Career Planning Finding a Job Follow-Up Letters to Alumni Met at College Networking Events By Alison Doyle Alison Doyle Alison Doyle is one of the nation’s foremost career experts. learn about our editorial policies Updated on October 26, 2021 In This Article View All In This Article Alumni Follow-Up Letters What to Include in Your Letter Follow-Up Letter to Alumni Met at College Networking Event Email Follow-Up Message to Alumni Met at College Networking Event More Networking Letter Examples Photo: Mladen_Kostic / Getty Images Attending college alumni networking events is a smart way to expand your list of professional contacts and, ideally, to discover new career opportunities. However, attending the event itself is only half the battle—what is key is to then follow up as quickly as possible with the participating alumni. Plan to spend the day after each networking event working on custom letters for each contact you met. In these letters, you should make sure to reference the topics you discussed and express your appreciation for their time. Sending an email message is fine, but, if you have the time, a paper letter sent by mail is a good way to get the reader's attention. Note If you're writing to say thank you, send your letter within 24 hours of the meeting, and no more than two days later. If you're following up on an earlier conversation, send your message when you have information to relay or a question to ask. Alumni Follow-Up Letters It is essential to remember that these letters are intended primarily to give thanks for advice and conversation. While it is fine to express your hope that you’ll keep in touch and even to mention that you are actively pursuing a career in the alumni’s industry or at their place of employment, this is not the time to directly ask for a referral or a job interview. Instead, use this letter to start the conversation necessary to ultimately build an ongoing, mutually beneficial professional relationship. Review information on what to include, and examples of a paper letter and an email message sent to follow up after meeting with an alumni contact. What to Include in Your Letter When you follow up with alumni you've met at an informational interview or a networking program, it's important to start your letter or email with a reminder of who you are and how you met. Networking programs can be busy, and it can be hard to keep track of everyone you connect with. It will make it easier for your connect to reply if they know who you are and why you're writing. When you send a follow-up email or letter, include the following: A reminder of how you metJob or internship search status updateThe type of help you're seekingThanks and appreciation for the helpContact information Note Be sure to tailor your letter to fit your personal and professional circumstances, and carefully proofread and edit it before you send it. It's important to make the best impression. Follow-Up Letter to Alumni Met at College Networking Event Here is an example of a follow-up letter to send via snail mail to a contact you have met at a college alumni networking event. Lindsay Shia876 East St.New Brunswick, NJ 08901May 1, 2021Mr. Daniel MirandaXYZ Publishing House456 7th AvenueNew York, New York 10018Dear Mr. Miranda,It was a pleasure meeting you at the ABC College Alumni Networking Dinner last week. I truly enjoyed speaking with you about current career tracks in the publishing field.Your description of a typical workday at the XYZ Publishing House only increased my interest in a publishing career. Our conversation started the wheels spinning in my mind about how I will be able to transfer the writing and editing skills I’ve learned as a journalism major to a “real world” employment setting after my graduation this June.I am currently beginning my search for summer internships in the publishing field. I believe my communications skills and the experience I gained as a writer and then senior editor for our college newspaper and its associated website would make me an ideal editorial intern.Please let me know if you hear of any internship opportunities at XYZ Publishing House, or if you have any suggestions regarding people or companies to contact. I can be reached at 555-111-1234 or lindsay.shia@gmail.com.Thank you so much for your willingness to help students from ABC College.Sincerely,Signature (hard copy letter)Lindsay Shia Email Follow-Up Message to Alumni Met at College Networking Event If you send the letter as an email message, include your name in the subject of the message so your contact knows who the message is coming from. It is not necessary to include the recipient’s contact information in an email, but you should provide all of your own contact information so that he or she has multiple ways to respond to you. Your message will have a better chance of being opened and read if the recipient is aware of who is writing. Here’s an example: Subject: Greg Ellesworth - Thank YouDear Ms. Jones,Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me during our recent Alumni Networking Conference at ABC College.Your description of the opportunities and challenges you enjoy at XYZ Software has reinforced my intention to place them on my “A list” of companies I’d like to work for after I graduate with my computer science degree this May.I was particularly interested in learning how you yourself started as an intern with XYZ Software and steadily earned promotion to your current position – it’s exciting to see how the company supports the career growth of its employees. If you hear of any internship opportunities that are opening with XYZ, I’d be more than grateful if you would forward the listing to me.Thank you so much for your willingness to help students from ABC College.Sincerely,Greg Ellesworth576 S. Mercer Ave.Seattle, WA 08170555-111-1234greg.ellesworth@gmail.comlinkedin.com/in/ellesworth-greg More Networking Letter Examples Here are more resume and cover letter examples for college students and grads that you can use as a starting point for your own correspondence: Career Networking Email and Letter Samples Career Networking Thank-You Letter Referral Emails for Career Networking Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. University of Pittsburgh. "Following-Up Effectively: Letters Critical In Today’s Busy World." Accessed Oct. 8, 2021. Columbia University Center for Career Education. "Follow-up Letters: The Extra Touch." Accessed Oct. 8, 2021.