Page 25 - Carlson School GBCC Career Guide

Informational Interviews
NETWORKING
Informational interviews are an essential component of your career success and one of the most powerful forms of networking. These are one-on-one meetings (usually in-person) that allow you to ask questions from someone who is closer to your ideal job than you are. As a student, you should make a goal to conduct as many informational interviews as you can.
Informational Interview Process
1
A contact is anyone closer to doing your dream job than you are. That may mean that you reach out to your cousin’s wife for an informational interview because she works at a company you like, even if she’s not in your dream job. Or contact a classmate who worked previously in finance, even though you are interested in a different industry. Always grow your networking list. Identify contacts in these various circles and work your way from the outside towards the middle.
2 REQUEST a meeting
A good guideline when requesting an informational interview
is to make it as easy as possible for the contact to agree to a meeting. Be sure to be professional and humble in your tone. A request for an informational interview should always include:
• Who you are – a student/alumni of the Carlson School, David’s cousin, Professor Yang’s former student, etc.
• Why you are writing – you’re interested in their line of work/ company/industry and you’d like to learn more.
IDENTIFY
contacts
IDENTIFYING CONTACTS
People you know
People you don’t know
People in your target company/industry/job
People with power
• Friends and family
• Social contacts
• Professional contacts
• Referrals from previous contacts
• Alumni—identify through
Carlson’s LinkedIn group
or your undergraduate institution
• Ask to be introduced
• Meet before they are hiring • Learn more about their
needs first
• Articulate your value
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Carlson School of Management