A degree only takes a couple of years to finish, but being an alumni is for life.
Alumni communities are a huge benefit to graduates (especially recent ones), but many students neglect to take advantage of the networking and career development opportunities that they provide.
Alumni departments will:
- support the professional development of graduates
- celebrate and promote their achievements
- provide networking opportunities
- advertise job opportunities
- offer discounts and sometimes, health services
- give invitations to events
- keep graduates updated on recent news from their institution
International students, in particular, stand to benefit from staying connected transnationally with their Australian institutions and former peers. They can network with both their local (Australian) chapter and the alumni chapter based in their home country.
How do I get involved?
Students don’t need to ‘register’ to become alumni, it happens automatically. But it’s up to them whether or not they engage with their departments and take advantage of the benefits the community can offer them as they begin their careers.
Engaging with a department is just a matter of making sure that your contact details are up to date after graduation and then subscribing to any e-newsletters, LinkedIn, Facebook or other social media channels. You can even do this before you graduate if you want to.
International students can also join the Australia Global Alumni network, which is specifically for students from overseas who have studied in Australia – of which there are over 2.5 million – that’s a lot of networking!
So, once you graduate, don’t just forget about your university. Stay connected and reap the benefits of your tertiary networking.
