New business relationships and networks are one of the most important benefits of an MBA and should be one of the key priorities in deciding where to do your MBA.
Many Australian business schools have formal networks with dedicated managers while others are more organic and managed by the alumni themselves.
AGSM graduate Jeffrey Hopson is one of the many success stories who owes his job to a business school alumni network.
Having completed his MBA program six-months earlier, a surprise phone call from a fellow former alumni paved the way for his exciting new career at NAB, one of the country’s largest banks.
“At the time, a role in strategy at NAB wasn’t something I was even thinking about,” Mr Hopson said.
“It all came about just over a year ago when someone in the existing NAB strategy team who was a former AGSM alumni reached out to Career Services to see if they had any recent graduates that might be interested in the role.
“I was quite lucky that they gave me a call. It all sounded very interesting, and obviously, it all worked out very well in the end.”
Most universities and business schools will have some sort of alumni network. Here is our Top 5:
AGSM Alumni
Graduates of University of NSW Business School and the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) have access to a range of benefits. Alumni can attend a range of exclusive events and get access to a range of discounts including through the HSBC Alumni Affinity Program. A suite of mentoring programs pair current UNSW Business School students with experienced graduates for a mutually beneficial partnership. In 2014, the school’s CPA Australia sponsored Career Mentoring Program matched 60 second year undergraduate students with an experienced alumni mentor.
As a graduate of AGSM, you are able to access to all of the school’s career development resources for a whole year, including access to a jobs board, resume help, advice on a job application and interview practice.
Griffith Business School
Griffith Business School Alumni Network (GBSAN) has over 25,000 active members located around the world and in virtually any industry you can think of. Membership is free, completely portable, and can help you add value to your education through active participation in a strong network. While not specifically catering for MBA students, GBSAN holds regular events and functions including professional development seminars, alumni awards and networking events.
University of Sydney Business Alumni Network (BAN)
The University of Sydney Business Alumni Network (BAN) is the recently established alumni and friends network based at the University of Sydney Business School. All Business School alumni are automatically members of the BAN. All BAN members are entitled to receive a number of benefits, including;
- Receiving regular invitations to Business School alumni events, in Australia and internationally
- Receiving copies of the Business School’s alumni magazine, Sydney Business Connect and the University’s Sydney Alumni Magazine (SAM)
- Receiving relevant e-communications which provide you with unique market intelligence and the latest business research news from the Business School
- Opportunities to increase your business networks and further develop your capacity to serve as business leaders
- Opportunities to provide ambassadorial support to the Business School.
Deakin MBA Alumni Chapter
The Deakin MBA Alumni Chapter is for former students and staff from all Deakin MBA programs and related graduate certificates and diplomas.
The Chapter provides students with a lifelong relationship with the Deakin Graduate School of Business (DGSB) and is a vital value-added aspect of your MBA. benefits include:
- Access to professional development seminars and guest speaker forums. See Alumni events page
- A way of keeping in touch with colleagues and friends via the Alumni Community online message board
- Access to Deakin’s libraries, careers counselling, e-newsletters, health and well being services, residential accommodation, bookshop, facilities hire and catering discounts
- More services detailed in the Alumni member services web page
- MBA Connect – A professional social networking site that you can use to promote your career.
Brisbane Executive Club and Fostering Executive Women (QUT)
The Brisbane Executive Club (BEC) is the alumni chapter for past and present postgraduate students of the QUT Business School. BEC creates networking opportunities through executive development workshops and social events.
Fostering Executive Women (FEW) is an alumni chapter for current and past female postgraduate students of the QUT Business School.
FEW was formed with the vision to nurture and celebrate the achievements of female business graduates through advocacy, mentoring and networking opportunities. Since it began in 2003, FEW has supported female graduates in their pursuits toward executive leadership, business ownership and community leadership.
Melbourne Business School
The Melbourne Business School alumni community includes over 50,000 business graduates and 7,000 MBA graduates, representing more than 90 countries. MBS alumni are a strongly networked community of leaders across the Australian and international business, government and not-for-profit communities.
Alumni have access to a range of benefits to including s dedicated alumni portal, career support, continuing education, as well as social and professional networking opportunities.
MBS created the Global Alumni Celebration in 2013 to increase alumni engagement and network around the world and were met with great success.
GAC is a single alumni event, with multiple mini celebrations, and connects up to 600 alumni each year. Events include a degustation dinner in Shanghai, entrepreneur stories in Perth, weekend long events in Paris and London and sunset beach drinks in Townsville
In its first year running MBA had 44 cities participating involving more than 50 enthusiastic alumni volunteers creating new MBS memories for 600 alumni worldwide. The event even has its own website.
