The Informational Interview

An informational interview can mean two different things.  One type refers to an interview for information about a potential new career.  It is a very helpful tool if you are thinking about a possible career change and are looking for some information about a particular field or company.  Another informational interview is a collaborative discussion between you and a company representative. It is a type of "feeling each other out" type of scenario.  The company may or may not have any openings but may be able to create one based upon your credentials and match (and who you know).  This second type of informational interview is not unusual and it happens quite often in a company.

Since informational interviews are usually the result of networking contacts, it is important for you to let everyone know that you are available and are open to discussions.  A good place to start is with your family members, friends, neighbors, volunteer acquaintances, former peers, managers, vendors and career networking groups.  Another source consists of the people you know from professional organizations and those that you may have met at various trainings or conferences.  Tell them that you are looking for work and ask them for the names of people that you can contact.  Enlist their support by giving them a copy of your resume (paper and electronic) and ask them to forward it or better yet, hand deliver it to the contact with a note on your qualifications.

Whatever level position you are, there are several steps to follow in the informational interview:

1.    Do your homework on the company. Read up on new products, services, mergers, changes within the organization.

2.    Ask questions, provide examples of your accomplishments*

3.   Be aware and considerate of time constraints.

4.    Follow up with a thank you note.

*Depending on the type of informational interview, your questions will vary. 

I've posted several articles about informational interviewing in the past and they include some examples of the types of questions you may want to ask.

Nancy Range Anderson

Nancy Range Anderson, a photo by pplflickr on Flickr.

Local Independent Authors Day. March, 2011.

A Novel Way to Respond to an Interview Question

Interviewing - we're taught how to answer the questions with behavioral STAR (Specific, Task, Actions, Results) stories and to ask just the "right" questions.  Take a look at this great article  in Jibber Jobber on taking your interview responses a step further.  It is something to think about and practice.
For more information on behavioral interviewing and the types of questions to ask in an interview, please take a look at some of the archived blogs right here.

Career Transition

I just read this quote from a friend on my Facebook page and thought of the many people who are going through difficult times; especially with job loss. With me, I at first felt sorry for myself.  As a person who has always thought that things happen for a reason though, I wondered what this new "adventure" would mean. I would soon learn that there was a purpose for me and for that I will be forever grateful.

 “With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.” - Dr. Wayne Dyer

What about you?  How do you look at the transition that may be occurring in your life? 

Interview Turnoffs

What can kill a great interview? Here are a few that I can think of.  Can you add to it?

1.   Failing to be prepared with specific examples of your skill set including your measurable accomplishments. These should be related to the job requirements that are stated in the open position.

2.   Neglecting to research the company and prepare questions related to both the company and the open position. The following questions are helpful:

      a. What are the short and long term goals of the company?
b. What is the vision of the department?
c. What is the company environment like?
d. What concerns need to be addressed immediately?
e. What do you see happening with this position for the next 3 to 6 months?
f. What are the particular attributes needed to succeed in this job?
g. What are the challenges a person coming to this job will face?

3.  Leaving your common sense at home by:

a  Wearing to much cologne or hairspray

b. Chewing gum

c. Forgetting to turn off your cell phone (not on vibrate).

d. Arriving late or too early.

e. Using words such as “like” or ending your responses in, “you know” or in a questioning
    tone.

f.  Avoiding eye contact.

g. Extending a weak hand shake

4.  Bad mouthing your former company, manager or co-workers.

5.  Bringing up discussion around salary or benefits in without being prompted. 

Tips for the College Grad

Usually this time of year I think back to my graduation from college. It was a whirl of exams, student teacher evaluations and parties.  Those four years of preparing for my future passed by in a flash.  The next thing I knew I was creating my resume and sending it to every elementary school I could think of. 

Times have changed but the hopes and dreams of new college graduates haven’t. What can a recent college graduate do if he or she doesn't have a lot of work experience?  Here are some thoughts...

Many times recent graduates focus on grades or internships and discount any other activities or former jobs.  While experience and grades are important, an area that few consider is their "transferable job skills". When preparing a resume or for an interview, college students should also highlight the skills, knowledge or behaviors that they developed as a member of a team, group, volunteer organization or from a summer or part-time job.  Considering the tasks involved in any of these activities may reveal any number of leadership, teamwork, communication, project management, or organization skills; all highly valued in today’s workplace and highly transferable. 

For example, I assisted a recent graduate develop a resume that was focused on an entry level marketing position.  While he had a short term internship as a marketing/communication professional, he never realized that as a summer camp counselor he had also developed a number of critical skills that could be transferred to a business career.  As a counselor he was responsible for organizing a flag football team for thirty campers.  In this role he ordered equipment, budgeted, planned, scheduled, advertised and counseled his team. By including these skills, along with his specific accomplishments related to them on his resume, he was granted an interview and subsequently received a job offer.

Take a good look at your skill set, especially your transferable skills.  These will help get you in the job market.

 

Sunday Morning Fun (Song Included!)

Everyone has a bad day at work.  The kind of day where you want to scream, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!" When one of those days (and they really weren't that often) happened to come along, I would have this wacky fantasy. In it, I would have just won the Powerball lottery, hijack the company intercom system and play this song. That fantasy gave me a laugh.  It never happened like that but I still smile when I think about it. 

How about you, what is your work related fantasy?