Engaging Alumni Online

We had gone through our entire design process, and then Facebook and MySpace explode," says Joe Long, director of alumni relations for Plymouth State. "It didn't change what we were building," says Long, referring to the popularity of social networking sites, "but it made us change our expectations for the product. It gave us a good chance to narrow who we wanted to be engaged with and how we would provide it for them. What is our competition out there? How has it changed?"

Good questions-and ones that are being asked by alumni affairs administrators everywhere. How can alumni offices stay on top of technology offerings without getting too trendy? How can administrators know what online tools next year's students (and therefore soon-to-be alumni) will want?

These questions are popping up fast with the rise of Web 2.0, the second burst of innovation and adoption in the online world. Knowing how to answer them will place administrators in greater positions of power.

"This is really the second big online wave for schools, the first being putting up online alumni directories," says Fred Waugh, director of marketing for Convio, the internet software and services company that serves institutions of higher education and nonprofits. It's time for IHEs "to revisit their strategy and decide what they need to be over the next five years," says Waugh.

Seamless web portals, targeted e-marketing, and partnerships with professional networking sites are just some of the options available to alumni relations offices looking to connect with graduates. Here's how a few institutions, as well as technology vendors knee-deep in product development, are utilizing today's online tools.

How To Change Jobs Fast

When I was unemployed, I treated my job interviews as my job. I would spend 4-5 hours a day, from 8:00am until 12:00pm applying for jobs using the internet. Firstly, I would pick the best one or two jobs and write a detailed response to the position, matching skills. I ended up with about 5 variations of my resume, to suit different roles. So my goal was to apply for 6 jobs a day. I would apply for more by just emailing a standard resume to the rest. For the top job, I would follow up with a phone call to the agent or the employer.

I said to my friend, what I wouldn't do is send a resume off and wait 2-3 weeks to see the response. Because in that 10 week period I would have ended up applying for 3 jobs! Seriously, it is a numbers game! (He told me that is exactly what he was doing.)

I also tell people that "I make my money in the job interview". You have to get this. A slightly better job interview might get you an extra few dollars an hour. This can mean thousands of dollars a year to you. In my career as a computer contractor, I have done hundreds if not thousands of job interviews. For me, as an expert job applicant I am pleased with a one-in-three strike rate in job interviews.

In summary, if you want to change jobs fast then apply for at least 2-3 jobs a day. Take the weekends off. Make sure that you ask employers "could you please name one thing that I can improve on my resume?". Follow up with a phone call 1-2 days after you email it. Finally, if you have a lot of self confidence and you get a rejection (like "sorry I had two good applicants and you missed out") then ask for a referral. "Do you know anyone else who is hiring?" If you are not self confident then perhaps give this point a miss.

Who Uses Online Learning?

You might wonder if you're an anomaly when it comes to choosing online education and training to further your skills, earn a degree, get some continuing professional education, or simply learn something new. In fact, you're part of a growing trend among learners who are turning to the internet to for all of these things.

Both men and women use online education and training and they come from all age groups, but especially older adults, according to a study done by Les Burr, deputy director of student services at Charles Sturt University (CSU), a university in New South Wales, Australia.

Burr found that as people age, they tend to use the internet more as a source of education. People in the over 50 age group participated more than others, while women were more apt to participate in online discussion groups, regardless of whether they live in an urban or rural environment. The under-20 set is heavily engaged in full-time education now and the trend is growing.

International Data Corporation reports that enrollments in online courses are growing at 33 percent a year and will continue to climb. Another study by the same company indicates that corporate America is turning to elearning evermore as a major source of education and training.

So you're not alone - in fact you're part of a growing family of learners world wide that see elearning as a viable, attractive way to get the education they need.



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