From Student To Superstar: Mastering Alumni Networking

Studies have shown the most successful people are often also those who rely heavily on the power of networking. Ultimately, pursuing opportunities to connect with industry leaders or professionals with varying interests and perspectives is critical to your career growth.

However, networking can be exhausting - and at the end of a long work day, it might be the last thing you want to do. Hence, join me to learn how to dig into your career support system and transform your journey from a STUDENT - TO - SUPERSTAR.

What Is Networking?

Networking can be described with classic terms as 'forming connections' and 'building potential relationships'. Though these terms may sound clean and elementary, they might have numerous perspectives for a lot of us. For introverts, it can also be as haunting as a nightmare.

But as it has been quoted- "Your Network is your Net worth", you've got to take that fresh step. Networking can be about discovering and utilizing the already-made connections with people.

Afterall, a good network will always provide you with worthy bits of advice, opportunities, and insights into the latest trends, which summing up in one simplified word can be put up as 'growth'.  

How To Network?

When you're sitting at your desk unsure if you're going to attend the networking event you had penciled on your calendar, it becomes necessary for you to muster up both the energy and the motivation to power through and channel the confidence you need to make authentic connections.

The most important aspect, which is often overlooked while planning to attend a career support event with a sub-motivation to network, is 'finding out who you wish to connect with'. It can be precious to connect with a diverse range of people; however, you need to be clear on who matches your career path.

Building A Strong Alumni Network

A robust alumni network can be a valuable asset for both individuals and organizations. Here is a comprehensive guide to building a strong alumni network:

Define your goals

• Determine your purpose. What do you desire to achieve from the network? mentorship, career guidance, knowledge of market trends, academic support, organizational growth, or simply staying connected.
• Identifying your target network: Developing a clear understanding of who you want to connect with. Alumni from a specific course, department, year, field, organization, or industry.

Building a strong foundation

• Maintain a safe central platform: Choose and maintain a central, user-friendly platform to connect with your alumni, such as LinkedIn, Discord, specific dedicated websites, university alumni platforms, etc.
• Develop and maintain a strong individual identity: Create a clear, headstrong, and compelling self-brand for your alumni network, reflecting the institution's value.
• Gather alumni data: Gather contact information, professional details, and career interests to segment your target audience effectively and efficiently.

Networking At Career And Academic Support

Networking is a crucial tool in academia, just like in many other fields. It can help you advance your research, career, and overall academic experience. Hence, it is also very important to be aware of and make the best use of the resources available at your university.

How to Network in Academia:

• Attend conferences: Conferences are a great place that helps you learn from the best industrial leaders and provides you with the opportunity to meet and interact with other researchers, present your work, and participate in discussions.
• Join professional organizations: Become an active member of academic or social societies or associations in your colleges and around those that interest your field. These organizations often host conferences, workshops, seminars, and other networking events, which can be a great opportunity for both learning and interacting.
• Active participation: Participate in competitions, workshops, and seminars; these events not only introduce you to new people but also help you foster new skills.
• Be active online. Engage with other academics on social media platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter or research-focused platforms like Academia.edu, Recollective Inc. or ResearchGate. The best way to engage is by dropping down liberal comments or feedback under the posts that interest you.
• Reach out to mentors: Look around for mentors, professionals, or established researchers in your field who can guide you and provide you with valuable career support and bits of advice.

Fostering self-engagement

Engagement is like the lifeblood of any successful network. It's more than just exchanging emails or business cards or connecting over social media; it's about building genuine relationships, knowing about others' hobbies and interests, and supporting and fostering mutual growth.

Listed below are a few crucial tips that can help you stimulate engagement and, hence, career support:

• Exchange valuable content: Share and exchange informative and relevant articles, blogs, industry trends, insights, career support information, and bits of advice to keep alumni engaged.
• Acknowledge alumni achievements: Recognize and Celebrate alumni's successes to develop and foster a sense of belongingness and pride.
• Host events: Organize virtual or in-person events, gatherings, webinars, and workshops to facilitate networking and knowledge sharing.
• Encourage Learning: Help match alumni with students, young professionals, or somebody in need to foster learning and mentorship opportunities.
• Optimize use of social media: Utilize social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, the WhatsApp community, and Instagram to connect with alumni and share the latest insights and updates.
• Trust and harmony: Consistent and valuable interactions strengthen bonds, which leads to clear, transparent, and open communication.

'Engagement' is the catalyst that helps transform a mere bundle of contacts into a powerful career support system and resource.

Useful Clues For Networking

• Be genuine: People often develop connections with those who seem to present their true personalities.
• Be approachable: The connections where the individuals are friendly and show mutual interests tend to last longer.
• Prepare ahead: If you're interested in connecting with somebody, schedule your appointment ahead of time and be present on time.
• Be prepared: Always be ready to present your pitch. Your pitch should reflect your personality well.
• Focus on building relationships. Networking is not about what you deliver or receive. It's more about building and fostering mutually beneficial relationships.
• Ask questions: While listening to a pitch, present genuine questions, if any, rather than taking away the doubts with you. Presenting genuine questions allows you to display your attentiveness.
• Be an active listener. Listen carefully—first listen and then speak; never interrupt the flow of the speaker. Show Genuine interest in their work.
• Expand your online presence. Maintain your social profiles. Keep your social profiles updated with your recent achievements.
• Do your research: Before presenting your pitch, conduct proper research about the topic and collect all the relevant information.
• Be conscious of your digital profile. Before presenting anything online, make sure it is presentable, formal, and lawful.
• Follow up: After greeting a resourceful person, stay connected with them over emails and formal platforms and stay in touch.

Conclusion

Your alumni network is a treasure trove of knowledge, opportunities, and support. By actively engaging with this resourceful community, you unlock possibilities for your career support and academic and professional journey. The benefits are immense, from securing internships and job placements to gaining invaluable mentorship and insights on the latest industry trends.

Building strong relationships is a long-term process that takes time and effort. So, foster and nurture your connections, participate in alumni events, and stimulate your online platforms and performance to maximize the potential of your network. By investing in your alumni community, you’re investing in your future success.

And remember, all it takes for that seamless, joyful journey is a simple 'HELLO'.

Your journey from student-to-superstar now begins. For more such engaging and informative content, keep following ApnaaAdda.