Your alumni network

Keen to join the Brunel Network platform? You can join in a few easy steps - here’s how to get started...

1. Visit brunelalumni.com
2. Click on the ‘GET STARTED’ or ‘JOIN NOW’ buttons from the banner image at the top of the page, or scroll down to find the blue ‘GET STARTED’ button.
3. You will be prompted to sign in using your LinkedIn, Google or Facebook account OR you can register with an email address.
4. Please be sure to create your account using the full name used at Brunel and correct course information to ensure we can verify your account as quickly as possible for you.
5. If signing in with your LinkedIn, Google or Facebook account, some profile information may be imported from these networks to populate your personal profile on the platform. Users will be prompted to confirm that they allow access to some of their information from these social networks.
6. If signing in with an email address, you will be promoted for profile information including your name, email address and affiliation to Brunel. You will also be asked to create a password.
7. Accounts created through LinkedIn, Google or Facebook automatically use the login details (email address and password) associated with these accounts. Users registering with an email address will be required to choose a password.
8. When you have registered for an account, our team will verify your details and you will be able to access the network using your profile.
9. Should you receive an email notification outlining that your request has been denied, we have been unable to verify your information. If this is the case, please provide us with the details outlined in the email so we can get you up and running on the platform as quickly as possible.

Download the App and access the alumni network on the move. Users can download the App from one of the following stores.

Android - Play Store

1. Go to the Play Store
2. Search for ‘Brunel Alumni’ to download the app
3. Enable auto update (optional)
4. Sign in / Register using your profile account details

Apple / iOS - App Store

1. Go to the App Store
2. Search for ‘Graduway Community’ to download the app
3. Enable auto update (optional)
4. Search for ‘Brunel University’ when prompted for institution name
5. Sign in / Register using your profile account details

Please note: If the App has previously been installed on your device, please perform the update from the Play Store / App Store to ensure you have the latest version.

Looking to build your professional network? New job? New direction? Whatever your reason for adding or refreshing your profile, it is really easy to get started or update.

The more information you can give about your skills, experience and qualifications, the more likely it is that someone will be interested in connecting with you. A complete profile will provide a variety of talking points for potential employers, employees, mentors or mentees to use to initiate a conversation with you.

Here’s how to get started…

1. Click on the round profile photo from the top right of the screen or from the drop down menu if accessing via the app (this may be a blank circle if a photo hasn’t been added).
2. Select ‘Edit profile’ from the drop down menu that appears. You will see the information you entered when you registered, which may include information you chose to import from LinkedIn or Facebook. In this section you can choose to update your general details, contact information, social media, preferences for offering / seeking help and mentoring, education, experience and add additional details about yourself in the ‘Other Information’ section.
3. Be sure to add your preferences in the ‘offer’ and ‘seek’ help and mentoring boxes so that other alumni can reach out to you (or untick the preference boxes if you'd rather not be contacted at the present time).
4. Don't forget to add a profile photo to your page to make yourself more personable (and to allow your classmates to recognise you!).
5. You can also select to connect and sync your LinkedIn, Facebook or Google accounts to your profile. From the same drop down menu mentioned above from your profile photo, select ‘Settings’ - scroll to the bottom of the page where you will see the options to connect to other accounts.
6. From the ‘Settings’ page you can also select to amend your ‘Notifications’ or ‘Privacy’ settings using the section titles at the top of the page.

For extra guidance, a video for updating your profile is also available for you to watch.

The network directory is a great tool for tracking down a specific classmate or searching for a group of people - perhaps those from your graduating year or subject of study.

Follow these guidelines to get started…

1. Click on 'Directory' from the menu bar.
2. At the top of the page you will see a ‘Search directory’ bar which allows you to search using a keyword.
3. Underneath this bar you will see tabs to allow you to also search users under the categories of ‘All’ / ‘My Location’ / or ‘Mentors’ (desktop version only) using the ‘Search directory’ bar.
4. Below these category tabs, you can also choose to arrange your search ‘Alphabetically’ or by ‘Recently joined’.
5. To further refine your search, you will see the ‘Filter People By’ facility to the right of the page (if using the App, this is accessed by clicking on the arrow in the ‘Search directory’ box) - perfect for tracking down specific alumni or those from a group of interest, such as your graduating year. Here you can filter your search by specific categories: name, affiliation, location, getting involved, mentoring, Brunel information (including field of study, degree or graduation year) as well as work experience (including company, industry or job function).
6. The ‘Filter People By’ facility will automatically perform your search after selecting your filters. If      using the App, please click the ‘Done’ button.
7. Once the results have been generated from any of your searches, your list will also indicate people who are ‘Willing to help’ with a note appearing above their profile picture. To view the types of help they are willing to offer, click on ‘View profile’ - you will see the types of help listed in the top right of their profile (when using a desktop).
8. When you have located the person you were looking for, you can send them a direct message through the system using the ‘Message’ button or use the ‘Request help’ or ‘Request mentoring’ buttons      where available. Check our ‘How to…’ guidelines on using the messaging service and approaching a mentor for more information.
9. If you are looking to reach out to a specific group of alumni (e.g. country or subject area), rather than contacting someone individually, you can do so by posting an ‘update’ in the relevant groups available. Check our guidelines on posting an update or contacting a group for more information.

For extra guidance, a video for using the directory is also available for you to watch.

The network provides the facility to message a classmate or other members of the alumni community, even if you don’t have contact details for them.

Here’s how to effectively use the massage portal to reach out to someone...

1. Once you have found someone you want to connect with, open their profile.
2. The messaging service is a great way to send a personal note to reconnect with former classmates who you may no longer have direct contact details for.
3. Alternatively, if you are making contact to request help or mentoring, please check what kind of support they are willing to provide on their profile. If you can’t see this on their profile, then they are not willing to help at this time and should not be approached for this purpose unless you know them personally.
4. Unless you are reaching out to someone you know personally, we recommend that you check the details on their profile to help you write an introductory message.
5. When composing your message to request help / mentoring, be sure to use what you have learned from their profile. For example, you might say something such as: “I see you have previously worked at IBM and I am interested in applying for a job as a Developer there. I wondered whether you could give me any advice on the company or how to increase my chances of success?”
6. Click the ‘Message’ button on the profile to begin writing your message, then click ‘send’ when you are ready. If requesting help or mentoring, please use the ‘Request help’ or ‘Request networking’ buttons on the right side of the page (these may only be visible via the desktop version of the site).
7. A copy of every message sent through the platform is also sent to the user's email address, so the person being contacted will receive a notification that someone wants to get in touch. The person receiving the alert will not have to log into the system to see your message, as this will appear in the notification email.
8. Once you have sent a message, please allow people at least a few days to reply - if you gently follow up with them once, but they still don’t respond, it might be that they are not able to help on this occasion.

Looking to network and keen to send someone a message? Take a look at our guidelines on ‘approach someone for networking’ for tips on how to get started.

If you are willing to help and/or offer networking, your support can be invaluable to fellow alumni in providing careers guidance, advice, industry insight and professional development. For you, it’s a great opportunity to give something back through professional volunteering, develop your mentoring skills and enhance your CV.

Follow these steps if you’re keen to list yourself as ‘willing to help'…

1. Click on the round profile photo from the top right of the screen or from the drop down menu if accessing via the app to view your profile (this may be a blank circle if a photo hasn’t been added).
2. Select ‘Edit profile’ from the drop down menu that appears.
3. Scroll down the page to add your preferences to the ‘Offer help’ and ‘Offer networking’ tick boxes so that other alumni can reach out to you.
4. Click the ‘Save’ button at the bottom of the screen to save your preferences to your profile. Your profile will then display that you are ‘willing to help.’
5. You can also set your networking preferences in the ‘Networking’ section via the menu to the left of the page. Click the drop down arrow and select ‘Settings’ - here you can add your preferences to the ‘Offer help’ and ‘Offer networking’ tick boxes as above.
6. You can amend your preferences in either section at any time by unchecking the relevant boxes.

Networking can be invaluable for careers guidance, advice, providing industry insight and professional development.

We’ve put together a few tips to get you started with successful networking through the Brunel Network…

1. Before getting started, you may find it useful to add that you are seeking help / a mentor to your profile by using the tick boxes in the 'Edit profile' section.
2. You can initiate a networking relationship with anyone who has indicated that they are willing to network using the dedicated ‘Networking’ section via the menu to the left of the page. 
3. Click on the ‘Find alumni to network’ button to view all alumni who are willing to network where you are able to find networking contacts by for job function, company or industry to help with your search.
4. To refine your search, you will find various filter options available when you click on the 'Find your own networking contacts' button, such as name, affiliation, location, getting involved, Brunel information (including field of study, degree or graduation year) as well as work experience (including company, industry or job function).
5. Find the person you wish to approach (using the above suggestions or based on your own search) and open their profile.
6. Use the ‘Request networking’ button on the right side of the page to make contact (this may only be visible via the desktop version of the site). If this button is not available, click the ‘Message’ button on the profile to begin writing your message.
7. Compose a message to introduce yourself and explain a bit about your background, why you would like some help and what kind of help you would like. Be sure to tailor your message to the individual - avoid sending the same generic message to lots of users (much the same as when applying for jobs). It would be good to show you have done your research and that you have chosen them specifically by referring to some of the experience from their profile and explaining why you think they may be able to help you. Keep your message polite, but brief - your initial contact should be roughly a paragraph (think 200 - 300 words as a rough guide). Click 'Send' when you are ready to submit your message.
8. A copy of every message sent through the platform is also sent to the user's email address, so the person being contacted will receive a notification that someone wants to get in touch. The person receiving the alert will not have to log into the system to see your message, as this will appear in the notification email.
9. Once you have sent a message, please allow people at least a few days to reply - if you gently follow up with them once, but they still don’t respond, it might be that they are not able to help on this occasion.
10. Once you have established a mentoring relationship, please be respectful of people’s time by checking with them how they would like to be contacted and how frequently.
11. You can keep track of your networking connections and pending requests by clicking on ‘Networking Relationships’ from the ‘Networking’ section via the menu to the left of the page.

For information on making the most of a networking relationship, take a look at our quick guides to ‘being a mentee’ and ‘being a mentor.’

If you find networking helpful, we would love to hear about it. Contact the team to let us know so that we can thank the individual for their support and possibly share your experience so that we can encourage others to benefit in the same way.

The newsfeed is a great way of posting your news and queations to all users on the network and for keeping up to date with our alumni updates.

1. Once you have logged in to your profile, so should automatically see the newsfeed appear on the screen.
2. If you do not see this straight away, click on ‘Feed’ from the menu to the left of the page.
3. Here you can view all updates that have been posted or add your own updates for all users to see.
4. To post an update, use the box at the top of the page - this will display the words ‘What's on your mind...’ and your profile picture.
5. Type your message - you can also upload an image, attached a file or tag people if you would like to. Click the ‘Post’ button to make your update live in the feed.
6. To respond to a specific update appearing in this section, click in the ‘Comment’ box underneath the post to begin typing. Hit the ‘Return’ key to post your comment. You can also ‘Like’ any of the posts that appear using the button underneath each post.

For extra guidance, a video for navigating the newsfeed is also available for you to watch.

Keep up to date with our upcoming Brunel events and alumni reunions. You can also promote your own alumni events to the alumni community. It’s easy to get started…

Viewing events

1. Click on 'Events' from the menu bar to the left of the page. You can also click the drop down arrow in this section and select ‘Events board’ if required.
2. You will see all events appear with their title, address and in date order. Click on your event of interest to see the full details.
3. Where available, click on either the ‘Register now’ or ‘Find out more’ button for further information and to book your place (where necessary).

Adding events

1. Click on 'Events' from the menu bar to the left of the page. Select the drop down arrow in this section and select ‘Post an event’ to get started.
2. Complete all sections with your event information - don’t forget to include the event name, location, date, time and any specific URLs to your event booking page.
3. Check the relevant box in the ‘Registration options’ section.
4. Make use of the free text box to add additional event information. Images and media can be inserted here and text can be hyperlinked if needed. A range of other functions are also available.
5. Click the ‘Upload PDF’ button to add a PDF document to your event post if required.
6. Try to avoid adding information to the ‘Do you want to invite an audience’ section where possible unless your event is very specific, as this will result in unnecessary notifications being sent to users.
7. Click on the ‘Post’ button at the bottom of the page to make your event live.

For extra guidance, a video for registering and creating events is also available for you to watch.

If you are looking for jobs or have a position available within your company that you’d like to advertise to the alumni community, it’s easy to get started…

Viewing the jobs board

1. Click on 'Jobs' from the menu bar to the left of the page. You can also click the drop down arrow in this section and select ‘Jobs board’ if required.
2. Once on the page, you will see all the available jobs listed. Click on the job title to view the details of the role. Click the ‘Apply’ button for further information and to apply for the role.
3. To search for specific opportunities, you will see a ‘Search jobs’ bar at the top of the page which allows you to search using a keyword.
4. To further refine your search, you will see the ‘Filter By’ facility to the right of the page (if using the      App, this is accessed by clicking on the arrow in the ‘Search jobs’ box). Here you can filter your search by specific categories including company, job title, employment type, job function, industry or location. We would recommend keeping your search wide ranging so as not to miss any opportunities that may not have been classified in any of the above categories.

Posting a job

1. If you are looking to advertise a position with your company, click on 'Jobs' from the menu bar to the left of the page - then click the drop down arrow in this section and select ‘Post a job’ to get started.
2. Complete all sections with the relevant information and upload your company logo if available.
3. Be sure to add an end date and select how you would like candidates to apply (either by email or through your site).
4. You can include a PDF document if required by clicking on the ‘Upload PDF’ button.
5. Click the ‘Post’ button at the bottom of the page to make your vacancy live on the site.

If you are keen to contact a specific country / subject group, there are various groups set up for you to reach out to or to join.

Here’s how to get started…

1. Click on 'Groups' from the menu bar to the left of the page.
2. Once on the page, you will see a list of the groups currently available - the majority of these will be country groups, but some subject groups are also included.
3. When creating your profile, if you have added that you are based in one of the country groups listed or completed your Brunel degree in one of the subject groups shown in this section, your name will automatically be added to the relevant group to enable you to start connecting with members.
4. Click on your group of choice where you will be able to post an update using the 'Feed' tab, view group members using the ‘Members' tab or take a look at upcoming events using the 'Events’ tab. All tabs can be found at the top of the page.
5. To refine your search in the ‘Members’ tab, you can use the ‘Search people’ bar at the top of the page, arrange your search ‘Alphabetically’ or by ‘Recently joined’ or choose to use the ‘Filter By’ facility.
6. In the ‘Events’ tab, you can also choose to add an event taking place for this specific group (such as a country / subject specific reunion or industry event). Click on the ‘Post event’ button (or the ‘blue + button’ if using the App) to add your event details. Click on ‘Post’ when you are ready to make your event live to the group.
7. If you are not appearing in a group that is specific to your profile, you would be welcome to join it. Select the group of choice and click on the ‘Join’ button at the top of the page.
8. You can also choose to invite people to join a group. From the ‘Feed’ section, find the box titled ‘Invite users to the group’ - type the name of the person you would like to invite and click on the ‘Invite’ button.
9. If you decide to exit a group that you are a member of, click on the ‘Joined’ button at the top of the page and select ‘Exit group’ from the drop down.

Click on Resources from the main menu to dip into webinar recordings, access articles and journals for free on JSTOR, listen to our ‘through the years’ Brunel playlist, tune into subject podcasts and videos from our alumni, and lots more.