On January 15, registrations begin on Parcoursup, a major issue for high school students and a source of concern for parents. It’s difficult, in fact, to be sure of one’s direction when higher education offers more than… 23,000 courses. Alumni, networks of former students of major schools, should not be neglected in training choices, since they can facilitate entry into professional life.
Today, it only takes one click to connect with another graduate of your school and start an exchange with them. Faced with competition from professional social networks like LinkedIn, which tend to make the good old paper alumni directory outdated, the alumni networks of major schools are seeking to reinvent themselves. Even if contact remains, of course, their primary vocation. “Going through our preferred channels generates much better response rates than using these famous applications,” says Marguerite Gallant, general director of HEC Alumni. The goal of his teams? Encourage interactions as much as possible to sustain a community of 80,000 members through, in particular, the multiplication of specialized clubs, grouped by professional branches, centers of interest, but also regions or countries.
Certain themes have sparked renewed interest in recent years. In 2021, the HEC Transition club was born, specializing in ecological transition, which today brings together more than 3,000 members. “Very transversal, it has the advantage of involving several sectors of activity, but also of putting our students in contact with our older graduates,” explains Marguerite Gallant.
Optimize the network
The publication of newsletters, magazines and also the organization of conferences also help to maintain links. “The HEC Mornings, organized since 1984, are very popular meetings. They allow you to meet big bosses and, sometimes, politicians,” continues Marguerite Gallant. Over the past eighteen months, as part of the “digital hub” [NDLR : entité qui regroupe plusieurs clubs liés à l’univers numérique]a series of events has also been organized around artificial intelligence, a booming sector. Four years ago, HEC Alumni was also the first to offer an investment fund called HEC Ventures. The idea? Encourage alumni to financially support start-ups created by other graduates. Enough, again, to optimize the network.
All the tools related to career support and job search also remain safe values. But, here again, the whole challenge for alumni networks consists of rejuvenating their target. “For three years, we have been offering our young graduates dedicated webinars or workshops to help them launch into working life,” says Marie-Pierre Schickel, general director of Essec Alumni. The internationalization of studies also pushes schools to place more emphasis on clubs abroad. “Our 92 chapters [branches]established throughout the world, make it possible to fight against isolation”, explains Marie-Pierre Schickel. One, based in Switzerland, notably offers a vade-mecum bringing together all the procedures necessary for settling in the country.
Despite these efforts, many associations struggle to keep their membership numbers afloat over the years. A major pitfall when we know that their activities are essentially financed by registration fees. Essec Alumni found a solution by introducing a “lifetime” contribution, paid in one go and no longer annually. The amount is not negligible since it amounts to 1,700 euros. “This represents less than 45 euros per year over forty years,” puts Marie-Pierre Schickel into perspective. Always with the aim of increasing its visibility among young people and adapting to their practices, its association has also invested in social networks such as Linkedin or Instagram. A good way to make competition an asset.
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