The Best Way to Reach Out to Alumni

You might be thinking about why you need to reach out to alumni and tap into that network. The easiest answer? They have been in your position and know what you are going through—they can guide you in the best possible way. In the future, they can also help you get jobs at companies they are working at by vouching for you. However, you can’t just send out an email to any alumni and hope that they will help you get a job. You need to establish a relationship with them to ultimately land a job. So how can you do that?

#1 Start Early

Start networking early! This is the most important thing once you enter college. Talking to alumni or even seniors in college might help you figure out not only your future career path but also what classes to take or what major to pursue. Talk to people from different industries to discover your passion! It is not that easy to network with someone and establish a relationship. So start early so that you have plenty of time to expand your network.

#2 How Can You Find the Right Alumni?

Firstly, visit your career center. They will be willing to advise you on numerous things and cam help you reach out to alumni with similar interests. Secondly, attend events hosted by your university. Most universities try and get some alumni to the campus to talk about their past and present experiences. This is the easiest way to get in touch with people. Thirdly, use LinkedIn. Most schools have an official LinkedIn page where students can connect with alumni. You can filter your search based on industry, location, and many other things.

#3 Engage with Your Faculty

Don’t just sit at the back and attend a class for the sake of it. Reach out to professors whose class you find interesting or if it is relevant to your major. Make yourself known and establish a relationship outside of just a class setting. So why is talking to the professor important for networking? Many professors are in touch with their students and colleagues in former work places, which makes them a valuable resource. You can always reach out to a professor asking to put you in touch with his connections so that you can gain more knowledge about their work life!

#4 What Kind of Questions Should You Ask?

After reaching out via email/LinkedIn and asking them to meet, what kind of questions should you ask? Initially, the conversation should be centred around the alumni. You are getting to know the person—learning about their company, prior experiences, and work culture. Feel free to ask them moe personal questions like “Why did you choose this company?” or “How did you decide what field you want to enter?”. You can also ask about their recruitment process so that you have an idea about what to expect.

#5 Follow Up

Don’t just meet the person and leave it at that. Send a follow up email the next day thanking them for their time and telling them about how helpful they were. Mention a couple of points that you found to be extremely useful to show that you were engaged in the conversation. Stay in touch with the alumni and keep reaching out periodically about various things. This way you can maintain the relationship and ask him/her for help with the application process once a position becomes available.