Student Perspectives: Networking with Alumni

One of the first things people told me about USC was the Trojan Family. I did not understand what it was until I experienced firsthand—the true warmth and generosity of USC alumni through the countless phone calls and 30-minute chats I’ve had about my future career, school and life. After almost four years here, I’ve learned that the alumni network is one of the school’s best kept secrets.

Hi everyone! My name is Fay Li, and I’m a current senior studying Economics/Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science. In this blog, I want to share with you one of the most impactful parts of my experience at USC, which is learning how to connect with alumni. I genuinely believe that networking made a huge difference in helping me secure my upcoming summer internship at EY. It was a foreign concept to me at first, but I’ve realized that USC is uniquely special because the alumni community is incredibly passionate about helping current students. The “Trojan Family” isn’t just something we say; it’s a real network that shows up for you, if you know how to access it.

Tools I Used to Connect with Alumni

One of the easiest ways to start building connections is through LinkedIn, where over the past few years I’ve in total cold messaged upwards of 50+ alumni with short but thoughtful requests asking for a quick 30-minute chat. My process usually began by searching for the specific company I was interested in, filtering by education to only show USC alumni, looking through the various profiles that came up, and finding someone with similar majors, club involvements, or backgrounds. Then, I’d tailor my message to reflect those shared experiences. I expected low response rates, because to them I am just a stranger reaching out; but, maybe not so surprisingly, many enthusiastically replied simply because I was a fellow Trojan.

USC also has the Trojan Network, which is a platform designed specifically for connecting students with alumni who are open to offering advice or mentorship in career or life in general. I’ve used it to reach out to professionals in fields I was interested in and have found roles that I wasn’t previously aware of. It’s a great starting point because everyone who is on the platform is already there with the intention of helping out current students.

Another big resource has been employer info sessions that USC’s Career Center hosts, as well as club events. In my student organization, we’ve invited alumni from different consulting companies to come speak to us about their work and paths after graduation. These smaller, more personal events often feel conversational rather than like presentations. Many of these speakers take time to come onto campus after their workdays to share their experiences with us because they genuinely want to give back to USC students. Staying engaged during the talks and asking thoughtful questions afterward has helped me build rapport with the panelists and has helped spark meaningful conversations. In my experiences, many of them stayed behind after the event to answer more specific personal questions and have been more than willing to exchange contact information to continue our conversation later.

My Experience with Networking

Overall, my experience has been overwhelmingly positive. I’ve learned so much, from the day-to-day life of an alum’s industry, to their career paths, to insider recruiting advice. Some of my most insightful conversations came from coffee chats where alumni openly shared their stories and lessons they wished they had known earlier. Talking to them helped remind me that behind the impressive job titles, they’re just people who genuinely want to help someone walking a path they’d been on before.

I’ve also been fortunate to receive referrals to several companies from the alumni I spoke to. But, more importantly, the advice has been the most valuable. Talking to people who have gone through this stage of life helped me feel grounded and less anxious about figuring everything out immediately. These chats have all reminded me that everyone’s career journeys are different and are not linear. It’s completely okay to grow and explore at your own pace.

USC alumni want to help USC students far more than they might expect, and reaching out has been one of the most rewarding parts of my college and career journey. If a student is even a little bit curious about an industry, company, or career path, I promise you that someone is out there excited to talk to a fellow Trojan.

Good luck, and Fight on!

Written by: Fay Li, Class of 2026