Join Tufts LinkedIn Groups
Joining groups on LinkedIn is one of the best ways to find and reach out to potential networking contacts online. Even if you are not connected, as a group member, you can message other members through the group page. Please see message examples before reaching out to a group contact.
Best practice: Never ask a networking contact that you meet through a LinkedIn group (or elsewhere!) for a job. If you seek out contacts purely for job prospects, your contacts will see a superficial goal. They may feel used, and they will be less likely to recommend you for an opportunity. You’ll have more success using the group as a source of career insights and information.
Tufts University Career Network
Members of the LinkedIn Tufts University Career Network have volunteered to help and support one another. Members include: Tufts students, alumni, faculty, administration, family and friends of Tufts, and employers.
This group is a great place to ask for career advice, set up career conversations (a.k.a. informational interviews), conduct company research, and get information related to your job/internship search.
To use the network
Students
- Create a LinkedIn Profile
- Complete Tufts Career Center’s networking requirements: Read the LinkedIn Guide and Networking section of our website
- Request to join group
- An administrator will review your request and grant you access within 1-2 business days
Tufts Alumni
- Create a LinkedIn Profile
- Request to join group
- An administrator will review your request and grant you access within 1-2 business days
Family and Friends of Tufts
- Create a LinkedIn Profile
- Request to join group
- Email us and share your connection with Tufts Career Center to be granted access by the group administrator
Engaging with the Tufts University Career Network
Once you are a member of the Tufts University Career Network, there are several ways to engage with fellow group members to share and acquire information.
- Post a Discussion
Pose a relevant question to the full group. In your post, provide a brief summary of who you are and why you are seeking this specific information. This post will be visible to all group members. Be sure that it is free from typos and does not ask for a job or internship opportunity.
- Send Messages to Members
As a member of this group, you can send a message to other group members. Individual members might be great candidates for informational interviews. We strongly suggest that you send an introductory message before trying to link to a group member. Remember to customize your message as discussed in the “Sending Messages” section of our LinkedIn Guide.
- Communication Preferences
Select how you want to receive updates from the group. You can manage these preferences with the group page under the “More…” tab > “Your Settings.” We recommend the following settings:
- Member messages: Check this box to allow members of the Tufts Career Networking Group to send you messages on LinkedIn.
- Contact email: Select your preferred email to receive communications from the group. Be sure that this email address is current and one that you check often.
- Digest email: Check this box to receive a digest of all activity in the group. You can specify the frequency as daily or weekly.
- Announcements: This allows group administrators to send you direct emails.
Additional LinkedIn Networking Groups
Groups can help you explore your area of interest in depth, learn about current topics and trends, research members’ career paths and identify new networking contacts, just as you would in the Tufts Career Networking Group.
There are currently more than 300 Tufts related groups on LinkedIn with thousands of members. Here’s a small sample:
- Tufts University Career Network
- Tufts Professional Network
- Tufts Entrepreneurship Network
- Tufts IR Program
- Tufts Environmental Alumni
- and many more!
Some groups may restrict admission to Tufts alumni; membership requirements are usually stated in the group description.
Finding and Joining Groups
Enter a keyword or group name in the search bar and then choose “Groups” as a search category. Click on the group name to review the group description and specific criteria to join. If it seems like a good fit for you, click “Join Group.”