The Columbia Alumni Community is a comprehensive online database, listing profiles of more than 350,000 Columbia alumni living around the world. The profiles are searchable by details such as name, school, degree year, industry, activities, region (city/state/country), bio, and more.
It’s a great way to network with alumni across the University. Here are some tips on how to get started!
The Online Alumni Community is the only place you can search for and contact alumni from across Columbia Schools.
Getting Started...
- Check that the information in your profile is correct, and add a photo and brief bio for your “About Me” description.
- Identify your goals before searching the database.
- Start your searches broadly and use the filters to narrow down your results as necessary.
- Prioritize those with whom you share common interests or backgrounds.
Before sending a direct message to an alum/alumnus...
- Learn as much as you can about their organization, through online searches or using your Columbia School’s career office resources.
- Prepare questions in advance.
- Always be courteous and professional.
Other tips
- Be nice: Columbia’s network is diverse. Even if someone may not share your opinions, please be polite and respectful in your interactions. Everyone has the ability to flag inappropriate content to be moderated.
- Be purposeful: Consider who you’re contacting and for what reason. The Community is designed to facilitate individual networking purposes between students and alumni—don’t mass message or “spam” others.
- Remember that this is not a career fair or an interview, so do not ask for a job or an internship. Instead, you can ask for suggestions regarding how to go about your job or internship search.
- Enjoy!