An alumni network keeps a person in contact with their fellow alums from a place of education.<\/p>\n
These might be people who they came to know personally, but it\u2019s likely that the outer reaches of their network are mutual connections or people that they never actually met.<\/p>\n
This is the great thing about an alumni network: it\u2019s a way to bridge the gaps between people who might not be familiar, but who share a significant thing in common.<\/p>\n
This is one primary purpose of an alumni network.<\/p>\n
Rather than hunting people down through social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn and needing to break the ice, it brings everyone to one place under the established context that they shared a place of study.<\/p>\n
Another purpose of an alumni network is that it gives students a structured and organised way to preserve the relationships developed while studying. Previously, the only real way to stay in touch with fellow alumni (outside of social media) was to use a provided email account<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, many institutions cancel these accounts once students have concluded their studies, so access to these contacts could suddenly be gone one day.<\/p>\n And it isn\u2019t just about the first-hand contacts you lose, either.<\/p>\n Since we\u2019re talking about a network, every contact you lose has more contacts behind them\u2014people they could have introduced you to and further increased your own network of contacts.<\/p>\n Additionally, an alumni network keeps you close to people who could represent invaluable steps in your career and professional development. You may find a fellow alum is starting a project that needs somebody with your qualifications and skills. It could be that your tech start-up needs a coder or a marketer and that you\u2019d like to give such a role to somebody who can represent the same university as you.<\/p>\n An alumni network makes this easier and simpler, and it gives you a platform to conduct this kind of networking without needing to track people down through social media.<\/p>\n It helps you reach the full potential of the community you were part of as a student, making your contacts into meaningful professional ones rather than acquaintances that fade away into the background.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Without dedicated platforms specifically tailored with building networks in mind, setting up an alumni network would normally fall to social media platforms like Facebook. There are numerous issues with this.<\/p>\n Chief among them is that not everybody uses Facebook to maintain a professional network like this, and you might find that some people aren\u2019t so open to such an idea.<\/p>\n With networks like Facebook being designed primarily for personal connection and keeping in touch with friends and family, blurring the line between personal and professional is something that some people can find unpalatable.<\/p>\n Another problem with using platforms not specifically designed for professional networks is that their systems and features won\u2019t be as conducive as a modular platform built for alumni connections.<\/p>\n However, social media platforms outside of your network platform do have their uses. They\u2019re the ideal place to draw information from, making the actual process of joining the network as effortless as possible for the alumni. Their (relevant) personal data can automatically furnish their profile, making it easy to join and start connecting with others.<\/p>\n It goes without saying that the way to build your alumni network up is to bring in more members, which may take time. Alumni may need to be shown the value of the network itself, which will get easier over time as it grows and there are already plenty of members making connections and attending events.<\/p>\n Not everyone in the alumni network needs to an alum yet, either. One fantastic way of both building your network and showing its efficacy is to invite prospective students in so that they might benefit from talking with current students and alumni.<\/p>\n This is especially useful for international students<\/a>, who can connect with ambassadors\u2014either open, voluntary positions or specifically chosen and managed ones\u2014and experience a much smoother and more supported entry to the university.<\/p>\n Through such an entry point, the alumni network becomes a continuous source of support socially, academically, and through to the alum\u2019s career path.<\/p>\n This makes the university a shining example of how students can be supported and welcomed into their academic careers, even in an unfamiliar place and under the pressure of high-level study.<\/p>\n Networking with alumni should be started earlier than later, and it\u2019s often prudent to start contacting students before they graduate.<\/p>\n Many potential alumni are lost because the university\u2019s efforts to network with them are either too little or too late. Bringing students into the network before their studies have concluded is a good way to grab their engagement early.<\/p>\n Networking with alumni should be done with the view to build strong bonds and keep providing value to your alumni, even when their time with the university as a student is done.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot to be said for the personal touch, so keeping in direct contact with your alumni and inviting them to events and networking days is a great way to keep them involved, to impart value to the network itself, and to give alumni an active role in the university and to feel like they matter.<\/p>\n Find out what your alumni have been getting up to and use the network as a place to platform their efforts. If your alumni have gone on from their studies to start businesses, found charities, or something else worthy of showing off, these can be used to build a strong supportive spirit amongst members of an alumni network and to celebrate alumni achievements.<\/p>\n Additionally, it can be used as evidence of the university\u2019s support, of the tools instilled in alumni and the strong educational foundation that allows such success to take place.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Actually running an alumni network takes active participation and oversight. This could include:<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 Ensuring new members feel welcome and have introductory resources that might direct them to admins or certain important threads<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 Organising meet-ups, networking events, or reunions and taking feedback about how accessible these events might be<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 Moderating discussions yourself or having moderators available to help resolve any issues within the group<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 Having an ethos for the network and knowing what you intend for members to get out of it<\/p>\n Having the right platform on which to run an alumni network<\/a> makes it much simpler. Sharing the responsibility with others can help lighten the load, especially if you focus on different areas according to your strengths. For instance, one of you might be better at arranging events while another concentrates on creating resources and being a social presence in discussions.<\/p>\n Certain alumni might make suitable ambassadors or assistants in running your network, either by helping with the day-to-day admin and helping members out with queries, or by helping with events. This gets alumni more directly involved with their network and builds a stronger overall bond between university and alum.<\/p>\n Once these events have taken place, don\u2019t just trust that people go away feeling like they made good connections and got worth out of it. Follow up with participants in good time, gathering their feedback and learning of any pain points in the process that impacted their ability to network effectively and build connections.<\/p>\n Taking this feedback on board and applying it proves even further than you\u2019re willing to hone the network and develop its benefits with its members at the forefront.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Aluminati specialises in alumni engagement software<\/a> and solutions that help you build your community platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n Born from a desire to get the most from those connections each of us build while we study, our products are tried and true tools for those who want to keep their professional bonds strong.<\/p>\nHow to build an alumni network<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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How do I network with alumni?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How do I run an alumni network?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Building your alumni network with Aluminati<\/strong><\/h2>\n