You’re done.
That piece of paper symbolizing years of caffeine overloads, too-many
page papers and impressive procrastination skills is within your
reach… or at least tucked under a bunch of other important
documents. Maybe you’re right in the thick of it, a sophomore or
junior in college debating if you should change your major again.
You know the opportunities for your future are limitless, but you
can’t figure out if you should pursue your personal interests or
follow the typical career path for your major. Trust me, you are
definitely not alone. There are tons of people trying to hone in on
their career desires. Here’s a little secret from me to you:
informational interviews can provide all the answers you need.
Informational interviews are unique
opportunities to build relationships and gain insight from
professionals in your desired career fields. Imagine networking, but
only with people you choose to seek out. Maybe you can’t
choose between becoming an engineer or a career as a tour manager for
live events. Informational interviews allow you to reach out to a
variety of people with differing perspectives to solidify your
choice. The best part? You’re in control of the conversations.
Asking industry insiders questions about their experiences means no
pressure for you!
Before you brag to your colleagues
about your newfound knowledge, it’s important to know how to seek
out professionals and properly conduct an informational interview.
Below are some tips to get you started on your journey towards Career
Nirvana.
Find Your Passion and Remember
Your Major
If you had to do two things every
day for the rest of your life what would you do? Ask yourself this
question to determine your passions. For instance, I would listen to
music every day. Once you’ve established those two things, get to
Google. Do research on job titles and positions that align with your
interests. Don’t forget to also look up potential positions that
correlate to your major. It’s good to have varying options.
Besides, you should put that degree to use if you can!
LinkedIn Is Your Best Friend
It’s time to get well acquainted
with this genius networking tool (If you don’t have a LinkedIn
account, stop reading and create one NOW. If you do, please continue).
LinkedIn is a great way to connect those researched job titles to a
name and face. Using the Advanced Search option, you can look up
keywords like “Marketing Coordinator” or “Sales Associate”, a
company’s name, industry and even locations to identify a person or
people that fit those terms. Genius, right? You can connect with an
individual or use the InMail feature to send personal messages and
reach out. If you feel more comfortable using your personal email
account, simply Google the person to find their email address or the
format for the company email addresses.
“Looking for
Enlightenment, Not Employment”
When you are finally
ready to reach out to a professional, it is important to remember
that informational interviews are for enlightenment and NOT
employment purposes. This means keeping your resume to yourself
unless someone specifically asks for it. When sending an email, make
sure to state who you are and why you are reaching out in the body of
the text and subject line. Include your email address and telephone
number so they have options for future communications. Request only a
short amount of their time, about 15 minutes, if you choose to talk
over the phone. Remember, be concise; this individual may read a
million emails a day.
Set Aside Time and
Money for Travel
I have personally
conducted informational interviews in places where I hope to start my
career. If you would like and have the means to do so, set up an
in-person informational interview with someone in your ideal
location. Be sure to do this a few weeks in advance and specify how
long you will be in the city in your initial email. I went to New
York City last summer to explore and set up informational interviews
prior to the visit. It was a great way to learn about my interests,
how the industry thrives in the big city and what challenges were
present in that location. You can also do in-person interviews
locally and Skype is definitely a cost-efficient tool. Propose
whatever options you would like in your initial email.
Ask Plenty of Good
Questions
You’ve done all of
the background work to set up an amazing informational interview.
Don’t forget to ask great questions! Because this form of
interviewing is pretty informal, feel free to ask about the things
you truly don’t know. This could include obstacles, prior job
experiences, work expectations, salaries (don’t ask the interviewee
their specific salary, just the industry standard!), etc. The goal is
to gain as much insight as possible and develop a relationship with
real-life conversations.
Follow Up
Consistently
Informational interviews are great
for networking and having open discussions but the communication
shouldn’t stop once the interview is over. Immediately send a thank
you note with specific points from the conversation. Make a genuine
effort to keep in contact with your connections on a consistent
basis. You never know when you’ll need more advice or how you can
equally benefit one another.
Informational interviews are very
helpful for those who truly want to discover the next step in their
career. Like many other things, you have to make the most of an
informational interview and the people you choose to speak with.
You’ll be surprised by how many people are willing to share their
stories and professional experiences with students. It’s never too
late to be educated by those who are living your dreams. Keep in mind
that you also don’t have to wait until you’ve graduated to reach
out for these opportunities. The earlier, the better. So go for it,
ask and you shall receive.
About the contributor: Aurian Shervington, known by many as "Auri", is a recent graduate of the
University of South Florida's Sport and Entertainment Management MBA
program. She's currently pursuing a career in entertainment marketing
and PR in, where else, the concrete jungle. Auri has also been featured on All She Wrote as a Feature Friday PR girl of the week. When she's not keeping up
with all things pop culture and music-related, you can find her
binge-watching a Netflix original series or trying local exotic foods.
Connect with Auri on: LinkedIn | Twitter(photo credit: Black Enterprise)
No comments:
Post a Comment