How to Locate Alumni
Your university opens a network of professionals to you through its alumni network. Many students and graduates tap into the alumni network for informational interviews and to learn more about open positions in the field they're interested in. To locate alumni, you may consider compiling a list of outlets to reach out to them, then narrowing your search to specific individuals by identifying them by name, location or company.
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Things You'll Need
- Contact information of your college's alumni association center
- Keywords (industry, name, location, company)
- List of social media sites
- Contact information of community center
- List of professional organizations in your field
Instructions
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Identify why you want to contact an alumnus and how specific you want your search to be. There are different approaches in locating alumni, depending on your purpose. You may be looking for an alumnus because you want to get more information about a particular industry or job, or to invite them to speak at an event you're hosting. Having a purpose means searching in a more focused way by identifying keywords related to the industry, job or position of the alumnus you need.
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Go to your college's alumni association and ask for resources in locating alumni. Let the alumni association center at your college know that you are looking for an alumna in a specific industry. The resources that the alumni association provides vary. Ask what type of databases the alumni association has, where you can search for the name of the alumna, her location or the name of the company where she works. Some alumni associations have correspondence services that allow you to contact an alumna by mail or email.
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Tap into online social networks such as LinkedIn or Facebook. Your college may have a group listing on each of these social media sites, and you can contact an alumnus by sending him a private message. Go to LinkedIn.com or Facebook.com and use the keywords you compiled to search for the alumnus you are looking for. If you are not looking for a specific person, you may type your college's name, and a listing of individuals in that group will show up. Some alumni groups may be private, so you may need to speak with your university's online group manager to gain access to your alumni group.
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Look for an alumni group in your local area by contacting your city's community center or chamber of commerce. Many colleges, especially those with large alumni networks, may have a local alumni chapter near you. These alumni groups meet regularly and have a wide variety of activities, from sporting events to volunteer activities. Local community centers may have a directory of groups that exist within the local community, or they may have postings on their community boards.
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Join professional organizations. Many individuals committed to their work are part of professional organizations. You may obtain membership to a professional organization within the industry you are interested in. Many professional organizations have directories where you can search for individuals. Once you are a member of the professional organization, you may use this database and use your school's name to bring up a listing of alumni.
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Tips & Warnings
LinkedIn and Facebook may also list international alumni groups, which is helpful if you want to locate alumni who live abroad.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit pencil on notes image by Kovac from Fotolia.com
