Alumni Contact Procedures
Maximize Your Networking Results

DukeConnect is to be used exclusively for individual career exploration and networking.

The alumni listed in DukeConnect have volunteered to be a career resource to Duke students and alumni. Because networking is about building ongoing relationships, it is important to make the best first impression possible. To help you do that, read the guidelines below to ensure that you are ready to contact alumni and have a conversation about your individual career interests and/or goals.

1. Do Initial Homework Before Contacting Alumni:

Alumni you contact are busy professionals. Informational interviewing or networking with alumni and others should always follow your own research on career fields. Prior research will help you to ask pertinent questions and express yourself in an articulate manner. Help is also available from the Career Center. Find valuable resources on the Career Center web site including drop-in advising while classes are in session. Initial homework may include all of some of the following:

• Meeting with your career counselor
• Visiting the Career Resource Room during drop-in advising to review print materials
• Using the Career Center website (WetFeet insider guides, Vault Career Library, Industry Insights)
• Attend Career Center workshops,career-specific programs, and employer information sessions
  

2. Know Your Purpose:

Consider your reasons for contacting the alum and the type of assistance you are seeking:

• Career information and insight into how this field might match your interests and skills
  Advice on the skills sets, experiences and/or academic requirements necessary to break in and be successful in a field
  Industry and/or employer information and suggestions for further research
  Recommendations and feedback on your search strategies for an internship, summer job, or full-time/entry position
  Advice on graduate/professional school
  
• Referrals to others in your field of interest

DO NOT contact alumni to “ask for a job or internship”, this is not the purpose of DukeConnect!

3. Contact Alumni According To Their Preferred Contact Method:

Contact the alum via email, phone or letter, as specified in their profile. If no preference is stated, begin with the method that is most comfortable for you. An introductory email followed by a scheduled telephone appointment, works best in most cases. Remember that you are limited to contacting 10 alumni per month.

• Scheduling a Telephone Appointment or Personal Meeting

It is likely that you will be able to gather valuable career advice solely through email correspondence. Depending on the availability and willingness of the alum, you may also want to schedule a telephone appointment or personal meeting at the workplace to allow for more in-depth questions and conversation. If an appointment is scheduled, it is a good idea to always follow-up with an email to confirm the date and time.

• When Calling Alumni, Be Courteous and Professional at All Times:

• Introduce yourself as a Duke student/alumnus contacting him/her in the hope that he/she can be a career resource to you.
• Let the alum know that you obtained his/her name from DukeConnect.
• Your introduction should include your career interests and/or major and the assistance you are seeking.
  
• Anticipate that the alum may be busy or unable to speak with you at the time of inquiry. Always ask if the alum has a few minutes to speak with you or if he/she would prefer to arrange a more convenient time. Be brief and courteous!
  
• If you reach a secretary first, identify yourself as a Duke student or alum and ask to leave a voice mail message. You can also inquire as to the best time to reach the alum or try first thing in the morning, before the busy day begins.

Although alumni have volunteered to be a career resource, you will have to ascertain their current willingness and availability to assist you. Their job status may have changed or the demands of their position may prevent a timely response. If you do not connect with the alum after a reasonable period of time (a week), try again via the same or an alternate contact method. Contact alumnicareer@daa.duke.edu with outdated or new alumni data. It is likely that you may encounter alums who no longer wish to serve as a resource or who may need to be refreshed about the program.