Connect with Alumni

  • Ever wished you could chat with an alum who’s already been down the path that you’re considering?

    At Rice University, we believe success isn’t a solo flight; it’s powered by community.

    That’s why the Development & Alumni Relations (DAR) and the @Center for Career Development (CCD) have teamed up to launch:
    🦉 Ask an Owl 🦉 a new platform connecting students and alumni for real-time career conversations.

    askanowl.rice.edu

    Here’s what makes it special:
    • Real connection, real talk
      Students and alumni get authentic insights from alumni, whether exploring industries, grad school, or career transitions
    • Alumni impact, amplified
      Alumni can guide and inspire the next generation of Rice Owls by sharing their journeys
    • Built for growth
      Smart matching. Easy messaging. Ongoing access for evolving career journeys

Ask an Owl Infographic

  • What do you have in common with an opera singer, a Peace Corps volunteer, an astronaut, a campaign speech writer, and a professional athlete? Rice!

As a member of the Rice community, you are connected to a network of alumni working around the world. Join the following networks to:

  • Network with friends of Rice University - including alumni, faculty, staff, parents, and recruiters, who have joined these groups to be a resource for current students and alumni
  • Ask career-related questions on the discussion boards
  • Receive guidance on how to search for a job, interview, network, and more!
  • Hear about mentor events and activities
  • Search for and connect with professionals who have a career path that interests you to schedule informational interviews.

  • How can you connect with these alumni?

You can connect with these alumni and mentors through a variety of platforms.

Here are some options:

Linkedin logo
LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network, with students and recent college graduates comprising LinkedIn’s fastest-growing demographic. Signing up is free, and it is NOT necessary to upgrade to the paid subscription.

How LinkedIn can help you
LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network with hundreds of millions of members, and growing rapidly. Their mission is to connect the world's professionals to make them more productive, successful, and to facilitate connections. LinkedIn’s platform is specifically well suited for students. It will help you:

  1. Establish your professional profile and control one of the top search results for your name
  2. Build and maintain your professional network
  3. Find and reconnect with colleagues and classmates
  4. Learn about companies and get industry insights
  5. Find professionals in the same industry using groups
  6. Tap into the knowledge of your network
  7. Discover new career opportunities by searching for jobs

Here’s an overview of how to set up your profile and what LinkedIn can do for you, along with helpful videos.

Connect with Rice alumni using the LinkedIn/Alumni feature
Once you have a LinkedIn profile, you can search for over 60,000 Rice University alumni that have profiles in LinkedIn to:

  • Leverage the power of the Rice alumni network and connect with Rice alumni
  • Search for jobs and opportunities in the jobs database, and then connect with alumni at that company
  • Your search will tell you where alumni live, where they work, what they do, what they studied, what they are skilled at, and how you are connected

If you are interested in learning more about LinkedIn, how to use it, and what it can do for you, join the CCD's in-person LinkedIn presentations that take place on the first Tuesday of every month in person at Huff House. To register, login to your 12twenty account, select "Events", search for "LinkedIn" and RSVP.

You are also welcome to explore the LinkedIn Learning Center and/or to review a previous recording of the CCD's LinkedIn presentation via 12twenty > "Resource Library"

Through your free Houston Public Library membership, you can also access LinkedIn Learning for free.