Don’t Get Spooked by �Alumni Networking!

Agenda

• How to find alumni
• How to reach out to them (email and LinkedIn templates)
• Dos and Don’ts
• Final Reminders

Office of Alumni Relations

The McDonough Alumni Relations team has relationships with alumni from across the school and the university.

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The team can connect you with ambassadors, club leaders, regional volunteers, etc.

Sara Martinez

• Director of Alumni Relations & Corporate Partnerships
• ss5006@georgetown.edu

McDonough Career Center

Career coaches have relationships with recruiters and alumni across industries.

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The Career Center model facilitates connections among employers, alumni, and students with the coach as the hub.

• Manage Career Days and assist with Career Treks.

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• Facilitate additional connection points between student groups and alumni - individuals on a case-by-case basis.

Georgetown McDonough LinkedIn

You can search the McDonough School of Business LinkedIn page for alumni by company, location, or other keywords.

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You can also search the Georgetown University LinkedIn page for an even broader source of alumni.

• LinkedIn likely has the most accurate job and location information for alumni.

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• Contact information may not be available on all profiles.
• Alumni may not read their LinkedIn messages very often.

Hoya Gateway

Hoya Gateway is the university’s branded networking platform, ideal for student-alumni and alumni-alumni connections.

• The alumni on the platform want to volunteer and engage with students.

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• Basis for FT MBA Mentor Program.

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• Recently relaunched with new initiatives and features.

Where else can you find alumni?

Events

Classroom �Guest Speakers

Introductions

Airports

Anywhere!

Volunteering

Email Template - Cold Call

Subject: Hello from Georgetown McDonough

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Hi [Name],

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I hope this finds you well. My name is [Name] and I am a [first/second/third year] [program] student at Georgetown McDonough. I found your name via [source] and was hoping to chat with you about A, B, and C, because [how their work aligns with your interests and experience] and [what you hope to learn from the conversation].

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Would it be possible to set up a quick 30 minute Zoom call in the near future? Please let me know if any of the below times work for you and I will send over a calendar invite.

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[Enter potential dates and times: Friday, September 30, 1-3 p.m. ET]

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Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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Hoya Saxa!

[Name]

Alternate Email Template - Cold Call

Subject: MBA Student at Georgetown McDonough – [Industry Abbreviation] Careers

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Dear Mr. / Ms. [Name],


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I’m currently a [Year Student] at [Business School Name], with previous experience in [Describe Background]. I’m currently seeking positions in [Industry Name], and I came across your name in HoyaConnect.

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I noticed that you have also worked in [Background Industry Name] and that you graduated from McDonough several years before me. I know you’re busy and place great value on your time, but if you had 15 minutes to speak with me about your group and [Industry Name] at your firm, I would greatly appreciate it.

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I am free between [Propose Specific Dates and Times].

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Please let me know if any of those times work for you and I’ll send over a calendar invite with details. Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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Best regards,

[Your Name]”

LinkedIn Template - Cold Call

Hi [name],

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I’m [name], and I noted that we have [school/degree/work history/interest] in common. I would like to connect to learn more about your work with [company] as I seek to pursue a future in [industry/function].

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If you’d be willing to chat, I’ll message you with some possible dates/times.

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Thank you! (or Hoya Saxa! for an alum)

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Email Template - Meeting Follow up

Subject: Hello from Georgetown McDonough

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Hi [Name],

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It was great to meet you [when] at [what]. I enjoyed our conversation about [topic]. As I am wrapping up my [relevant academic milestone], I was hoping to chat more with you about A, B, and C.

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Would it be possible to set up a quick 30 minute call over the next week? Please let me know if any of the below times work for you. I will send over a calendar invite.

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[Enter potential dates and times: Friday, September 30, 1-3 p.m.]

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Thank you for your time in advance. I look forward to hearing from you.

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Best,

[Name]

LinkedIn Template - Meeting Follow up

Hi [name],

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It was great speaking to you at the [Event] last [day]. [The work they are involved in] sounds fascinating and I’d love to stay connected to follow your career as I consider a career in [industry].

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Thank you for connecting!

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Email Template - Thank You

Subject: Thank You

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Hi [Name],

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Thank you for the [phone call/coffee chat/meeting].

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I enjoyed speaking with you and learning more about A, B, and C [the company, their role, anything else discussed]. I would love to further discuss X, Y, and Z and appreciate your willingness to connect me to [colleague/additional connection/classmate] to learn more about their career path.

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I really appreciate your time and help and look forward to further conversations.

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Best,

[Name]

Email Template - Ask

Subject: Hello from Georgetown McDonough

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Hi [Name],

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I hope this finds you well. My name is [Name] and I am a [first/second/third year] [program] student. I am involved with [student club] and we would like to have you speak to our students at [event name] on [date] at [time]. [Include more information about the event.]

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Thank you for your time in advance. I look forward to hearing from you.

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Best,

[Name]

Can’t AI write these for me?

• Yes, but…

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AI has a “voice” that can come across as sterile and robotic. If you use an AI tool as a draft, be sure to add some of your own content to make it more authentic to you.

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Remember you are the one building this relationship and you won’t have your AI assistant in your ear for the conversation.

The Dos of Outreach - Personal Networking

• Have a referral or introduction whenever possible.
• Leverage your network’s network.
• Request a meeting well ahead of time - ideally a week.
• Schedule meetings within Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• “24 hour rule” - always respond to an alumni within 24 hrs.
• When in doubt, ask a Career Coach or Peer Advisor for advice.

Don’t just take it from us…

The Dos of Outreach - Personal Networking

• Ask about their personal experience - build a genuine connection, don’t just ask for favors or help.
• Show appreciation of their time and help in your follow up email.
• Send a follow up thank you email within 24 hours.
• Practice with companies that are not in your Top 5.

Dos and Don’ts - Student Club Events

• Let us know if you’re working with or talking to alumni! This helps us keep track of which alumni are engaging, and where.
• Be prepared. Have a date, time, and description of the event ready for alumni. They are more likely to say yes if all details are shared up front.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are often more alumni who want to volunteer than we have space for them.
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The Don’ts of Outreach

• DON’T network for the sake of networking without a conversation agenda.
• DON’T reach out to higher-up people in your initial interactions.
• DON’T copy/paste and send the same email to different alumni.
• DON’T ask for information that you can find on Google or LinkedIn.
• DON’T be condescending or make assumptions about alumni.
• DON’T treat alumni as your buddies and write emojis in your emails.
• DON’T complain it’s hard to get a job and you desperately need their help.
• DON’T feel embarrassed because you feel you don’t know how to network.

Building Strategic Relationships

• Alumni can be offended by students giving the impression that they are being transactional.

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• Strive to create relationships first by being strategic with communication.
• Look for opportunities to be relational.
• Create multiple touchpoints.
• Add value to the relationship.
• And do all this without expecting anything (immediately) in return.

Final Tips

• Following up politely is okay.
• You're probably not nagging, and until you hear "no" you haven't been turned down.
• One lunch is worth a dozen emails.
• Social media activity leaves impressions.
• Because many people do not respond to every status update, Tweet, or shared article, it can be easy to think no one is reading. But, for better or for worse, they are.

Final Tips

• Avoid power moves that may irritate decision makers.
• Meet when and where it is convenient for them.
• Be on time.
• Do not give the impression that your time is more valuable than theirs.
• Listen and share interests and experiences.
• You do not have to be an extrovert or “life of the party” to be curious about another person’s experience.
• Building relationships is the key to understanding.
• Building relationships should be fun.
• When you see relationship building as a chore, you are more likely to go through the motions and be transactional.
• Be excited about the prospect of connecting with someone new.

Remember

Hoyas want to help fellow Hoyas!

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Resources

• MSB Alumni LinkedIn
• msb.georgetown.edu/alumni
• alumni.georgetown.edu
• How to Use Hoya Gateway (recording)

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McDonoughCareer@georgetown.edu MSBAlumni@georgetown.edu