Preparing students for the workplace? Alumni could be the key

Students on the brink of graduation often have questions that academia can’t necessarily answer. Which career path should they pursue? Which industries are most attractive today? How can they build a professional network when they have little to no experience?

We can support students in addressing these concerns through career development services, but there is another, particularly valuable, resource: alumni, who once stood exactly where today’s students are.

They know the institution as students and understand what happens after graduation. They have gone through interviews, first jobs, career changes, promotions, entrepreneurial ventures and periods of uncertainty. Some now work in organisations looking for new talent; others lead teams or develop their own projects.

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The challenge, then, is to find ways of turning this accumulated experience into part of students’ learning, while also keeping the relationship between alumni and the university alive. This exchange also reflects shared values: a particular understanding of education, work and commitment to others. These values are built during their academic career and endure over time.

This idea has guided our work in the alumni and career development office: viewing the alumni community not only as recipients of institutional initiatives but also as part of an ecosystem that connects students, professionals and organisations.

From uncertainty to conversation

One area where this works well is professional mentoring.

Students approaching graduation are not necessarily looking for someone to help them secure a job. More often, they need an honest conversation with someone who can help broaden their perspective.

Speaking with someone who has followed a similar path enables them to ask new questions and clarify doubts: what a first job search was like, which decisions shaped a career, what mistakes were made or how a particular idea or opportunity emerged.

Over time, alumni gain a different perspective on their own education. Their professional experience allows them to recognise the value of preparation that combines technical knowledge with skills such as assertive communication, teamwork, adaptability and decision-making. Sharing that perspective can help students make the most of their university years and everything they can build during that period.

Our Professional Mentoring Programme began only a few years ago and experienced significant growth in 2026. What changed? Rather than matching mentor-mentee pairs centrally, with support from each academic unit, we allowed students to choose their own mentors. 

To make this possible, we developed an application together with the Faculty of Engineering that displays a photograph and short biography of each alumnus or alumna applying to become a mentor. Students can learn about potential mentors and select the person whose experience, career path or profile best aligns with their interests. We saw a tangible result from this new approach: 80 per cent more mentoring pairs were formed than in the previous year.

I want to be clear here: mentors do not replace career advisers, nor do they guarantee employment opportunities. The value they provide lies in the stories they share and the insights they offer, helping students make informed decisions about their own paths.

Networking: learning to build professional relationships

Another area where alumni can have an impact is networking. For those who are just beginning their professional lives, approaching someone they do not know, introducing themselves or continuing a conversation after an event can be challenging. Creating networking opportunities also means preparing students to make the most of them.

Students learning how to improve their professional profile, CV, LinkedIn presence or personal introduction isn’t enough. They also need to understand that a professional network is built through relationships that grow over time. Alumni can provide an initial gateway into these professional communities. A conversation with someone working in a particular industry can open a door to an opportunity or offer an unexpected perspective.

Employability: when alumni return as opportunity creators

When former students return to campus as employers, team leaders or entrepreneurs, the relationship takes on a different dynamic. Their experience provides first-hand insight into changes in the labour market, emerging positions and the skills that are increasingly in demand. This information is also valuable to universities, as it can help identify new competencies and inform the review and updating of curricula and educational programmes.

So, the exchange works in both directions. Universities prepare students for the professional world, while alumni help institutions understand how that world is evolving.

At our university, we actively encourage alumni to share and post internships and employment opportunities from the organisations where they work through our job portal. We also invite them to participate in career fairs, where they can interact with students from a different perspective, as well as in events that may inspire future graduates. When these activities form part of an ongoing relationship rather than isolated initiatives, everyone benefits.

A community that multiplies opportunities

Viewing alumni as part of the learning ecosystem expands the university experience. They do not replace the knowledge and education developed in the classroom; rather, they enrich them with additional experience and strengthen the connection between the university and its students.

In our experience, the challenge lies in creating the conditions for these encounters to take place and in offering different ways for alumni to become involved. As mentioned above, alumni can contribute in many ways:

• as mentors;
• as employers or entrepreneurs;
• as industry leaders and experts;
• as speakers at institutional events;
• or simply by sharing their experiences in conversations with students.

It is precisely this diversity of profiles, career paths and forms of engagement that multiplies opportunities for learning, connection and professional development.

When universities successfully connect students, alumni and organisations, they create something that goes beyond a calendar of activities. Alumni bring knowledge and opportunities to those who are just beginning their journeys and, at the same time, offer universities valuable insights into the realities of today’s professional world.

This reciprocity makes alumni active members of a community that learns, connects and evolves over time.

María Manson is director of alumni and career development at Universidad Austral.