Though we live in an increasingly digital world, the process of finding a job remains ever analog -- it’s all about who you know. Networking and referrals continue to be the best way for both job seekers and employers to make positive connections. The challenge that many job seekers face, however, is believing that their network is neither large enough nor strong enough to connect them to their desired job. I often meet clients who are stuck on how best to expand their network and broaden their reach. When I work with clients on their networking strategy, I usually start by asking them to list who they have considered contacting and the conversation normally goes something like this:
Me: Who have you reached out to so far in your networking efforts?
Client: Some of my former co-workers and a few friends who I know will help me.
Me: That sounds good. Have you thought about using your alumni network?
Client: Oh yeah! I completely forgot about that…
Typically, they will list former co-workers, friends, and sometimes family and it stops there. More often than not, my clients are oblivious to one of the richest networks they have immediate access to -- their alumni networks.
Let’s start by defining our terms -- Alumnus [noun]
Plural noun: alumni
1. A graduate or former student of a particular school, college, or university.
2. A former member of a group, company, or organization
Classically, when we think of our ‘alumni’ status, we think only of college. I love definitions because they can expand our understanding and reveal layers of meaning beyond the most common usage. The second definition of ‘alumnus’ opens up a whole new world of possibilities to include any group, company or organization -- regardless of how formal or informal it was -- that you were ever a part of. Looking at the two ways in which this word can be defined, if I were to be literal, this channel alone could double the number of people you potentially have access to for outreach. Depending on your level of education and social activity, your alumni networking map could look something like this:
Educational Affiliations: High School, College/University, Graduate School...
Work Affiliations: Previous employers 1, 2, 3, 4…, Professional Associations, Unions, Former Clients/Business partners/Vendors...etc.
Social Affiliations: Volunteer Organizations, Adult Recreational Sports Team, Church/Synagogue/Temple, Parents at your kid’s school…etc.
I believe job seekers often forget about these networks because they are somewhat hidden in plain sight and/or they might feel that too much time or distance has been created for them to be viable channels to explore. The first barrier is easily crossed by raising awareness. Think broadly and note down the various groups (formal and informal) you currently or formerly belonged to and then list all the people that come to mind who you could potentially reach out to.
The second barrier of time and distance, I can certainly appreciate at a personal level now that college is 14 years in the rearview mirror and grad school just hit 8 years. Yikes! If you have a longer career than I, this gap might feel even more pronounced to you. However, some bonds in life are not easily broken and having shared spaces, places, experiences and time with others is a powerful binding force that you can leverage when reaching out to connect to people you either haven’t spoken to in years or may have never even met at all.
Don’t Forget About Alumni While Networking, Here’s Why
Instant common ground
One of the biggest challenges in doing networking outreach is how to initiate and/or find common ground upon which to base the conversation. The same way you might highlight a mutual connection when reaching out on LinkedIn, being alumni of the same school or another group instantly solves that issue. It can be as simple as: “Hi __, I noticed that we both attended __ U. Go [INSERT SCHOOL MASCOT NAME]! I’m very interested in learning more about your work and experience at [COMPANY X.] Would you be open to connecting here and possibly arranging a chat? Thanks, [YOUR NAME]”
Built-in goodwill
Personally, if anyone from either of my alma maters, Hamilton College or Teachers College, Columbia University, reaches out to me, I feel immediately invested in their success. I have instant positive regard for this person because of this shared space and experience, and I always do my best to help them. Many people operate in a similar way and I think it’s due to the strong emotional ties that exist with any institution or group you dedicated your time and effort to. Emotions are an important part of the job search, so use them to your advantage.
Alumni have their own network
Networking is an exponential activity in that each new connection multiplies your reach by umpteen degrees. My small liberal arts college, Hamilton, boasts approximately 23K+ alumni with 19K+ registered on LinkedIn. My grad school, Teachers College, claims approximately 90K+ alumni with 31K+ registered on LinkedIn. If you attended larger institutions these numbers may seem laughable to you, but the point is, you have access to thousands of people who might be able to impact your job search. Connecting with a handful of alumni also gives you potential exposure to their networks with a built-in introduction at the ready.
Some studies have shown that often it’s 2nd or even 3rd-degree connections that lead to job opportunities. Networking should definitely focus on quality outreach, but it is also, in part, a numbers game. All you need is one timely and/or well-placed connection to open the right door to the opportunity you were looking for.
How to Research Alumni on LinkedIn
Now that I’ve waxed poetic about the benefits of reaching out to alumni, I’ll show you two ways to research them on LinkedIn.
Company Page Approach
Ideally, you should be running a job search focused on target companies. Type a target company’s name into the LinkedIn search bar and click on the company page. On the company’s landing page, you will see a headline marquee at the top of the page. If any alumni from your school work at said company, it will say “X# people from your school were hired here,” in the bottom right-hand corner of this box. LinkedIn will default to using the school you attended last. By clicking the “All Filters” button, you can add your additional schools to potentially broaden the number of employee results.
Results from my network if I was targeting a role at the NY Times: 7 alumni from Teachers College work here. If I add Hamilton, the number of connections doubles to 15 — one of whom was in my class year.
School Page Approach
If you need to see the bigger picture of where alumni from your school are working, starting your search from your school’s LinkedIn page is a great approach. I recommended this tactic to a current client who is relocating from the South to Washington, D.C., where he lacks connections. Type your school’s name into the LinkedIn search bar. On the landing page, you will see a navigation bar on the left-hand side of the page under the marquee image. There will be a link that says, “Alumni.” Clicking this link will take you to a page that offers a database of all the alumni from your school that are registered on LinkedIn. It also provides a set of 6 dynamic filters, that will help you sort alumni by: “Where they live,” “Where they work” (companies), “What they do” (industries), “What they studied” (academic majors); “What they are skilled at” (top skills); “How you’re connected” (1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree). In combination with a keyword box and graduation date range, you can get quite granular details on your alumni to help you reach out in a targeted manner.
This page offers a powerful set of filters to help you explore and customize your search to help you target alumni that are most relevant for you to connect with.
When it comes to networking, you are likely much more connected than might be immediately evident. I hope this serves to remind you and encourage you to think more creatively and broadly regarding who you have access to. Think about where you have been, both the formal and informal groups you have been a part of, and watch your world expand.
Being an alumnus is forever...so let’s get to (re)connecting!
If you would like help crafting your networking and job search strategy, I’d love to support you! Book Now for a free consultation.
NIIATO@AVENIRCAREERS.COM | CALL/TEXT 917-740-3048