TEXT 5.1. SCHMOOZE AND YOU WON'T LOOSE

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 326.

If you have graduated or are just about to, you probably have more exciting plans on your mind than getting in touch with your university's alumni department. Moving to a new city, perhaps, or having a life again after all those exams, or the prospect of finally having some cash in your pocket for the first time in years.

But contacting the alumni department could be the smartest move you make. Whether you're looking for your first job, wanting to set up work experience or even live abroad for a while, you're almost certain to find a former student who can help - or recommend someone who can.

"Overall, alumni are a great source of support for anyone's career progression," says Amanda Wood, a careers consultant at the University of Manchester. "It's easy to turn your back when you graduate but we are really keen that students stay in touch because there are so many resources available." Like other institutions, Manchester has an active career mentoring scheme in which former students come back to pass on their wisdom and help students work out if a particular path is for them. David Buckley, for example, a managing director at Goldman Sachs and a Manchester graduate, has been involved in the programme for several years. "He has mentored students from across the globe, some of whom have gone on to work for Goldman Sachs," says Wood. "It's given them an excellent insight into a career in finance."

But if you've already left the building it's not too late. Nick Blinco, director of development and alumni relations at the University of Birmingham, says that universities have got much better at making the most of their alumni. "In the past, alumni networks were under-used," he says. "But we're learning from the US where things are more cutting edge and we're now offering a huge range of services." Rather than the old-fashioned, one-way relationship of the past, when former students were only contacted with newsletters about "all the great things your uni' is doing", he says, institutions are now promoting a two-way relationship in which alumni are encouraged to get involved. "This has benefits in lots of ways, from student recruitment and work placements to better links with industry," he says.

Birmingham, for example, has regular events including talks by former students about how their degree might have helped or hindered, networking evenings based around different sectors such as law, media or finance, and social events such as reunions. At Manchester, there's an online network which allows people to get in touch with former students.

"It's a bit like Friends Reunited," says Wood. "You can find people by subject area, year of graduation or individual name." And alumni networks can help in more surprising ways. The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), for example, offers an annual event for aspiring entrepreneurs. "It's a bit like Dragon's Den" says John-Paul Nunes, deputy head of alumni relations at the LSE. "People can get together and exchange ideas. It might be that your peel's have a lot of good suggestions to help you make your idea a reality."

Who knows, your alumni network may even be able to help you start life in a new country. The LSE, for example, has students from more than 200 countries and active alumni network in more than 80 including large swathes of Latin America, Asia, Europe and the US. "Say you wanted to move to Singapore," says Nunes. "There'll be a whole group of people willing to offer you help and support, and they may even work in your chosen field."

The important thing says Blinco, is to make use of the huge resource your alumni network offers. "I would encourage people to consider alumni as a large extended family," he says. "There is a sense of shared interests and a desire to see fellow alumni succeed." Wood agrees. "A lot of the alumni want to give something back and the universities are making it easier for them to do so," she says. "It's a good resource if the students are proactive enough to continue the relationship."

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