When job-hunting, visiting alumni allows you to hear the ``real voices’’ that you can’t get from a company’s website or information sessions. If you use it wisely, you can make your motivations overwhelmingly persuasive, giving you an advantage in the selection process. In this article, we will introduce you to the correct way to conduct an alumni visit and an effective list of questions to elicit useful information from senior employees.
How to proceed with an OB/OG visit 3 steps
1. How to find OB/OG
The standard method is to use the list at the university’s career center (employment department), but in recent years more and more students are using matching apps specifically designed for alumni visits, such as BizReach Campus and Matcher. It is also highly reliable and recommended to get introduced through a seminar professor or a senior member of a club.
2. Appointments and preparations
When making a request via email, be sure to use polite language and briefly state your affiliation, name, purpose of the visit, and desired date and time (select more than one). Once you have an appointment, thorough preparation is required. Be sure to read every detail of a company’s website and IR information, and never ask anything that you can understand if you do some research.
3. Manners on the day and thank you afterwards
Arrive 5 minutes before the meeting and show that you will pay for the cafe (in most cases, your senior will treat you to something). It will leave a very positive impression if you send a thank you email the same day after the event and include what you learned and your enthusiasm for future job hunting.
“Effective question list” to extract useful information
The purpose of visiting alumni is to “verify hypotheses” and “understand the real situation.” Prepare your questions by dividing them into the following three categories.
Category 1: Reality of work (rewarding and demanding)
By listening not only to the good parts on the surface but also to the bad parts, you can avoid mismatches after joining the company.
- “Please tell me about the moment in your current job that gave you the most sense of accomplishment.”
- “On the other hand, what has been the most difficult thing you’ve ever done or what you felt was unreasonable?”
- “Please tell me the typical daily schedule for 〇〇 department.”
Category 2: Company culture and career path
These questions are designed to help you visualize the company’s culture and how you can grow in the future.
- “Did you have any impressions (gap) about the company before and after joining the company?”
- “What kind of personality and values do you think most people in your company have?”
- “Please tell us about your future career vision and the seniors you are targeting within the company.”
Category 3: Selection measures (advice)
Advice from seniors who have actually passed the selection process is extremely powerful.
- “When Mr. ____ was a job-hunting student, what do you think was the most appreciated point in your interview?”
- “Could you please read the entry sheet (motivation) I created and give me your feedback?”
Summary
Visiting alumni is also a valuable opportunity to practice business etiquette as a member of society. My seniors take time out of their busy schedules to help me. Instead of a passive attitude of I'd like to learn something,'' you should approach the visit with an active attitude of I’ll pitch my hypothesis and get their opinions.’’ This should make your visit a fruitful one.