How to Use Your Alumni Association to Launch Your Career – Part II

As mentioned in part one of this article, one of the best ways to start making connections that can lead to your first job after college is to use your alumni association.

Lifetime Connection
Most college graduates have a soft spot in their hearts for their alma mater. They feel a connection to other alumni and when you reach out to them, it brings up fond memories of their college days. For many of us, our time in college was a time of personal growth and transformation. For some of us, it was where we met our spouse. It served as a turning point in our lives, and continues to influence our view of the world around us. Many college graduates consider themselves to be lifetime members of their alumni association as it fulfills a social need of acceptance and belonging.

Keep Them Posted
Once you have attended an alumni function and made face to face contact with established alumni, asked questions, taken notes, and exchanged business cards, you are ready for the follow up step.

Ask if you can correspond with the person you met, from time to time, and keep him or her posted about your career progress. Mention to this person that you would gratefully appreciate any further advice, recommendations or job leads they would have for you.

Send a Thank You Note
Make sure you send a hand written thank you note. Mention to them that any time you can be of help, you would be happy to serve as a resource for them. Never underestimate the potential value of your personal network; it may be small, but certainly growing in size.

As I mentioned in a previous article, your alumni association has chapters all around the country and overseas. If you are willing to relocate to another part of the country or the world, you open up all sorts of additional career opportunities.

As your career path progresses, take full advantage of your alumni association and it can be something that will allow you to maximize your potential throughout your professional life.


If you are interested in a better career in your field of study visit www.collegejobbank.com

Tom Borg is president of Tom Borg Consulting, LLC. He is a business consultant, speaker, coach and author. He helps companies and organization become more profitable by increasing their value and lowering their costs through the professional development of their managers and employees.