Alumni networks are a great way to establish professional connections, find career guidance, gain insights into the job market, learn from experienced individuals and receive exclusive assistance from your school. Many alumni do not realize that they have access to an alumni network once they graduate, and even fewer students use these programs effectively.
The majority of schools — including Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) — have an alumni program that offers support services. Whether you’ve just graduated and are looking for a job, or you’ve been out of school for years, it’s never too late to tap into this valuable resource.
Here are 5 ways that you can use your alumni network to get ahead of the game.
1. Establish a Professional Network
Alumni networks are filled with graduates of different ages and many job disciplines. Alumni associations are designed to keep all of their graduates in touch and available to connect. Some schools, like UMA, may even have an online alumni-exclusive networking platform built for helping you make and keep these connections. This is a great tool for honing your networking skills.
2. Access to Specialized Career Services
Institutions like UMA are constantly working to provide their students with help when it comes to landing jobs. For this reason, alumni associations often offer career counseling. Whether you’re looking for assistance creating your resume or you’re ready to attend as many interviews as possible, you should check with your school’s alumni association to see how they can help you advance your career.
3. Alumni-Exclusive Publications
Many alumni associations distribute newsletters and other types of publications regularly. Often they contain career and life tips, possible job opportunities, updates from alumni and more. They may also include refresher courses and other learning tools you can access as a graduate. Keep an eye out for your alumni association’s publication so that you can get use out of these valuable tools.
4. Find a Mentor
Having a mentor can often benefit you greatly. Not only do mentors have their finger on the pulse of the field, but they’ve also been in your position and gone through similar struggles. Alumni networks are filled with professionals who have walked the same path as you. It’s highly likely someone in your alumni network is interested in sharing their experience with you. All you have to do is reach out to them.
5. Access to Exclusive Job Opportunities
Many times, you can leverage your school’s network to find job opportunities that you might not have known about otherwise. At UMA, for example, we form employer partnerships with employers across the country to find opportunities for UMA alumni. When graduates work with their Career Services advisors, they receive access to these positions.
Alumni associations are great resources for students that are often underutilized. Check with your school today to see how you could benefit from yours!