The New Way to Network
The old way of networking isn’t serving students and alumni. And it isn’t serving universities either.
Networking, designed for social capital
With as many as 80% of jobs going unposted, getting one can be all about who you know. But for students and alumni without connections, including first gen learners who don’t have an inherited network, there’s PeopleGrove.¹ With it, schools help learners build the social capital needed to succeed in their careers – leading up to graduation or years after.
No Prior Network Required
The most helpful network ever
With PeopleGrove, all students and alumni can easily tap the entire active alumni community to build their own wildly helpful professional network, access unposted career opportunities, and create a personal Board of Advisors. And it teaches learners how with smart recommendations for who to contact and what to say.
Networking Impacts Universities
Learners see social capital as a benefit to their degree
70% of students
say they plan to network with alumni or professional while in school.²
3 top reasons
Gen Zers pursue higher education are good jobs, good pay, and career foundations.³
2 of 3 students
say their network through PeopleGrove makes them more likely to see their degree as "worth it."⁴
Encourage More Participation
Making interactions less intimidating
For every group a university serves, PeopleGrove makes career networking simple, accessible, and enjoyable. There’s no reaching out cold to strangers – and a whole lot less to fear.
Seekers
Students and alumni seeking career help can easily connect with more experienced professionals.
University Communities
Institutions can offer their communities a network that’s helpful, healthy, and active for years to come.
Tips & Tools for Talking
Training for students
Students shouldn’t have to know how to network like a professional when they’re not a professional yet. With all kinds of writing help, including prefilled chat messages, PeopleGrove lights the way.
Message Helper suggests how to sound more professional as learners type.
Pre-formatted templates teach learners how to make a specific ask.
Friendly Video Faces
Encouragment, too
Only PeopleGrove has video intros that make alumni feel less like strangers. Way more than static resumes, alumni profiles are richly annotated career journeys, painting a picture of who the alumnus/alumnae is and how friendly they are.
Online Now helps prioritize who to message for help right now.
Super Mentor pathways teach learners how to aim high and ask again.
Real Job Results
Building career-defining social capital
When asked, students report they are making networking connections in PeopleGrove that are helping them get jobs.
48%
of students said a connection in PeopleGrove opened doors that got them employment.⁴
2.4x
first generation students with 5+ connections are more likely to say PeopleGrove got them a good job or internship.⁴
Increase Ways to Give Back
An avenue for alumni
Alumni want to give to their alma maters — but not everyone has money or time to contribute on a regular basis. With PeopleGrove, it’s really easy to start giving back as a knowledge sharer, making a difference in a matter of minutes.
LinkedIn integration imports a user’s education and work experience instantly.
Calendar sync allows users to block in availability, even if it’s just a short (but still impactful!) window.
What a Resume Should Do
The destination plus the journey
Unlike Graduway and LinkedIn, where learners see just resumes, alumni profiles in PeopleGrove come to life. In addition to education and work experience, PeopleGrove prompts alumni to tell the how and why behind their career moves. This multimedia content is instant to record and add, and it makes alumni more approachable, sparking conversations between users.
When Everyone Wins
Alumni value networking
When surveyed, alumni report networking in PeopleGrove is helping them find value in their alma mater.
52% of alumni
agreed that, because of PeopleGrove, they’re more likely to recommend their school to potential applicants.⁴
57% of alumni
agreed that, because of PeopleGrove, they’re more likely to give back in other ways to the community.⁴
More Networking Moments
In class, at work, wherever
Since more networking happens when it’s easier to do, PeopleGrove pushes new messages out to a recipient’s device. This unified inbox neatly ties all emails and texts together in a single thread, and recipients can respond back directly in the channel they prefer. Plus, face-to-face video chat is built right in.
Book a Demo
Support to Build Networks
Covering supply and demand
Network Builder is a collections of initiatives and tactics to support network growth. While other tools really only benefit the student, creating an unbalanced network, PeopleGrove's guides and toolkits support best practices to drive interest and engagement equally for both students and alumni. Universities save time as their PeopleGrove network builds itself up, and continues to encourage connections, flash mentorship and career connections between learners.
Smart Safety Features
Where learners can
connect worry-free
PeopleGrove's Career Access Platform™ prioritizes security and gives users and admins powerful privacy controls.
User-Level Privacy Controls
Users can restrict their profile availability to only students or only alumni.
Hide Personal Info
To connect, users don’t have to share contact information like phone numbers, email, or Zoom accounts.
Personal Availability Limits
Users can limit the number of inbound requests they can receive.
Reporting & Blocking
Users can report and block others from their inbox or profile.
Feedback Surveys
Admins can check on how meetings are going and receive notifications when low reviews are left.
Word Detection
Admins have the power to monitor and flag for inappropriate word use.
Universities Using PeopleGrove
A smarter platform for higher education
Resources to support networking
Browse resources that support universities in learner-first strategies.
Simpler networking, greater opportunities
Demo networking in PeopleGrove's Career Access Platform™.
References
- Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/robinryan/2020/12/03/how-to-tap-into-the-hidden-job-market/?sh=66df4de43169
- Strada, “Understanding Undergraduates’ Career Preparation Experiences,” 2021
- Fidelity Investments, “2021 College Savings & Student Debt Survey," 2021
- PeopleGrove's 2021-2022 Benchmarks Report