Making the Grade in Your Alumni Network

When Omurhu Onokpise visited Washington with a group from his business school about four years ago, he met many University of Michigan alumni. More than a year later, he ended up working for one of them.

The two had stayed in touch during the second year of his MBA program, which led to a job at a start-up in avionics engineering. Now that Onokpise finds himself seeking a job again, he is calling on other Michigan alumni at organized events and one-on-one conversations.

Tapping your alma mater and its alumni when job hunting can be a smart strategy -- especially if you cultivate connections and your reputation before you need them. Managed well, an alumni network can open doors and even bring jobs or funds your way. Done wrong, it can smack of presumptiveness or begging, said Lee Dudka, president of the Princeton Club of Washington and a pharmaceutical and technology consultant.

"You have to do something for someone every single day. That's how you maintain and keep expanding your network," said Dudka, who's finishing a book on networking.

What's important is not who you know, he said, but rather who knows you. Attend or volunteer at alumni dinners and networking events so that alumni and university brass get to know you. That builds your credibility and network at the same time, he said.

Don't forget about your university career center. It may offer free or discounted career management classes or coaching; others help alumni with skill building or career transitions seminars. You might be able to volunteer to help students or new graduates by conducting mock interviews or highlighting internships or other opportunities, said Jeannette Frett, director of Georgetown University's MBA Career Management. That could connect you with recruiters or help you practice your 30-second elevator pitch.

"You never know when an opportunity is going to present itself," Frett said.

Dudka tells of one alumnus who wanted to leave behind management consulting's long hours and frequent travel. So he identified 50 Princeton alumni with shared interests and expertise. He contacted all 50, asking for career advice and suggestions on his future. Over three years, he worked on his transition and stayed in touch with many of those advisers. When he decided to buy a business and run it, some became his initial investors.

When you meet with alumni, especially if they are in a demanding job, be knowledgeable about who they are and what they do, said Anne Jones of Georgetown University's Alumni Association. And always ask for another name. Then keep them in the loop on your progress, she recommends.

Dudka said he often sees recent graduates or other alumni who want to relocate to Washington making another mistake: They ask for a lot of information about prospective employers but don't give enough details on who they are, what their ideal job is or why they are worth helping.

The best path to making a good contact may be writing an introductory letter and asking to follow up in person or in a phone call. Dudka thinks more networking needs to happen in person: over coffee or dinner or at organized events. That promotes a conversation and starts developing relationships that can grow over time.

Onokpise saw that happen with the start-up he joined. He and the founder e-mailed back and forth a lot and discussed international development and other topics of mutual interest. Because of the economy, the job lasted barely a year, after which he worked at an executive search firm.

Today, his ideal job would be in economic or business development, helping small or mid-size firms grow internationally. He thinks the huge Michigan alumni network is helpful in answering e-mails and offering advice and insights. In recent weeks, they've introduced him to organizations in economic development and "areas where there may be more postings," he said.

He's confident he'll land a job -- maybe through or with another alumnus or maybe through a referral.