The LinkedIn alumni tool allows you to connect and network with former classmates and colleagues from your alma mater. This can be a great way to expand your professional network and leverage your shared academic experiences. Here are some tips on how to use the LinkedIn alumni tool effectively.
Finding Your School’s Alumni Page
The first step is to find your school’s alumni page on LinkedIn. To do this:
- Go to www.linkedin.com and log into your account.
- In the search bar at the top of the page, search for your school’s name (e.g. “University of Michigan”).
- Click on the school’s page in the search results.
- On the school’s page, click on the “Alumni” tab.
This will take you to the alumni page for your university. Here you can browse alumni profiles and join school alumni groups.
Joining Your School’s Alumni Group
Every university has an official alumni group on LinkedIn you can join. To find it:
- On your school’s alumni page, look for a box titled “Groups” on the right side.
- Click “See all” to view all of the school’s alumni groups.
- Look for the group simply titled “XYZ University Alumni” (where XYZ is your school’s name). This is the official group.
- Click the “Join” button to become a member of the group.
Joining the official alumni group makes it easier to connect with fellow graduates. You’ll gain access to group discussions and be able to interact with the entire alumni network.
Connecting with Individual Alumni
You can also connect with individual alumni by searching profiles on your school’s alumni page. To do this:
- Use the filters on the left side of the page to narrow down your search by location, degree, graduation year, etc.
- Browse the profiles and look for alumni who share your interests or professional background.
- Click “Connect” on their profile and send a note introducing yourself.
When reaching out, mention you are a fellow alum and provide some background on yourself. This gives context for the connection request.
Leveraging Your School’s Alumni Network
Joining your university’s LinkedIn alumni network provides several advantages:
- You can discover job opportunities through alumni who work at companies you’re interested in.
- Fellow graduates can provide insider advice and mentorship in your industry.
- Connecting with alumni builds your professional network instantly.
- You gain access to campus news and resources by joining alumni groups.
- Graduates often help each other out with career transitions, relocations, and more.
In addition to online interactions, you may be able to attend local alumni events to further build connections. Check your school’s alumni website for regional chapter events near you.
Engaging in Your School’s LinkedIn Alumni Group
To get the most out of your school’s LinkedIn alumni group:
- Complete your profile to represent yourself professionally to fellow graduates.
- Engage in discussions and post interesting content to start conversations.
- Offer advice and insights based on your experience to help other members.
- Follow companies that alumni work for to stay aware of opportunities.
- Attend virtual or in-person meetup events to meet alumni in your area.
Actively participating in the group keeps you connected to the alumni network long after graduation.
Searching Alumni by Employer
You can leverage your school’s alumni network to connect with graduates working at companies that interest you. To find alumni by employer:
- Go to your university’s alumni page on LinkedIn.
- Type the name of the target company in the search bar at the top of the page.
- Filter the results by selecting “Employer” in the left sidebar.
This will show profiles of alumni currently working at that company. Reach out to learn more about their roles and experience at the organization.
Connecting with Alumni in Your City
Fellow graduates living in your city can help you expand your local professional network. To connect with alumni in your area:
- Go to your school’s LinkedIn alumni page.
- Use the filters to search for alumni by location.
- Select your city from the options.
- Browse the profiles of graduates living nearby and connect with them.
You can then invite local alumni to meet up for coffee or attend industry events together. Bond over shared experiences from your alma mater.
Finding Alumni at Your Dream Company
Tracking down alumni already working at your dream company can open doors for you. Here’s how to find them on LinkedIn:
- Search for the company and click on their Company Page.
- Scroll down and click “See alumni” under Alumni Working Here.
- Toggle the Alumni filter to only see profiles of alumni at that company.
Reach out to these alumni to learn about their hiring experience and ask for referrals. Insights from former classmates already on the inside can give you a big advantage.
Connecting with Alumni in Your Field
Fellow graduates who studied the same major or work in your industry can provide valuable career support. To find alumni in your field:
- Go to your school’s alumni page.
- Use the filters to search for alumni by major/field of study.
- Select your major or field from the options.
- Connect with profiles of alumni working in your discipline.
These alumni understand the ins and outs of your field and can offer mentorship as you progress through your career.
Searching by Graduation Year
Connecting with alumni who graduated around the same time as you can lead to strong bonds thanks to shared experiences. To find them:
- Go to your university’s alumni page on LinkedIn.
- Use the filters to select your graduation year.
- You can also expand the range by 1-2 years if you want a bigger group.
- Browse the profiles of fellow recent grads and connect.
Recent alumni are often still building their careers and can relate to your current challenges and goals.
Pro Tips for Using LinkedIn Alumni Tool
Here are some pro tips to optimize your use of LinkedIn’s alumni networking features:
- Complete your own profile to present your best professional image to fellow alumni.
- Personalize connection requests by mentioning shared experiences or interests.
- Join regional alumni chapters and LinkedIn groups to expand your reach.
- Engage actively in discussions and share relevant articles.
- Attend alumni events when possible to build stronger relationships.
- Offer advice to recent graduates entering your field or industry.
- Follow companies where alumni work and set job alerts to stay updated.
Leveraging your alumni connections takes some effort but can significantly benefit your career over time. The shared bonds of an alma mater create a powerful professional network if cultivated.
Using Premium LinkedIn to Maximize Alumni Search
LinkedIn Premium accounts unlock extra alumni search filters for an expanded networking capability:
- Keywords – Search alumni profiles by keywords, skills, companies etc.
- Industries – Filter alumni by their industry to find connections in your field.
- Seniority Level – Connect with entry-level, manager-level, or executive alumni.
- Company Followers – Find alumni working at companies you follow.
- Interests – View alumni who list interests relevant to you.
Premium also lets you send unlimited InMail messages to alumni, making it easier to contact graduates outside your network. The expanded search gives you precise control over connecting with the most relevant alumni for your needs.
Using the Mobile App
LinkedIn’s mobile app makes it easy to access your alumni network on the go:
- Download the LinkedIn app on your iOS or Android device.
- Tap the “My Network” icon in the toolbar at the bottom.
- Tap “Manage my network” to search alumni and send connection requests.
- View alumni profiles and groups as you would on desktop.
- Receive notifications about new messages, connections, and group activity.
Key features like profiles, messaging, notifications, and group activity are optimized for mobile usage. Stay connected with your alumni network from anywhere.
Alumni Tools on LinkedIn Recruiter
LinkedIn Recruiter offers powerful paid tools to tap into your school’s alumni when hiring:
- Search alumni through expanded filters like major, degree, graduation date, etc.
- Save alumni searches to re-use for future job openings.
- Identify “warmer” candidates through shared school affiliation.
- Message alumni through InMail to gauge interest and fit.
- Track engagement with alumni candidates throughout the hiring process.
Recruiters can quickly build talent pools and pinpoint qualified candidates from a school’s alumni network. Shared alumni status helps get responses when reaching out to prospective applicants.
Promoting Your Company to Alumni
As a company representative, you can also promote open roles and your employer brand to alumni:
- Share job postings in alumni groups targeted to relevant majors or fields.
- Highlight alumni who are employees and showcase their career growth.
- Create Company Page content that resonates with recent graduates.
- Participate in campus events like career fairs to attract student alumni.
- Sponsor or host events through local alumni chapters.
Strategically engaging alumni as potential candidates and brand ambassadors can significantly benefit your campus recruiting.
Conclusion
LinkedIn provides a variety of tools to help you connect with and leverage your university’s alumni network. From joining official school groups to searching profiles by graduation year, location, and employer, you can easily expand your professional network with relevant fellow graduates. Actively participating in alumni communities and engaging fellow alums can lead to job opportunities, mentorship, career advice, and valuable post-graduation contacts. The shared bond of an alma mater can boost networking, hiring, and brand-building efforts on LinkedIn.