Four Tips on Creating a Stellar Networking Strategy this Holiday Season
Gerri Randlett, Assistant Vice President of Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving
With over 43,000 alumni (half of whom are graduate alumni) in over 125 countries it would be impossible for a Babson student not to find the “right” people to network with. And as you head into the winter break there is no better time than now to work closely with Grad CCD on cultivating an alumni target list. If approached in the right manner, you’ll find that many alumni give their time generously to assist with career planning and informational purposes. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to reflect, plan, and act this holiday season!
Thanks to Gerri Randlett, Assistant Vice President for Alumni Engagement & Annual Engagement, for providing helpful context to inform these four tips to help you jumpstart your holiday networking strategy:
Tip 1: Get Involved. (LA) Gerri, what are some ways in which current Babson students can engage with our Alumni network? There are many ways for Babson students to engage with our global alumni network. We welcome students to participate in events hosted by our 60+ regional alumni clubs and 50+ shared interest/affinity groups as well as in our signature programs (e.g. Babson Connect: Worldwide, Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs, Back to Babson). Events are diverse –in person and virtual, content-focused and social (e.g. Happy Hours and game watches), and feature fellow Babson community members as well as industry experts and world-renowned thought leaders as speakers. All provide ample opportunities to network. We also encourage students to reach out to our alumni club leaders and affinity volunteers to learn more about specific club and group activities and to make additional connections.
Tip 2: Be Resourceful. (LA) What pieces of advice can you give current graduate students about best ways to get in touch with alumni for career-related purposes? If you’re looking to get career advice from alumni, we’d encourage you to utilize the Alumni Directory. When reaching out, be sure to reference ‘Babson Alumni Directory’ in the subject line. When connecting with alumni, be sure to ask them for additional suggestions for networking contacts and when reaching out to these individuals, be sure to mention the referral source in your subject line. The Babson College Community LinkedIn Group is another great resource for connecting with alumni about career advice. Be sure to customize your message when reaching out! If all else fails, come see us and we can help you to make intros!
Tip 3: Know your Audience & Meet them Where they are. (LA) Are there upcoming Alumni and Friends events that students should have on their radar? We welcome students to participate in in-person and virtual alumni programs. Some events to put on your radar screen are: Babson Connect: Worldwide which this year will be held in Miami, FL on February 3 – 5, 2022, our BrandBites CEO Thought Leadership Series, and of course, Back to Babson 2022 (September 30 – October 2), our annual alumni weekend featuring reunion and homecoming. You can check out upcoming events here.
Tip 4: Define Shared Goals (align you and your audience’s goals). (LA) What are some ways in which you hear alumni describe their Babson experience that can be leveraged by current job seeking students? We hear alumni describe their Babson experience in so many positive ways –their Babson MBA helped them move up the corporate ladder, their entrepreneurship coursework and accelerator resources provided by the Centers helped them to launch or grow their business ventures, alumni contacts helped open doors for new career opportunities and venture funding and so much more!
From all of us at Grad CCD, happy networking and happy holidays! We look forward to continuing our work together in the new year.