Why are your students coming to study in your institution? What makes them stay and graduate? How do they become successful professionals? In the answers to these questions, we can find one common element: feeling like you are part of a community. And an alumni network can give you a sense of belonging. The people you meet, the relationships you build, the knowledge you learn from an alumni network is an incredibly useful tool for expanding your horizons.
 
Building an alumni network can have a great impact on your student engagement and retention rates. In a broader sense, it will help both your institution, your students and your alumni in all their endeavours. 

Let’s deep dive into the reasons why you should have an alumni network.

Career Boost

First of all, an alumni network is a great way to Increase your students’ employability. Indeed, alumni can offer career support to the current students. They can share advice, help them build their resume, prepare for interviews, find internships or job opportunities… The involvement of alumni in younger students’ professional career provides institutions with an invaluable competitive edge when it comes to graduate employability.  

Mutual Support

But institutions are not the only ones to benefit from an alumni community. Former and current students can also make the most of it. Engaged students over the course of their studies will want to give back to their institution that provided them with a quality education. 

On the other hand, schools and universities can:

• Obtain help from their graduates’ experience and skills;
• Turn their engaged alumni into their best ambassadors, championing its causes and promoting the institution to their connections and social networks

Financial Support

One of the ways institutions can benefit from alumni’s help is by encouraging them to make financial donations. The money raised will give opportunities to offer scholarships to students and equip the institution’s facilities to offer the most modern teaching and researching tools available. This will help drive innovation and pioneering.

Personal Development

The alumni community also offers many opportunities for the alumni themselves. The more activities they participate in, the better their odds of developing their skills, experience and knowledge of what makes them who they are. This can thus lead to a more satisfying career and professional journey.

Keeping the alumni informed and engaged ensures that they’ll be able to adjust to the changing market and still represent their institution in the best light possible.

You want to develop your own alumni community? Learn more about it in our latest guide “5 Ways To Engage An Alumni Network”.