CONDUCTING SUCCESSFUL INFORMATION-ONLY INTERVIEWS

For those of you still pondering what you will do with "the rest of your life," one of the most beneficial things you could do with your time is exploring career options.  Books, magazines, and trade journals can help somewhat in giving you a bit of the "flavor" of what different industries and jobs are like, but the best way to get the inside scoop in the types of jobs you may like is by actually experiencing them in one way or another.

Of course, internships, volunteer work, and co-op jobs get you right into the nitty-gritty of the job, but they take a little bit of time - which you may or may not have at the moment.  The next best way to learn about a job is by talking to the people who perform it every day.

Information-only interviews are initiated and controlled by you.  You ask the questions; the type of work the employee does, the company itself, the industry in general, whatever interests you about the particular job or field. 

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO EXPLORE?
First, think about the type of work that you would like to do.  If you really have no idea what you would like to do, get some books from the library or book store on this subject.  What Color Is Your Parachute? (by Bolles) and Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow. (by Sinetar) are two good examples.  Also, talk to a Career Counselor at the PA CareerLink.  Discuss your interests and skills that you already have.  They will suggest you take an assessment called the SAGE (System for Assessment Group Evaluation).  The SAGE will take into consideration your cognitive abilities, vocational interests, and vocational apitudes to give you some employment suggestion you probably haven't thought of.  Best of all . . . it's free.

DO SOME RESEARCH
Next, use the internet, library, or someone you know, to find all the information you can on your selected jobs, companies, or industries.  The more you know, the better focused you can be when making your questions during the information-only interviews.
With information-only interviewing, there is no limit on the number of types of careers you can explore.  If you have time, there are interviews to be had.

WHO DO YOU WANT TO TALK TO?
Once you have decided on a particular area to explore, your need to identify the specific person or people you want to take to.  To identify the people, you may need to call the main phone number at a company to find out the name of the manager of the department you are interested in.  The professional association responsible for your area of interest may also be able to help you located people to talk to - or they may even have a list available of people willing to talk to students.

ASK FOR THE INTERVIEW
Once you have identified whom you would like to talk to, you need to ask them for an interview.  Call the person, explain the reason for the call, (that you want to explore different career possibilities by speaking with people about what they do in their jobs) and ask if they would grant you a brief information-only interview.

Many people will not grant interviews because they may have previously granted an "information-only" interview to someone who came in and pushed for a job.  Make it very clear that you are not looking for a job, just information, and that you would appreciate them taking the time to share their views of their field.

Ensure the manager, also, that the interview will take less than twenty minutes.  Don't ask for an hour or even a half-hour or their time - they are busy people.  If you and the manager hit it off during the interview, it may run longer, but leave that up to them - don't try to force it on them.

PREPARE FOR THE INTERVIEW
Just because this is an information-only interview, don't feel that you don't need to prepare for it.  You should know everything you can about the company, the industry and current trends, and the job itself.

Think about what you want to find out and write down the question you want to ask so you won't forget any. 

Dress for the interview just as you would for a real job interview.  You're not asking for a job, but look and act professionally; you might make an impression that could get you a job there someday.

WHAT TO ASK
Some questions you might want to ask include:

1. What is your educational and career background?
2. How did you get interested in and involved in this line of work? 
3. How did you conduct your job search?
4. What do you like most and least about your job or field?
5. What is the employment outlook for your field?
6. How do you keep up with the changes and trends in the field?
7. What are the most important issues affecting the industry or your company?

Most people are flattered that you're interested in their job and respect their opinion.  Don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions - just remember your time limit and don't get too personal.

LAST THOUGHTS
Although the interview is not for a job, if you demonstrate a sincere interest, have obviously done your homework and have some skills that could be used in the job, don't be surprised if they show an interest in you.  Don't ask for a job during the interview, but if you think you might like to work there, ask if you could apply later for a job and who to contact at that time.  Always follow up with a not thanking them for their time.

Put them on your list of network contacts and keep in touch with them.

BUILDING A STRONG RESUME

Although networking is the best way to find the job you want, a strong resume is a must if you want to get one of the really plum jobs.  When you aren’t there to “WOW” you potential employers with your accomplishments and terrific attitude, your résumé has to do the talking for you.

HIGHLIGHT YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Employers are usually not looking at your academic record to see if you “fit” the job they have open.  “Book learning” is not as valuable to most employers as your experience, accomplishments, and attitude toward work.  Yes, they will look at this if it is criteria for the position, but experience, accomplishments, and attitude weigh more heavily. If you have these attributes AND have recently updated your “book learning”, you will have a definite “leg-up” on the other applicants.
To make your resume appear stronger than your peers’, highlight your accomplishments.  Statements like “Participated in Girl Scout cookie fundraiser” is not as impressive compared to “Had the highest sales nationally for the Girl Scouts cookie fundraiser” or “Managed twelve volunteer salespeople to the highest regional cookie sales”.  This demonstrates your ability to get quality work done – and that’s what every company wants it's employees to do.
Use numbers wherever possible to demonstrate accomplishments, such as “Supervised 7 part-time workers or volunteers,” “Increased productivity by 29%,” or “Gave presentations at six regional conferences.”
Be sure to include special school projects, research, internships, and volunteer work.  Mention company, organization, or individual names that are impressive which are also related to the work you did.
SHOW STABILITY - Another thing that employers are concerned about is your stability.  When coming right out of school, it may be difficult to demonstrate this.  Put on your thinking cap.
Have you volunteered on a regular basis at the local hospital?  Have you been a library assistant or a club officer?  Have you held a part-time job while attending school?  Employers realize that most people don’t have full-time employment when going to school, but will value the work ethic.
ACCOUNT FOR ALL TIME PERIODS - Along the same lines as stability, employers want to see that you have not had any time gaps unaccounted for on your resume.  If you spent a summer traveling in Europe, say so.  Foreign experience is valuable to a global company – especially if you understand local customs – and it explains why you don’t have a job listed.
Attending school either full- or part-time, volunteering for a full-time project, travelling, caring for a sick family member, conducting research for a personal project . . . all are legitimate ways to spend your time.  Don’t be afraid to say so on your resume.
SUMMARIZE YOUR VALUES - Many books and counselors still recommend that a Job Objective appear at the top of every resume.  The objective states what type of job the applicant is looking for.  Think about this.  Some busy managers will only read the first section of the resume, the objective, and if it doesn’t match the job that they have available, will toss your resume to the side.  They many never find out that you actually have every quality and skill they are looking for.
To give yourself a fighting chance when that busy manager picks up your resume, you quickly sum up your most valuable accomplishments, skills and experiences in a Professional Summary statement. It should be no more than about three sentences, but should mention things like, “Excels in data analysis”, “Proven sales ability”, “Detail oriented in reports and presentations”, etc. – whatever is applicable.
INCLUDE ALL LANGUAGE SKILLS - With more companies going global these days, any language skills you have can be very valuable.  Indicate whether or not you can read, speak, write, and/or translate.  You don’t have to be able to do everything to be an asset to the company.
ARE YOU A TEAM PLAYER? – Demonstrate your teamwork abilities by indicating your participation on special projects.  If you were an officer for a club, team leader, headed or participated on a work project, that should be prominent in your Summary.
Teaching, tutoring, mentoring, lab assistance, research assistance, etc., can be valuable as well.  Since office technology and business procedures/techniques change quickly, having someone in the company who is able to communicate these things to others is an asset. 
This by no means is a complete guide to resume writing, it is only meant to show ways to make your current resume stronger.
(Excerpts of information came from the “Dose of Reality” Series.)

STRATEGIES FOR A SUCCESSFUL INTERNSHIP

 

STEP 1 

Identify What Your Internship Needs Are

 

• Do you want to explore different industries?
• What size company do you want to work for?
• What, specifically, do you want to learn from your internship?
• Do you have to earn some money during your internship or can you afford to do it unpaid?  Unpaid internships increase your opportunities.

 

STEP 2 

Identify What You Have to Offer

 

• What are your strongest skills?
• Do you already have some experience in a related position?
• What skills can be transferred to the professional work environment?  Volunteer work, clubs, etc.

 

STEP 3 

Find or Create An Internship

• Research opportunities through your CareerLink, school, friends, previous employers, etc. – everyone you have contact with.
• Or create an opportunity by writing to a company that you want to work with and offer your services; do they have a volunteer department?

 

STEP 4 

Get Commitment and Make Final Arrangements

• Put all details – hours, responsibilities, pay (if any) – in writing to the sponsoring company.
• If you are interviewed, take note of what employees wear – you will want to look like them.

 

STEP 5 

Prepare for Your First Day

• Assemble at least three outfits that are as similar as possible to what employees wear, so you won’t look like a temporary intern.
• Have extra copies of your resume.
• Scope out alternate routes to the office in case of traffic tie-ups.
• Get a notepad and pen to carry around with you.
• Double check that you have done all that is necessary to begin your internship; vaccines, criminal background checks, etc.

 

STEP 6 

Your First Day

• Get up early, with plenty of time to prepare.
• Leave home extra early – better to arrive early and walk around the block than to arrive late.
• Be ready to jump in and start working right from the beginning.

 

STEP 7 

Make an Impression

• Never arrive late, leave early, or take all the allotted time for lunch.
• Dress and act like a paid employee, even if you are unpaid.
• Keep your notepad and pen with you at all times to take notes of people’s names and titles,  list of the duties your assigned, deadlines your given, etc.
• Offer your opinions only when asked, but offer solutions and useful information when appropriate.
• Put forth your best effort in everything you’re asked to do, not matter how trivial the task may seem to you.
• Never hand in the first draft of any written work – put tremendous energy into accuracy, thoroughness, attention to detail, especially grammar and spelling.
• If you’re not very busy ask for more work – but take only as much as you can do at a high level of quality.

 

STEP 8 

Make the Most of the Experience

• Try to meet as many people as possible without detracting from your assigned duties.
• If your given duties unrelated to what you thought your were there to learn, talk to your supervisor – this is why duties should be spelled out in writing beforehand.
• Ask a lot of questions about the company, the industry, the various types of jobs available in the company, the most valued skills.
• Observe office “politics.”  The receptionist is often the most valuable person to know.  See if you spot any unusual efforts to avoid people or topics of discussion that may clue you in to potential problems in the office.

 

STEP 9 

When It’s All Over

• Thank everyone who helped you in anyway (including secretaries) both in person and in writing at the end of your internship.
• Update your resume with this new experience.  Highlight your accomplishments, not just the skills you utilized or learned.
• add the people you met to you list of network contacts.  Plan to keep in touch with them.

(This information came from the “Dose of Reality” series.)