Networking | Informational Interviews

Creating Community (aka Networking)

What is networking and why is it important?

Networking is simply getting to know people. When you strike up a conversation with a new classmate, meet a friend of a friend, or catch up with a former coworker, you are networking. It’s all about building connections with people who may share your interests and from whom you can learn. It’s about being curious, asking questions, letting people help you, and helping others when you can. It’s about community!

Talking with people and learning from their experiences can help you explore career options, get to know future colleagues, gain advice for your career, and uncover unadvertised employment opportunities.

There is a lot of competition out there, so take the time to build a professional community that can help. Connect with people, ask for advice, and follow up if you are referred to others. Many jobs don’t get posted; talking with professionals and letting them know of your interests and abilities has the potential to lead you to your next employment opportunity!

How do I build my community?

Your network begins with the people you know, like your friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and professors. People in your network don’t need to be working in your career field. Everyone you connect with has a network which might include people working in your field that they can refer you to. Once you find professionals you would like to talk with about their work, ask for an informational interview. Below are some examples of how to find people to speak with:

• Make a list of people who are already a part of your network (remember, they do not need to be working in your career area of interest). Reach out to these people and let them of your interests and ask for referrals to professionals, companies, and opportunities to investigate.
• Use a social media platform such as LinkedIn to research professionals you want to talk with and learn from. (LinkedIn can also be a useful tool for finding UO alumni—a group you already share a common experience with because you both attended the UO!)
• Follow up with guest speakers and panelists from your classes and events that you enjoyed learning from.
• Volunteer with agencies that interest you. You never know who might be working with you on a project.
• Join a student group to meet peers and professionals with similar interests.
• Attend professional association meetings and conferences.
• Attend college and campus-wide events. Don’t miss the College of Design’s Career Week held annually winter term!

Tips for connecting:

• Focus on building relationships; be authentic and considerate.
• Be intentional and proactive. Don't leave networking to chance. Create a list of people you would like to contact.
• Make reaching out and connecting with others a habit that you do on an ongoing basis.
• Don't take "no" personally. Most people want to help, but sometimes the timing just isn't right. If someone has to say no, don't take it personally and move on to your next contact.
• Develop (and practice) your "elevator pitch." Write a brief summary of what you want people to know about you, e.g., your degree, career interests/skills, what you are seeking.
• Nurture your network. Follow up with your contacts. If they offered advice and you acted on it, let them know how it impacted you. Appreciate help offered and say thank you.
• Find ways to reciprocate. Your ultimate goal is to cultivate mutually beneficial relationships.

Informational Interviews

Unlike an employment interview for an internship or job, in an informational interview, you are the interviewer. It is your opportunity to learn from a professional with direct knowledge of the work you are curious about. Use informational interviewing to help you explore options, understand the work culture of companies that interest you, gain advice from experts in the field, and build your network of professional contacts.

Asking for a job should not be your objective for this type of interview. Focus on information gathering and relationship building and avoid actions like offering your résumé (unless you are asked for it). An exception is if your interviewee steers the conversation to employment. You can then follow the interviewee’s lead.

Steps:

1.      Strategies for finding interviewees:

• Ask friends, family, faculty, advisors, members of campus and community groups you belong to, etc., for referrals to people they know who work in the career field you are researching. Everyone you know has a network; however, they can't help you find people if you don't let them know what you are searching for.
• Research online for organizations that employ people in the career field you are exploring. When reviewing company websites, search for a staff list. If one is available, review the job titles of the employees. Who has a job title related to what you want to learn about?
• Try an online networking platform like LinkedIn. Search by company, career field, or the UO LinkedIn page and its alumni tab to identify professionals to speak with.

2.      Conduct research prior to asking for a meeting:

• Learn about your interviewee. If a bio is available on their company website, review it. Search LinkedIn for a profile or other social media sites for information about them. This will allow you to confirm your interest in the professional and help you explain in your invitation why you want to talk with them.
• Use the knowledge you’ve gained through your research to help you write interview questions and show your commitment to this process.

3.      Initiate the meeting:

• Send a message to the professional letting them know who you are, what you want, and why you are interested in talking with them specifically. If you were referred to them by someone in your network or you have had previous contact with them, e.g., in a class, mention this in your invitation.

4.      Prepare questions in advance:

• Design your questions to get the answers that will clarify if this is the career and/or organization for you. Because you will have limited time, be selective and create questions that are the most meaningful to you. Below are some examples:
   

5.       The day of the interview

• Be punctual. Consider your presentation/clothing and show your interviewee that you are invested in this process.
• To help you remember your questions, make a list of them to guide the conversation. If you like, take notes but don’t let notetaking interfere with listening, asking questions, and engaging your interviewee in conversation.
• Telephone: Rely on your voice to express your interest and enthusiasm and listen closely so you avoid talking over your interviewee.
• Video: Find a quiet space with a neutral background and good lighting. Position your camera at eye level and make eye contact with the camera. Show yourself from the waist or chest up so your head doesn’t appear to be floating.

6.      Follow-up

• Evaluate the interview. Ask yourself how you currently feel about this occupation/organization. Do you want to keep researching this career path and/or employer?
• Write a thank-you note to the person you interviewed and to anyone else who was helpful to you.
• Keep in touch by following up with your interviewee to let them know how their help has been of service and how you are doing with your career exploration or job search. Plan on conducting multiple informational interviews in each career field you explore. It is important to get more than one point of view. If applicable, talk with people in various work settings to understand the differences (e.g., government, private sector, non-profit).