, NYU, Purdue, Indiana, University of Michigan, Ohio State, and UCLA have massive numbers of graduates, but judging how connected they are to their alma maters (and therefore to you, a potential networker) requires additional data.
Identifying institutions with impressive percentages of grads choosing to donate to their school is one way to gauge a sense of connectedness and “strength” of a network. In this arena, smaller liberal arts schools such as Bates, Colgate, Williams, Middlebury, Claremont McKenna, Wabash, and Carleton lead the way. This can be a more helpful metric than the overall endowment an institution boasts.
It can also be helpful to explore a prospective college’s career services website for how they assist current students in connecting with alumni. You should see evidence of upcoming events such as career fairs, mock interviews, and speaking engagements involving those networks. Schools recognized as having highly rated career services departments include Rice, Harvey Mudd, Babson, Dartmouth, Duke, and the aforementioned Penn State.
Another question worth asking is whether a given institution’s network has regional, national, or international reach. If you have a goal to work in a particular field or even for a specific company within that field, those considerations could be very important for you.
DURING THE COLLEGE SELECTION PROCESS, GIVE CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO THE STRENGTH OF AN ALUMNI NETWORK IN YOUR FUTURE CAREER FIELD AND GEOGRAPHIC REGION.
