LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 690 million members worldwide. It allows you to connect with other professionals in your industry, search and apply for jobs, join relevant groups, follow companies and much more. One of the key features of LinkedIn is the ability to search for other members by various criteria including university attended.
Searching by university can be very useful for a number of reasons. You may want to connect with alumni from your university to network or get career advice. Recruiters and hiring managers may want to search for candidates from specific universities when hiring. Student groups and university clubs often use LinkedIn to connect with current students as well as alumni.
In this article, we’ll walk through step-by-step how to search for LinkedIn members by university attended. We’ll cover:
- Accessing the university search filter
- Entering the name of the university
- Specifying other filters like location and graduation year
- Saving your search
- Connecting with your university network
Equipped with this knowledge, you’ll be able to effectively leverage your university network on LinkedIn for career and networking opportunities.
Accessing the University Search Filter
The first step is accessing the search filters where you can specify searching by university. Here’s how to do it:
1. Go to LinkedIn.com and login to your account.
2. Click on the magnifying glass icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage to open up the search bar.
3. Click on the dropdown arrow next to the search bar that says “All filters”.
4. Select the “School” filter. This will allow you to search for LinkedIn members based on the university they attended.
Example
This dropdown menu allows you to filter your search results based on various criteria including university attended. Selecting the School filter opens up a field to enter the name of a university.
Entering the University Name
After selecting the School filter in the previous step, you can now enter the name of the university you want to search by:
1. In the School filter field, enter the full name of the university. As you type, a dropdown will appear with suggested matches.
2. Select the appropriate university from the dropdown list. Make sure you choose the official name of the institution.
3. Alternatively, you can enter the full name without choosing a suggestion. Just make sure to enter the proper spelling and name.
4. Press enter or click the search icon to run your search.
Example
In this example, “Harvard University” was entered as the search term under the School filter. You’ll then see search results for LinkedIn members who attended Harvard.
Specifying Other Filters
In addition to searching by university, you can also narrow down your search results even further by adding additional filters like location and graduation year.
Here are some other useful filters to use:
Location
You can enter a specific city, state, or country to only see results for graduates from that university in those locations. This is useful for connecting with local alumni chapters.
Graduation Year
Search by graduation year to connect with graduates who studied during the same time period as you. This helps find classmates and peers.
Major/Field of Study
Search by major or field of study to connect with those who studied the same subject as you in college. Useful for industry networking.
Companies
Filter by company to see graduates of your university who work at organizations you’re interested in. Helpful for industry research.
Groups
See alumni who have joined certain groups like alumni associations and professional chapters. Discover relevant groups to join yourself.
Saving Your Search
If you want to re-run a search frequently to stay updated with new connections, you can save the search filter criteria:
1. After entering your desired search filters, click “Save search” next to the search bar.
2. Give the search a descriptive name so you can easily recognize it, like “UNC Chapel Hill Computer Science Grads”
3. Click the “Save” button.
Now the saved search will be available right from your LinkedIn homepage under “Saved Searches” so you can quickly access it later.
Connecting With Your University Network
Once you’ve searched for LinkedIn members from a particular university, you can start connecting by:
- Sending connection requests to alumni you know
- Joining university alumni groups on LinkedIn
- Following relevant companies where alumni work
- Liking and commenting on university posts
- Finding and following influencers like faculty and university leaders
Expanding your university network opens up networking opportunities, exposes you to new career paths, and keeps you connected to fellow alumni. Make sure to actively engage with your connections by liking and commenting on posts, messaging classmates, and sharing university pride.
Conclusion
Searching LinkedIn by university attended opens up a world of possibilities through the power of your alumni network. Follow the steps in this guide to easily access your university connections:
- Use the School filter and enter university name
- Refine your search with filters like graduation year and location
- Save frequently used searches for quick access
- Connect with fellow alumni through messaging, groups, and posts
Leverage these tips to expand your professional network, get career insights, and bond over shared university experiences. Your alumni connections can lead to internships, jobs, mentorships, or just become part of your community.
So next time you need some career motivation or simply want to reminisce about your college days, take advantage of LinkedIn’s powerful search to reconnect with your university roots.
