National Organizations Alumni Resources and Networking
 

This thread asks you what kind of data base your organization maintains in terms of Alumni and their current employment information.

Is there one?

Is it easy to use?

Has anyone had any success using it as a process, not just a random encounter?


(And my apologies to ktsnake. I had posted a thread like this before and a few days later he posted an identical one, almost the same title and wording. So when I tried to merge them together I deleted them by mistake.)

You know . . . I always wondered about this because we use our alum as such selling points.

If you join Kappa Sigma the networking potential is vast! 176,000 LIVING alum . . . but its all relative. If we don't have organized data bases its useful only by coincidence.

Our new Advertising slogan should be:

If you join XYZ you have a 1,000,000 more chances of running into someone that belonged to the same organization. LOL

Bump?

James -

Rather than an online database, we publish an alum directory every 5 years or so. It cross references by area and profession, so I suppose if you were going to a new city and wanted to be in, say architecture, you could look someone up. However it doesn't have a little disclaimer telling you how that particular alum feels about the sorority at that point in time LOL.

We still have a lot of teachers, even though we're not a "teachers' sorority" anymore, and I think people have been helped in that area more with direct contact from members of their chapter.

There is an alum directory for us as well. Not sure if it's published or what it includes. I have seen the alum list (I have a copy of the 2000 one somewhere around here). Our HQ does track that data. Not sure about what exactly they keep track of. Would be a great tool!

If someone is really interested in networking with other alums join your area alumni chapters/clubs -- if none exist ask your HQ about getting one going. For us it requires 10 members to charter.

Bump

We have an alum directory published every few years. It lists each alum by name, chapter, where they're living, and what their job is. It also gives contact information. It sounds very similiar to ASA's directory from what 33girl described.

Question becomes: if you look up alum in your area in the same industry...how do you go about contacting them? obviously email, phone or in person-- but is it simple enough to say "hi, you don't know me but I'm also a member of XYZ..." and try and get them to help you?

I have. I contacted a brother who graduated from Yale and works for a consulting group and asked him a bunch of questions. You can't be that rude kid that just says "Hi can you get me a job"? I just went with a "Hi. My name is ___ and I'm an AEPi from UChicago. I received your name from ____ after asking if there are any brothers out there who might know more about this interest of mine. I was wondering if you'd be open to talking with me a bit about working at ____ and consulting in general". Coincidentally he asked for my resume and handed it in for me.

Our international office does have career resources as well as an alumni directory. Career resources includes alum contacts, mentors, and also a brother who runs a very large job search website. I know Pike has some sort of database too because my buddy got some contacts through that.

-Rudey

we have a list of all current alum that can be obtained from our excutive office. additionally on our members section of our national website there is an area where you can post alum questions or get networked with other people in your area. It works out pretty well--i know several sisters who have earned jobs and contacts that way.