4 Ways in which a University or a Prospective Student Benefits from Alumni!

Whether you are a prospective student, vying for a place in a reputable university or a university recruitment team, trying to find the right candidates for their next batch, a good place to find help is the alumni! The alumni of a university are vital resources that one can use to their advantage and in this article, we will outline 4 Ways in which a University or a Prospective Student Benefits from Alumni! 

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1. Brand Ambassadors

 

A lot can be perceived about a university through its alumni. Take for example:

• Jeff Bezos, founder, and CEO of Amazon.com is a Princeton graduate. 
• Mark Zuckerberg, founder, and CEO of Facebook is a Harvard University degree holder. 
• Indra Nooyi, CEO of Pepsico, is a Yale graduate. 
• Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, completed his Masters of Science from the University of Southern California.
• James Cameron, director of Titanic and Avatar, was a graduate of Fullerton College.

And so on and so forth! Such accomplished graduates will indefinitely be useful for any university from which they graduated and for future students of that university since they indirectly become the brand ambassadors. Notes or articles from them in the university newsletters or appearances at the university’s events, seminars, workshops, etc. will only enhance the goodwill of a university and current or prospective students feel a sense of pride as well as motivation to be a part of an institution that has such distinguished output. 

 

2. Search Jobs

 

Yes, you heard right! Sometimes being part of a specific alumni network can leverage one’s career. If you are a prospective student, knowing how powerful an alumni network can help decide future prospects way beyond college education. Of course, a graduate will update their resumes on many job search engines but isn’t it a little easier to find jobs on a platform that has alumni from one’s alma mater. The help of a powerful alumni network can help in alumni referring jobs your way or give in a good word to a company that is interested in hiring you. Better still, alumni can help pave your way to a company that they are working in! There are many powerful alumni communities, for example, Alumni Alliances, which helps a student or a graduate to not only search for jobs but also network, or organize fun events adds that something extra to earn that degree. They also help young entrepreneurs to find angel investors for business concepts or startup ideas.

Stay connected to Alumni
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3. Mentorship

 

While doing internships will strengthen your resume, gaining skills and knowledge from a mentor who is part of the same industry will also add credibility. You can gain mentorship from the alumni who have garnered recognition for their work and this will help a recruiter to further analyze your capabilities. But a resume decoration is not the only benefit a mentor provides, especially one that is an alumnus. A mentor can boost your knowledge and skills further, be a sounding board, help in extensive career advice, and provide fresh perspectives to problems faced by a young student. 

 

4. Find an Investor

 

There are better ways to find an investor to fund that upcoming wing or upgrade the equipment or technology in the university than running after banks and other financing institutions. A university can approach their alumni who might be interested in donating funds for the cause or raise portions of it with other alumni. Since a university would have thousands of alumni, a better way to keep updated information regarding alumni and reaching out to them is by setting up a portal. If a university has a portal like Alumni Alliances set up for their university, they could reach out to as many alumni as possible immediately and in fact with the ease of publishing a single post to generate awareness.

We always look forward to more opportunities. But this time it is profitable to LOOK BACK! Alumni are beneficial to both universities as well as current and prospective students. While these prodigies make a mark in their industry, they indirectly add value to their alma mater and other students who passionately aspire to walk the same path. Bottom line? Always stay connected to alumni!

If you like this article, please let know your thoughts via the comments section and stay tuned to Alumni Insider for more insightful articles like this.

References:
1. Featured Image – Adrian Dascal
2. Image – Suad Kamardeen
3. Image – Allie Smith