An international alumni network has been established in Asia, helping to connect graduates from the region who have studied overseas with employers.
Since its inception just two months ago, the International Alumni Job Network already has 10,000 alumni engaged and it is on track to reach 100,000 by the end of the year.
The network is tailored for Asian alumni who have graduated from universities in Australia, Canada, the UK and the US, who can browse the online jobs board and look for work opportunities in their region.
“We’re here to provide connections,” CEO and co-founder, Kate Harden, told The PIE News. “An avenue through which employers can reach this high quality labour pool and a place for internationally qualified talent to find great job opportunities with employers who value their education and experience.”
“Nobody’s really collectively putting everybody together that’s studying across the standard countries that are attracting Asian students”
Harden said there was a gap in the market for an alumni network which incorporates many different countries. “Compared to other alumni groups, they tend to be country specific,” she said. “Nobody’s really collectively putting everybody together that’s studying across the standard countries that are attracting Asian students.”
The network has also recently launched a mentoring arm matching alumni with professionals twice a year.
“We’re big believers in the power of mentoring and how we can utilise this network to be beneficial for all,” commented Harden.
The platform was the brainchild of Harden’s co-founder, Shane Dillon, who was challenged as an employer in Asia to find employees with a mix of local as well as international knowledge.
“The final straw to do something about it came from a chance meeting with an Australian alumni who was really disconnected and without a social and professional network after he had completed his studies,” Dillon told The PIE News.
“I realised it was important to complete the cycle by providing pathways beyond education.”
Based operationally in Vietnam, Asia is currently the region of focus for the network.
“The demographics and growth story of Asia, as well as our own experience in the region, is the reason we have focused on Asia to begin with,” said Dillon.
However as alumni numbers grow, there is likely to be a motivation to grow to other continents.
“The demand from employers to find these graduates is the best indication that an international education provides a great benefit to the employability of graduates who have studied abroad,” said Dillon.
