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Cornell University

Cornell's Professional Network: CUeLINKS


CUeLINKS promotional video. With special thanks to the Cornell University Council Student & Alumni Mentoring Committee, Ashley O'Connor and the team at Strategic Partners & Media, LLC, and Cornell University Alumni Affairs. (Video Transcript located at the bottom of this page.)

What is CUeLINKS?

CUeLINKS (cuelinks.cornell.edu) pronounced “see-you-e-links” is a university-wide online networking platform where you can connect with Cornell alumni, your peers, faculty/staff and friends of Cornell to explore and achieve your academic, career, and personal goals. As a Knowledge seeker, you can connect with Knowledge sharers (alumni or peers) to share information on topics from career exploration, the student experience, job search strategies, workplace experiences and more!

Why Was CUeLINKS Created?

You asked for a way to connect with Cornell Alumni and Cornell Alumni wanted to be a resource for students, so we created this platform to help foster these connections. Cornell’s alumni network is a significant benefit and resource for you and can offer an advisory-board approach for personal as well as professional knowledge sharing.

Join CUeLINKS and Create a Profile

  1. Visit cuelinks.cornell.edu and click Join the Community. Select Student as your user type.
    1. For best results, use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
  2. Create an account using LinkedIn, your NetID or another e-mail, or Facebook. (Some profile information will be imported from LinkedIn or Facebook.)
  3. Sign up with an e-mail account you check daily. CUeLINKS messages will be sent to this e-mail. You don’t want to miss anything!

  4. Opt in to be a Knowledge Sharer for your Cornell peers. You will be searchable by your peers, but you can change this in your profile preferences at any time.

  5. Follow the guided steps to complete your CUeLINKS profile. This should take you only about 5 minutes.
  6. Add a photo (unless already imported) to make your profile stand out. You can always add this later, but don’t let this prevent you from completing your profile. If you don’t have a profile picture, you can visit our office to use the Profile Picture Kiosk. Once you have a picture of yourself, upload it to your profile!

Search for Alumni in CUeLINKS

Select the Cornell Network tab to search for alumni.

  1. Use the search bar and filters to find people you want to connect with. Use different search words, or click on other filter options to narrow your search. The “More Filters” option provides a list of topics that alumni have selected as areas they would like to talk to students. You can also create and save Search Alerts so the system will notifies you via e-mail when new alumni join the platform that match your search filters.

  2. Browse or search profiles to identify individuals who may have the information you seek. Note that alumni can’t search for students and, unlike LinkedIn, they aren’t notified when you search for or look at their profile and can’t see your profile until you send a message.

  3. Connect to alumni by clicking the "Message" button. (You can connect with up to 10 alumni per month.) This will give you the option to: 

    1. Send a message using a built-in message hub.

    2. Request a meeting using the “Request Meeting” link at the bottom of the message and the system will walk you through selecting dates/times and method of communication (phone call, video chat (through the platform), or in-person meeting).

  4. Prepare for your information interview. More information can be found using these resources in the Networking Module and the Informational Interview page in Canvas.

Discussion Board

Students (and alumni) have submitted questions about careers, the student experience, and more. Check out the alumni responses to your questions, submit a question, or provide a response. The Discussion Board is open to all members of the CUeLINKS community and is a great resource to learn from others. Use the search bar on the Discussion Board to plug in key words that will filter and find questions or answers based on your search.

Tips for Success

Be active! Ask questions, reach out to new people, visit the Discussion Board, and check out our resources. Don’t be afraid to reach out to someone. People are waiting for you to connect with them. Everyone in our community is here to support you. Here are some quick tips to help you get started:

  1. Worried about what to say? Ask some genuine open ended "what" and "how" questions. For example, "What are you passionate about in your career?" Let your curiosity guide you! And don't worry, the system helps you craft a professional message.

  2. Not ready to connect? That's perfectly OK! You can explore the network, view profiles and bookmark them (click the upper right-hand corner of each profile), and search by these individuals later. Browse the network and start reaching out. You never know when a conversation will turn into a lasting connection! Connections can take many forms. When you are ready to find a formal knowledge sharer to work through goals together, navigate to the Cornell Network section of the site.
  3. Having trouble finding connections? Explore by searching broadly as well as by specific companies or positions. Consider searching alumni by “Help Topic” or “Industry” to connect with alumni across college, industry, major, and degree. You never know who they might connect you with. Remember that new alumni are joining the system every day. We recommend that you create a search alert found in the upper right corner of the Cornell Network page.
  4. You didn’t receive a response to your message or meeting request? Everyone gets busy, even when you volunteer to be a resource. Give them a few days and try sending a follow-up message. If after seven days you don't hear from your requested connection, feel free to reach out to our office.
  5. Having technical issues? Remember the system works best using Chrome or Firefox. If you are in CUeLINKS, click on the question mark icon to submit a ticket to address the issue. If you are having trouble accessing the system or have questions, e-mail cuelinks@cornell.edu.

Additional Resources

Explore the resources tab in CUeLINKS for tips on connecting with alumni. Watch the CUeLINKS webinar in the Media Library highlighting alumni and student experiences with the platform. Check the Events and Programs schedule for information sessions about CUeLINKS.

Questions? E-mail cuelinks@cornell.edu

Video Transcript (2.65 KB)