With over 92,000 alumni in 170 countries, Stirling alumni possess a diverse range of experiences and skills. In 2019, The Stirling Network was introduced in a collaboration between the Alumni Team and the Careers and Employability Service to bring together the University’s students, alumni and business communities for networking and mentorship opportunities.
This online platform gives students the opportunity to explore the career pathways of the alumni who came before them, and the option to take this further by reaching out to ask questions or request mentorship. For our alumni, the site adds a professional dimension to the existing connections offered across our social media presence, by focusing on mentoring, networking and career opportunities, all within the trusted Stirling circle. The Stirling Network’s in-built messaging system means that communication can take place on the platform without releasing personal contact information.
With subject and industry specific groups for focused conversation and opportunity sharing, and a job board providing international opportunities, The Stirling Network supports students and alumni throughout their time at Stirling and beyond.
Following a soft launch period, the platform was formally launched on 22 January at an on campus event for students and alumni. This event featured dual masterclasses – one for mentees, exploring best practice in being a mentee, how to get the most from the platform and effective networking, and one for mentors which looked at the up-skilling opportunities this presents, what good mentorship looks like and used an international pairing as an example of a great relationship. After these engaging sessions, both groups were brought together for some social networking over coffee and many lively conversations took place!
The platform is free and joining is easy – and this is made even faster if you register with your existing LinkedIn details. Join the growing community at thestirlingnetwork.com, and if you have any questions or comments, please get in touch at tsn@stir.ac.uk!