If you’re frustrated searching job boards, sending resumes into black holes and not getting responses from prospective employees, a strategy I call “The Alumni Networking Solution” will help you.
Research from Jobvite found that employees hired through referral are hired 55% faster than those who come from a career site. I have personally used The Alumni Networking Solution to find leads and get interviews that lead to job offers.
What Exactly Is The Alumni Networking Solution?
The Alumni Networking Solution is a five-step networking tool designed to introduce yourself to college alumni and develop relationships that lead to referrals. This means actually getting to know the person and asking for his or her advice, instead of just asking for a job like everyone else.
I used these five simple steps (about 10 minutes per connection) to find a job in the worst job market in the last 80 years. This is one of my favorite networking tips for college students!
Below are just two of the many responses I received from my original LinkedIn message:
How The Alumni Networking Solution Works
Step 1: Update your career materials
Make sure you have your resume and LinkedIn profile updated. Those are the two major career materials alumni are going to want to see before they agree help you. The top three issues you want to avoid are:
- An unprofessional LinkedIn profile picture. This will hurt your chances of having people even view your profile.
- Having the usual generic headline. Every college grad has “Recent Major Looking For Entry-Level Position.”
- A resume that has typos. Typos make you look sloppy and unpolished.
For more tips on optimizing your LinkedIn profile for a job search, see here.
Step 2: Join your school’s alumni group on LinkedIn
Alumni are always willing to lend a helping hand because you have a lot in common: you stayed in the same dorms, had the same professors and drank at the same local bar. Most importantly, they remember how hard it was to get their career started.
Here’s how to find and join your group:
- Change the search setting found in the upper right-hand corner of your LinkedIn home page to “Groups.”
- Enter the name of the college you attended, and your alumni group should show up in the search results.
- Select the group.
- Click “Join Group.”
An email confirmation will be sent to you verifying your membership to the group. Once you receive that message, you’ll be ready to network!
Step 3: Create an introduction letter
An engaging cover letter is your first—and perhaps only—impression! For consistency and simplicity, consider customizing the message below:
Subject: Hello! A quick question from fellow alumni
Dear ____,
I graduated from [school] in with a degree in _____. I see that you work in [industry] and was wondering if you would be willing chat on the phone, at your convenience of course.
As I am seeking an entry-level opportunity at a dynamic organization, I would love to hear more about what you do and any insights or advice you might have on breaking into the industry.
Your help would be extremely appreciated!
Thank you in advance for your time,
Name
Cell Number
It’s important to note that the purpose of this letter is NOT to ask for a job. “Hi! It’s nice to meet you. Want to hire me?” is not effective networking. Be discrete. Be patient!
Step 4: Send!
After carefully customizing, send you pitch email to members in your alumni group who are working in an industry of interest to you:
- In the LinkedIn alumni group, click the “Members” tab.
- Find alumni who work in the industry in which you want to get a job, as well as alumni in the city where you would like to work.
- When you find a good fit, send!
It’s important to be flexible and consider reaching out to alumni who work for companies you would like to work at. Even if they don’t work in the same field you’re looking to get into, they will probably know someone at the company they can introduce you to.
Step 5: Set up informational interviews
As replies begin to roll in, set up phone meetings, Skype calls and face-to-face meetings. These informational interviews will enable you to connect with alumni—and allow you to demonstrate your passion to an influencer in your industry of choice. Remember to listen carefully and take notes for future reference.
Through the relationships you develop, you should soon start receiving leads for open positions—many of which aren’t even advertised!
Remember that networking is NOT asking someone for a job. Networking is about building a professional network that could lead to referrals.
Now, I’d Like You to Do 3 Simple Things…
1. Use the LinkedIn Alumni Solution and send 5-10 customized LinkedIn messages to your school’s alumni. I guarantee you at least 2-3 people will respond who are willing to help you with your job search.
2. Leave any questions below in the comments section. I’m sure other people will benefit from the answers.
3. Share this with any friends/young professionals you know who are struggling to find a job or internship. It will take you less than a minute and could really make a difference in their career success.
As the CEO and Founder of Start Networking Today, John Muscarello focuses on helping ambitious 20- and 30-year-olds find jobs and advance their careers through networking. He created “The Alumni Networking Solution” because he remembers how frustrating job searching was when he was looking for his first job.
John was named one of the Top 100 Twitter Accounts Job Seekers Must Follow, and his website was named one of the Top 50 Blogs For Young Careerists. For more, visit Start Networking Today or follow John on Twitter @Jmmuscarello.
Image: Flickr
