Informed search rewards seekers
Laura Babbitt
Issue date: 5/27/09 Section: News
Job seekers that jump straight to Craigslist and Monster for a job search overlook a better way to find work.
One of the best ways to learn about careers is through informational interviewing, said Eileen O'Brien, counselor and coordinator of the Career Services Center. She points to Richard Bolles, author of the popular career guide "What Color is Your Parachute," for proof.
"The most dependable and up-to-date information on jobs and careers is not found in books or the Internet," Bolles writes. It's found by going out and talking with people."
Bolles coined the phrase "informational interview" for talking to people with jobs that interest you to see if they fit you.
One in 200 resumes mailed results in a job offer, while one in 12 informational interviews results in a job offer, according to Bolles.
Several graduates have told O'Brien they don't want to do the work their degree prepared them for, and they now need a certificate.
"'Well, do you even know what that is?'" she says. "'Maybe you should go out and talk to some people before you commit to this program just to make sure that that is exactly what you want to do.'"
A student in an optical lens technician program visited lab managers at Pearl Vision and Lens Crafters for informational interviews, O'Brien said. He contacted them every few months, and when he finished school six months later, he had two job offers waiting for him. He didn't have to look for work because the employers already knew him.
To start informational interviewing, ask acquaintances if they know someone with a job that interests you.
"It's a little less threatening to ask someone you know to help you to find someone in that field," O'Brien said.
If that is slow or unsuccessful, the next step is to call companies that you are interested in.
That approach is more like a cold call, O'Brien said. The Career Center has an handout on informational interviewing with scripts on how to call and what to say.
One of the best ways to learn about careers is through informational interviewing, said Eileen O'Brien, counselor and coordinator of the Career Services Center. She points to Richard Bolles, author of the popular career guide "What Color is Your Parachute," for proof.
"The most dependable and up-to-date information on jobs and careers is not found in books or the Internet," Bolles writes. It's found by going out and talking with people."
Bolles coined the phrase "informational interview" for talking to people with jobs that interest you to see if they fit you.
One in 200 resumes mailed results in a job offer, while one in 12 informational interviews results in a job offer, according to Bolles.
Several graduates have told O'Brien they don't want to do the work their degree prepared them for, and they now need a certificate.
"'Well, do you even know what that is?'" she says. "'Maybe you should go out and talk to some people before you commit to this program just to make sure that that is exactly what you want to do.'"
A student in an optical lens technician program visited lab managers at Pearl Vision and Lens Crafters for informational interviews, O'Brien said. He contacted them every few months, and when he finished school six months later, he had two job offers waiting for him. He didn't have to look for work because the employers already knew him.
To start informational interviewing, ask acquaintances if they know someone with a job that interests you.
"It's a little less threatening to ask someone you know to help you to find someone in that field," O'Brien said.
If that is slow or unsuccessful, the next step is to call companies that you are interested in.
That approach is more like a cold call, O'Brien said. The Career Center has an handout on informational interviewing with scripts on how to call and what to say.
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