Career Connections

• Job Shadowing - read real interviews from people (jobs they do and the careers they have).

• LinkedIn - A superb resource for finding alumni for informational interviews.

• Directory of Associations - A database of over 35,000 links to professional associations. These organizations provide structured opportunities to meet individuals in a particular industry or career, and may provide special opportunities for students.

• ​Career Fairs - allow you to meet a variety of employers; check the Career Center Calendar (home page) or the Job Resources page for listings.

• Volunteering - You get hands on experience in the field and can find out if you are really interested. For example, think you'd like to be a veterinarian? –> Volunteer at the animal shelter or a vet clinic.

• Community Service Opportunities - Volunteering on a community service project can also provide opportunities for career exploration, professional networking, and skill building.

Often the most current and specific information about a career field may not be available online. The best information comes from people who are actually working in that career field.

An informational interview is an informal conversation you can have with someone working in an area of interest to you. It is an effective research tool and is best done after preliminary online research.

It is not a job interview, and the objective is not to find job openings. You may feel awkward reaching out to people you don't know. However, most people actually enjoy taking a few moments out of their day to reflect on their professional life and give advice to someone with an interest in their field.

Benefits of Informational Interviewing

• Get firsthand, relevant information about the realities of working within a particular field, industry or position. This kind of information is not always available online.

• Find out about career paths you did not know existed.

• Get tips and insider knowledge about how to prepare for and land your first career position.

• Learn what it’s like to work at a specific organization.

• Initiate a professional relationship and expand your network of contacts in a specific career field; meet people who may forward job leads to you in the future.

Six Steps of Informational Interviewing

• Research Career Fields

  • Do some initial research on the career field or employer using the internet and/or print resources.

• Identify People to Interview

  • Pursue your own contacts (people you already know, even if they aren't in fields of interest to you, can lead you to people who are). This includes family, friends, teachers, or former employers.

  • Identify Meadowdale alumni to contact; Utilize LinkedIn to find them.

• Prepare for the Interview

  • Develop a brief introduction of yourself and your hopes for the meeting.

  • Plan open-ended questions to ask.

• Initiate Contact

  • Contact the person by email or phone; mention how you got his or her name.

  • Ask whether it's a good time to talk for a few minutes; emphasize you are looking for information, not a job.

  • Be ready to ask questions on the spot.

• Conduct the Informational Interview

  • Bring your list of questions and take notes if you like.

  • Restate that your objective is to get information and advice, not a job.

  • Give a brief overview of yourself and your education and/or work background.

  • Be prepared to direct the interview, but also let the conversation flow naturally.

  • Respect the persons time.

  • Ask the person if you may contact them again in the future with additional questions.

  • Ask for names of other people to meet so as to gain different perspectives.

• Follow-Up

  • Keep records. Write down what you learned, what you'd still like to know, and what next steps should be.

  • Send a thank-you note within 1-2 business days to express your appreciation for the time/information.

  • Keep in touch with the person, especially if you had a particularly nice interaction. This person could become an important part of your network.

Did you know - meeting with the Career Center, you can:

• Develop your "elevator pitch" for introducing yourself in networking situations.

• Create a strategy for approaching and speaking with possible connections.

• Learn to create or improve your LinkedIn profile, an essential networking tool.