Connecting with alumni on LinkedIn can be a great way to expand your professional network and open up new career opportunities. However, there are some best practices to follow when reaching out to former students of your university or college in order to make the most of the experience.
The Benefits of Connecting with Alumni
Here are some of the key benefits of connecting with alumni on LinkedIn:
- Gain insider knowledge about companies and industries. Alumni who work at organizations you’re interested in can give you the inside scoop on company culture, hiring practices, and more.
- Uncover new job and internship opportunities. Alumni can often provide personalized referrals, giving you a leg up in the hiring process.
- Broaden your professional network. Each alum’s network becomes part of your extended network, expanding your connections.
- Get career advice and mentoring. Alumni can coach you on your resume, interview skills, and navigate important career decisions.
- Learn best practices for using LinkedIn. Experienced alumni can provide tips to optimize your own LinkedIn presence.
Connecting with engaged alumni who are willing to help new graduates has the potential to significantly impact your future career options and prospects.
Choosing Which Alumni to Connect With
With a large alumni base, you’ll want to be selective about which alumni to connect with on LinkedIn. Consider focusing on the following:
- Recent graduates (1-5 years). More recent grads are likely to better relate to your experience and remember what it’s like just starting out.
- Alumni at companies you want to work for. Target alumni positioned at organizations that align with your career goals.
- Alumni in your desired field or industry. Connect with those working in your specific area of interest.
- Alumni with leadership positions and extensive networks. Influential alumni can unlock their broad networks.
Conduct LinkedIn searches to find alumni that fit your criteria. You can search by company, job title, industry, school attended and location.
Best Practices for Outreach
When reaching out to alumni on LinkedIn, follow these best practices:
- Personalize the connection request with a friendly message.
- Jog their memory by mentioning your graduation year, major, shared activities or acquaintances.
- Highlight why you would value their insights and advice.
- Mention any relevant groups, interests or experiences you have in common.
- Use a professional profile picture and update your profile details.
A thoughtful note goes a long way. Avoid generic invitations that look like spam.
Sample Outreach Messages
Here are a few examples of friendly connection requests to alumni:
| Alumni Background | Sample Message |
|---|---|
| Recent graduate at your dream company | Hi Jane! I saw you graduated from [College] in 2019 and now work at [Company]. I’m graduating from [College] this year and am really interested in learning more about [Company]’s [Department] team. I’d love to connect and hear any career advice you have! |
| Alum with a leadership role | Dear Sanjay, I hope you’re doing well! I’m a current Finance major at [University] looking to break into investment banking like you did. Your career trajectory at [Bank] is so impressive, and I would appreciate any advice you have for students looking to succeed in this field. Looking forward to connecting! |
| Recent graduate at your current company | Hi Amanda, I saw we both graduated from [College] and now work at [Company]! I started as a [Role] this year and would love to connect with fellow [School] alumni here. Let me know if you’d be open to grabbing coffee sometime to chat about your experience at [Company] so far. |
| Alum with shared interest or background | Hi Tom, My name is [Your Name] and I’m a current [Major] student at [University], graduating next year. I noticed we’re both from [City] originally, and you majored in [Major] as well! I’d love to connect and hear about how your [University] degree has helped in your career at [Company]. Looking forward to networking with fellow [Mascot] alumni! |
The goal is to spark their interest and make the request personal yet concise. Follow up if they accept your invitation to expand the conversation.
Starting the Conversation
Once connected on LinkedIn, the conversation can progress in a few ways:
- Thank them for connecting and reiterate your interest in their career insights.
- Ask thoughtful questions based on their background and your goals.
- Offer to meet for a virtual coffee or chat by phone at their convenience.
- Send them your resume for any feedback based on their experience and expertise.
- Inquire about open roles or internships at their company for which they could submit your application.
- Request they introduce you to others in their network who may be helpful.
The main objective is to respectfully establish an ongoing dialogue where they are comfortable providing career advice and perhaps even mentoring you over time. Don’t overstep boundaries by asking for too much, too soon.
Sample Conversation Starters
Here are some examples of follow up messages to continue the conversation:
| Scenario | Sample Follow Up |
|---|---|
| After connecting with recent grad | Hi Jane, Thank you so much for connecting with me on LinkedIn! I’d love to learn more about your experience starting out at [Company] as a [Role]. What advice do you have for new hires looking to ramp up quickly and thrive at the company? Are there any training programs or development opportunities you would recommend I look into? I really appreciate any guidance you can share! |
| After connecting with leader | Dear Sanjay, I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to connect with me here on LinkedIn. I’d welcome the opportunity to learn more about your career path at [Bank] and gain any insights you’re willing to share about succeeding as an aspiring investment banker. Would you be open to a quick virtual coffee chat sometime in the next couple weeks? If so, please let me know some dates/times that work for you, or if another format would be better. Thanks again, I look forward to your thoughts! |
| After connecting with fellow company alum | Hi Amanda, Thanks so much for connecting! As I mentioned, I just started in [Role] at [Company] a few months ago. I’d love to meet up to hear your perspective on the culture here, the best teams to work with, any key projects I should try to get involved in, and what it takes to get ahead as an early-career employee. Are you free for a quick coffee or virtual chat sometime next week? Please let me know, thanks! |
| After connecting with shared interest alum | Hi Tom, I appreciate you accepting my invite! As a fellow [Major] [Mascot] alum with [City] roots, I’d be curious to hear more about your career journey since [University]. Some of my interests within [Major] include [Sub-interest 1], [Sub-interest 2], and [Sub-interest 3]. Would you be open to providing any advice about translating a [Major] degree into relevant experience and opportunities? I welcome any insights you can share, thanks! |
The goal of the follow up is to take the budding connection and nurture it into an ongoing mentorship. With some back and forth dialogue, you can build rapport and gain valuable advice.
Making the Most of Alumni Mentors
To develop meaningful career relationships with alumni mentors try the following:
- Prepare questions in advance of your conversation based on their background.
- Listen attentively and respond professionally to any advice provided.
- Share your resume, LinkedIn profile, and other materials for feedback.
- Express genuine interest in their career experiences and insights.
- Don’t ask for job offers or shortcuts – establish trust over time.
- Follow up with alumni to sustain the mentoring relationship.
- Offer to help alumni in return when able, such as providing student perspectives.
- Apply alumni advice to work towards your goals and share your progress.
Nurturing an alumni mentoring relationship early on can pay dividends throughout your career. Alumni want to see their fellow graduates succeed.
A Note on Privacy Settings
When searching for and contacting alumni on LinkedIn, be sure to respect their privacy:
- Only connect with alumni who have a public profile and accept incoming requests.
- Do not try to circumvent someone’s privacy settings to make a connection.
- If an alum ignores your request, do not badger them by sending repeated invites.
- Harassing alumni or contacting them through non-LinkedIn channels is strictly prohibited.
While most alumni enjoy assisting students and graduates, avoid contacting those who prefer to keep their information private.
Conclusion
Connecting with alumni on LinkedIn can transform your professional network and unlock amazing career insights and opportunities. Apply best practices when reaching out to establish productive relationships. Approach alumni with maturity, respect and specific goals in mind to make a great impression. With some effort, you can develop mentorships and lifelong connections that support your post-graduate success.
