Even though we’re right on the edge of the holiday season, my mind is already on summer and finding the perfect internship! I’ve discovered one fantastic way to search for a summer internship is to connect with your university’s alumni network. As a proud member of TARHEEL state, I can certainly boast that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has a strong, influential network in many career fields. Thanks to the technology, reaching out to your campus alumni has never been easier!
LinkedIn: The first rule of LinkedIn? Update, update, update! If you’re not aware, LinkedIn is an online platform to “link” you “in” with others from your professional network (such as universities, jobs, organizations). It should be used to display your best self, your most current achievements, as well as a record of your past accomplishments. Using the website’s online search tool, you can look up individuals who label your school as their alma mater. Heck, over 150,000 results came up when I searched “The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.” If you can connect with individuals whose career paths or experiences align with yours, you can use your alumni as a networking tool as you continue on your own career path.
Attend Professional Events: This is something I wish someone had told me when I was a first-year at Carolina. Yes, everyone is busy and tired. However, if you make the effort to attend career or other interesting events you will undoubtedly connect with past alumni and other professional individuals. Just remember: always take the time to dress appropriately for the event so you look your best!
Look in your own backyard: I cannot tell you how many of my professors actually attended my university. It’s amazing. There is no easier way to connect with alumni than to go to the classes you are shelling out thousands of dollars to attend. Seriously. Go to class; in fact, do more than go to class, make an effort to get to know your professors especially the ones that teach your major or minor courses. Not only are they (presumably) experts in the field, they also have a huge network of their own that could be vital to your own career.
Twitter, Facebook and all those other social media sites: I’m sure you’re well aware that you shouldn’t post anything that you wouldn’t want your future employer to see. I’m going to go ahead and add alumni to that category, especially the alumni that you won’t be partying with at Homecoming. So with that being said, use your social media sites to uplift your platform and not your party agenda. Or at the very least, have a professional version of yourself online. This way, when you search “UNC-Chapel Hill,” and everyone who ever went there comes up, you’ll be prepared to network on the network.
*Disclaimer: I don’t recommend adding random people on Facebook, but if you ask a mutual friend to introduce you via a “virtual handshake,” then that’s okay.