Alumni Networking

Career Opportunities & Internships
1

<p>A lot of schools make a big deal out of alumni networking. I was wondering as a junior still in the college selection process, if alumni networking is really a valuable resource. Do alumni really help graduates in their fields? Or is the alumni network just a marketing point that private schools love to tout. I would love responses from those who have graduated and can weigh in on the value of alumni. I am especially interested in the alumni networks of Notre Dame, LMU, USC, and Boston College, but any and all responses would be greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>Thanks in advance</p>

2

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<p>I know for schools like Penn State and other such very large publics the alumni network can be a very strong resource.</p>

3

<p>Alumni networks are good for:

  • job lists where alumni know about openings and share them
  • a way to have informational interviews and talk to people
  • find someone that is willing to fill out an internal referral for you</p>

<p>alumni connects are unlikely to get you a job, but they can help you get in the door and get your resume in front of the right people.</p>

4

<p>So you think they’re valuable? Do you have any personal experience with alumni?</p>

5

<p>i have a friend who got a really good internship in a really good magazine through an alumna, but our alumnae network is pretty tight, which, i hear, isn’t homogenous across the board /:</p>

6

<p>As a parent, and someone who attended a normal state school, with no alumni network, I never appreciated the resouces attached to strong alumni networks. However, now with a son at Stanford and a niece at Notre Dame I am shocked at how helpful it can be. If you have a choice between a school with a strong network and one that doesn’t have one, there’s only one way to go, with the alum.</p>

<p>Between my son and my niece we have discovered that the network is more like a brotherhood. Alumni truly go out of their way to help out others. Also in schools like ND and Stanford the alum are constantly coming to the school and recruiting, or looking to mentor etc etc etc…I know for a fact that my niece and son will do the same once they graduate. Its a real family environment in these types of schools.</p>

7

<p>In my experience (state school), alumni networks can be useful for reaching out for say an informational interview, which could lead to more, but would most likely just lead to further information about their career path (which can be valuable), and not necesarily a job offer. </p>

<p>Personally, once I get into the workforce, I’d be glad to share information with students from my school if they reached out, but would be hesitant to vouch for them to get a job/interview based only on the name of our school (i think that this is where Ivies separate themselves from the pack).</p>