How to Effectively Connect with Alumni on LinkedIn for Career Advancement

For job seekers, the desire for a fresh start can inspire you to inject new energy into your hunt. In particular, the season is a nice time of year to reconnect with members of your college or university alumni community, who may be feeling nostalgic for their school days as well. Alumni networks can be a powerful asset in your career journey. Here’s how to connect with alumni on LinkedIn.

Leveraging Alumni Groups on LinkedIn

Virtually every college and university in the world has one or more alumni groups on LinkedIn, as do many high schools as well. To find these groups:

Go to the Groups Directory and search for the name of any educational institutions you attended.
Join as many groups as appeal to you, as some schools have multiple groups.
Once you’re a member, scan the group’s Discussions, Members, and Jobs for networking opportunities.

Engaging in Alumni Groups:

Join discussions of fellow alums talking about your industry.
Comment on an article someone has posted.
Introduce yourself to the Group Manager, who is often a representative of the Alumni Association and a very connected and helpful person.

Starting Your Own Discussions:

Post an article with a few personal comments.
Pose a question to group members.
Introduce yourself and your goals. For example: “Hi fellow Tigers: I’m new to the group and excited to connect with fellow alums. I’m currently looking for a job as a graphic designer and eager to connect with any other job seekers or design folks. Happy to help anyone I can."

Utilizing the Alumni Tool for Targeted Searches

LinkedIn's alumni tool helps you narrow your vast alumni network according to your goals.

Accessing the Alumni Tool:

Go to the school’s page on LinkedIn. You can do this easily by typing the school name in the search bar.
Once you’re on the school’s page, you’ll see a tab for Alumni. Click that tab.

Filtering and Searching:

Graduation Years: Search for people who attended within specific years or enter additional graduation years for a broader search. The Alumni feature allows you to search for the years attended - you can broaden this range to find people who graduated close to you or ahead of you.
Keywords: Filter by title, keyword, or company, or view suggested filters.
Location: Search by where they live to target people near you or where you want to move. Considering a move to Milwaukee? Just start a new search and click on that region under “Where they live” and all of the data will change to show you fellow alumni in that geographic region instead.
Company: Search by where they work or by alumni who are employed at a specific company where you want to work.
Industry/Function: You could also narrow it down by what area they studied (maybe you both have business degrees - another point of connection), and you can also select what they’re skilled at (these are the main skill areas on their profile).

Example Scenario:

Let’s say you are looking for a job in public relations at a university or nonprofit organization in the Chicago area. The tool helps you narrow your vast alumni network to those who live in Chicago and work in public relations. Then, you can scan the list of “Where they work” and find the universities and nonprofits where your fellow alums are employed.

Multiple Universities:

If you attended more than one university, you can use the "change school" feature at the top of the page to explore other colleges and universities.

Finding Common Connection Points:

Finding multiple common connection points is key networking currency. For example: My first connection point is that we’re both alumni of the same school. Then, I can choose to find alumni where I live. Let’s say I also have my heart set on working for Mayo Clinic, so I click Mayo Clinic. Now, I can see all the alumni in my area who work for Mayo and what they do to connect with people in HR at Mayo.

Crafting Effective Outreach Messages

Once you’ve identified some alums in your desired field and location, it’s time to make contact. While there are no guarantees, fellow alums are more likely to reply to a networking request than random strangers because you share a common experience.

Personalizing Connection Requests:

Make your connection requests more engaging and relevant by personalizing each message. Remember to introduce yourself and your major. Also, you can mention your mutual alma mater and any shared experiences or interests.

Example Message:

Hi Sonya,

I’m a fellow ABC University alum and came across your profile. I graduated in 2003, also with a degree in History, and have been working in the PR industry for the past few years. I’m currently job hunting and hoping to make the transition from the agency side into a role at a nonprofit or university. I really admire your career and was wondering if you might be willing to offer some advice or perhaps chat by phone? I would really appreciate your time and would be happy to do anything I can to help you.

Thank you and Go Tigers!

Key Elements of an Effective Message:

Immediately mention the alumni connection.
Be polite and professional.
Show that you’ve done your research on the other person, signifying that you’re not just sending out generic blast messages.
Never sound desperate.
Never ask directly for a job or to send a resume.
The goal is to establish rapport and ask for general information and advice.

Example of incorporating multiple connection points in a message:

“Hi (name), we’re both UNF alumni and Jacksonville natives. I studied and worked in HR, too. I aspire to work for Mayo Clinic one day. I see you’ve been in HR for 10 years and you’re a VP of HR. I hope to grow my HR career and become a director in the next 3 years."

Following Up:

If you are still waiting to receive a response to your initial message, feel encouraged. Follow up after a week or two with a polite reminder. Many alumni outreach attempts fail due to common mistakes. If an alumnus doesn’t respond, it’s often not personal. They may be busy or have missed your message.

Maintaining and Nurturing Your Alumni Network

Developing a professional network, particularly with other alumni, can be a highly effective strategy for career growth. After connecting with alumni, it's important to nurture those relationships.

Immediate Actions:

Send a short follow-up DM thanking the person for connecting.
Make the coffee ask such as a 15-30 minute Zoom coffee.

During the Coffee Meeting:

Prepare and show up with questions to ask.
Show up early.
Ask if/how there’s anything you can do to help.

Ongoing Engagement:

Be a frequent liker/commenter on his/her posts.
Go out of your way to look for opportunities to help that person, such as business referrals, intros to other young people, or sending them events or articles they might be interested in.
Periodically following up is an excellent way to maintain the relationship.

Why Alumni Connections Matter

The power of alumni networks in job searching cannot be overstated. According to a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, a significant percentage of new graduates found employment through networking, with alumni connections playing a significant role. In today’s market, many people land opportunities through who they know, not just what they know. Alumni connections can be a game-changer. In a tough job market, having a referral can make all the difference.

Avoiding Common Mistakes:

Do NOT reach out to these people and say, "Hey, can you get me a job?" No, they can't, they don't know you!
Do say, "We both went to [name of school] and while I was searching alums I found your name. [Say something about their profile/experience to make the message personal.] I see you work at [name of their company]. How cool! I admire [the company] and I would love to work there someday."

Remember: Building a professional network takes time and effort, but the rewards can be significant.

Additional Tips for Students

If you’re a student from a non-target school, USE IT to break through the barriers and reach opportunities you never thought possible.
Students can get into programs like MLT, SEO, or IBM Accelerate, which help students land early-career roles at top companies.
Share your journey, focusing on the unique path you’ve taken as a non-target school student navigating big opportunities.

Leveraging Mentoring Programs

Smeal Alumni Mentoring Program is an excellent opportunity for students to build relationships with alumni. Student protégés can gain insights into career paths and develop their professional networks. This is a one-year commitment between the student and alumni, facilitating meaningful and mutually beneficial mentoring relationships between alumni and students.

Attending Networking Events

Keep an eye out for alumni events or networking opportunities organized by Smeal College. You can find those networking events on the Business Career Center event page.

Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile

Use industry keywords in the profile.
Update a professional photo.
Provide detailed information about work experience and leadership activities.

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