[jsfg_cinti] Navigating the Alumni Network

Navigating the Alumni Network

Conventional job search wisdom tells us that between 60 and 80 percent of jobs 
are found through networking. The newly laid-off and those feeling less secure 
about their futures are out scouring the woodwork for old school chums, the 
next door neighbors? best friend, the fellow who lived above your girlfriend?s 
apartment five years ago and just about anyone else who appears able to help in 
the effort of generating job leads and advice. 

A new group of networking tools has appeared on the scene, giving job seekers a 
chance to reconnect with those whom they have worked with in the past and 
others with whom they never worked. These networking groups, known generically 
as corporate alumni associations, have sprung up almost without any effort and 
are growing at a rapid pace, thanks in large part to the ease of connection and 
communication afforded by the Internet. 

Formal company alumni associations have, in fact, been around for a long time ? 
seen first among the large accounting firms and the major consulting firms. 
These firms understood the tremendous value in keeping in touch with the alumni 
from the company as these people were often "going places" and would likely 
have the pull to hire the firm to do work for his or her new firm (McKinsey 
labels there alumni group as "one of the world's most dynamic professional 
networks." Since most of these firms practiced an "up or out" policy, requiring 
associates to advance their careers to the next level of responsibility or move 
out of the firm, they saw a tremendous amount of turnover that did them little 
good ? in essence, they lost their investment in these individuals, hoping they 
would remember the firm when the time came, but that could be several years 
down the road. Thus was born the company alumni association, managed by the 
firm, with cocktail parties and alumni directories and even help
 in finding new jobs. In the recent employment markets, firms also used these 
groups as a fertile ground for convincing "boomerangs" to return to the firm. 

The new wave of alumni associations, however, is getting very little support or 
even sanction from the former employer. These groups have sprung up on their 
own through Internet chat rooms, through employee discussion sites such as The 
Vault, through discussion boards about the company?s stock on Raging Bull and 
Motley Fool, and through unemployed former employees sitting around in a 
Starbucks trying to build up their networks. Some of the groups are extremely 
happy about their experiences at the firm, some are looking for someone to 
gripe to, others are reflecting on a company that doesn't even exist anymore. 
Some of them try to meet in real time, face-to-face; most simply act as a 
repository for names, current jobs, stories and a little discussion. The 
methods vary, but the real value of the network ? for employment and business 
development ? is immense. 

How can a job seeker take advantage of a company alumni group? 

Here are several approaches that can help a job hunter take advantage of the 
tremendous networking opportunities available through alumni groups: 

Find an alumni group from your former employer. Check Corporate Alumni 
(www.corporatealumni.com) or Yahoo! Groups to see if one exists and then join 
it. Also see if you can find a group through Google. Ask you human resources 
group if there is an official or unofficial alumni group. 

Start connecting on a personal level first, not a job hunting level. The 
initial instinct is to spam the list with "I?m looking for a job" messages. 
Stop before you alienate the whole group. First, find people you know (and 
hopefully like) and connect. Drop some emails back and forth about what is 
going on in your lives and in the lives of others you used to work with. These 
people will figure out pretty quickly you need a job and once you have 
reestablished your connection, you can ask for leads and contacts. 

Understand the dynamics of the group before contacting strangers. Talk to your 
friends and get a feel for how people interact. Is open networking tolerated, 
encouraged? Is everyone else in the group also looking for a job? Is connection 
better by email or phone? Is there an open discussion area where job leads or 
resumes are posted? 

Connect by asking for advice. If the group allows direct connection to other 
alumni, find those whom you genuinely want to talk to and call or email. As in 
any other networking, don't go in asking for a job. Ask instead for advice. 
Target those who can give you insight into companies you are interested in or 
who work in your field/industry/geography and can help you in your job search 
in some way. People generally love to feel they are important enough to give 
their insight into a certain situation and just about everyone has strong 
opinions and advice they can offer. 

Ask lots of questions, but not lots of favors. Don't put people you barely know 
on the spot, but do ask them all you can about the things you need to know. 

Only ask for a meeting if you really think it will be worth it. A meeting is an 
incredible demand on someone?s time. A phone conversation is a much easier 
investment to make in someone you barely know. You don?t want to gain the 
reputation of someone who asks for meetings on the thinnest of rationale. 

Get involved with running the group. Most alumni groups are volunteer (often 
unemployed) run. Volunteer to the organizer to help set up a reunion, put 
together a group promotional piece, update the web site --- especially 
something related to your job skills so you get a chance to show off. By being 
an insider, you can gain greater access to the network and introductions to 
those who can make a difference. 

Promote the group to others. Track down your old coworkers and encourage them 
to join up. You have an excuse to find them and talk, and you gain points if 
they find the group useful. 

If you don't find a group, start one. With the Internet, creating a group is 
fairly easy. Groups of former Enron employees sprung up almost within the day 
of the first layoffs. It's easy to find people and to publicize your group. You 
will gain exposure, you will get to know who is who outside the company and 
everyone in the network will end up knowing you as the organizer. There may not 
be a better way to spend time among the unemployed as helping other people who 
are in the same boat as you. 

School ties may be the strongest (outside of familial ones), but company ties 
can be pretty robust. The unemployed should take advantage of the company 
connections as a way to enhance both their job hunt and the skills they 
maintain as they search for their next opportunity. Alumni groups give job 
seekers the chance to do both in a fairly encouraging environment. 

Joe Goss 
Kidder Solutions 
josephgoss@xxxxxxx

 

 

 



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