Networking with fellow alumni

With alumni networking, similar to other networking, it is what you put in that you will get back. To have the most success with alumni networking, one shoul be visible and be seen as a helpful resource for other alumni. A person who volunteers to speak regarding their expertise at alumni events or to help organize programs will become known to other alumni. When that person needs help, they are likely to hear back from other alumni as opposed to someone no one else has heard from.

There are many different ways to connect with alumni:

In person events- During cocktail hours and dinner portions of the event, you have the chance to speak to many different people and share your experiences. If one can be a guest speaker at the event, people will come over afterwards and it will be a good opportunity to network.

Alumni email groups- An example would be the Big Red Group for Cornell alumni. People post on these groups all of the time looking for advice, suggestions or help. Respond to these postings regularly in order to get help when you need it.

Facebook group- In most cases, alumni office employees are the only ones who can post on the group wall but it will allow you to stay up to date on information and also see who the other members are. Many members will list their profession in their profile and are open to speaking to other alumni.

Linkedin.com- There are dedicated alumni groups on linkedin in order to connect with fellow alumni as well as the ability to search profiles that list your school with a keyword search. If you do not know a particular person of interest, it is possible another former classmate would be connected to them and help to facilitate a connection.

Chance meetings- When you wear the colors of your University/College, people who also went there will come over no matter the circumstance- airport, wedding, sporting event. Once you have an ‘in’ to begin a conversation, professional networking could occur.

The value of an alumni network is how closely other alumni connect to the school. If someone had a positive experience, they are more likely to want to help fellow alumni than if someone had a negative experience.

Networking Groups- NY/NJ/CT

Tired of networking only on the computer? Want to get out there and meet some other job seekers and share ideas?

Alex Freund of Landing Expert has compiled an extensive list of networking groups in the tri-state area.

Check it out here.

Disingenuous Networking- No “Hello”, Jerry?

If you are a fan of the show Seinfeld, you undoubtedly remember the character Uncle Leo. Jerry’s uncle would demand a hello from him no matter the situation (even while being arrested for petty theft).

Some of us would benefit from having an uncle Leo to remind us of the need to greet people with a hello, especially if we are looking to network.

I remember a story from a few years ago. I was attending services at my local house of worship. After the services, a neighbor came over to me to say hello. It caught me by surprise as we had never greeted each other in the past (yes, I was 50% responsible for this). She said that she had heard I had worked for a particular company and wanted more information as her son was considering a summer internship. She wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help. I made some suggestions, she thanked me and we were both on our ways.

I have no idea if her son got an internship at the company as she never updated me or even said hello again.

In order for networking to work, you should be genuine about it. Say hello, thank people for their time and keep them updated of your progress. With a genuine approach to networking, you will have more success and it will not be transparent that you are only looking for something. Always say hello and you never have to worry about hearing these words: No Hello, Jerry?

Maintaining the confidence of your Recruiter/Job Developer/Employment Counselor

Having worked in workforce development and career services for several years, I know that there can be a level of frustration on behalf of the recruiter/job developer/employment counselor when their candidate does not accept a job that they are offered. There is often pressure to ‘make placement numbers’ from management but not every job is a fit for every person.

After you have given thought to the opportunity presented to you but know that the job is just not a fit(even as a transitional job), a concern when you turn down the job is that the recruiter will lose confidence in you as a candidates and question if you are serious about looking for work. In a worst case scenario, you can be moved from a ‘most place able’ list to the bottom of the heap of resumes. Of course, the best in the business are understanding of this fact and will only look to match you with positions that are a potential fit for you.

How do you let the recruiter know that you are not interested while continuing to maintain a strong relationship?

Here is an example of what you can say:

"I appreciate your time in helping me find a job. I continue to be very serious about finding work and know that I would have been an excellent Store Manager. Unfortunately, the specifics of the job would not allow me to support my family long term or look for additional work at the same time. I would only like to enter into a situation that would be beneficial for everyone (including the good name of your organization) long term. I appreciate all that you are doing for me and hope you would consider me for other job opportunities closer to my field".

Networking: Want others to come over to you? Wear your school colors proud!

Once in awhile, there will be a story in the local papers about someone wearing a sandwich board or T-Shirt announcing that they are unemployed and need a job. It seems a little extreme and perhaps not the most effective way to let others know that you are in need of employment. What if what we wore drew people to us for a positive reason? Here are two examples of ways to draw other professionals to you and engage them in conversation:

1) A recent law school graduate went to the gym to burn off stress. With most of her wardrobe in the hamper, she decided to wear her BARBRI (a bar prep class, for you non-legal professionals out there) t-shirt to the gym. The workout went well and as she was heading out the door, she heard a voice, “oh, you’re a lawyer?” The other woman happened to be a lawyer as well and they had a brief conversation. It turned out that this person worked in the same area of law that was of interest as the recent graduate. A connection was made.

2) No matter wear you go or how small your college was, you will be surprised at finding alumni at nearly every corner. Most people have a strong, positive connection to their college years and will be excited to see someone else wearing the colors, especially in a far flung location. It will be an easy in to start a discussion.

"Networking Without A Network" is this Sunday in Passaic/Clifton, New Jersey!