What is a Informational Interview?

Informational Interviewing

Overview
Benefits of Informational Interviewing
Six Steps for Informational Interviewing

Overview

Often the most current information about a career field, especially in a specific geographic location, may not be available in print or online resources. The best information comes from people who are actually working in that career field.
An informational interview is an informal conversation with someone working in an area of interest to you who will give you information and advice. It is an effective research tool in addition to reading books, exploring the Internet and examining job descriptions. It is not a job interview, and the objective is not to find job openings.
You may feel awkward making arrangements to talk with people you don't know about their work. However, most people actually enjoy taking a few moments out of their day to reflect on their professional life and to give advice to someone with an interest in their field.

Real-Life Example: Finding a Person to InterviewA student developed an interest in marketing but wasn't sure how to find people in the field to talk to. She had worked as a clerk/typist in the payroll office of University Extension for several years.
She decided to talk over her career interests with her supervisor, who pointed out that Extension had a marketing department and that she'd be happy to introduce her to the director. This "right in your own back yard" referral led to a great informational interview and lots of other contacts.

Benefits of Informational Interviewing

• Get firsthand, relevant information about the realities of working within a particular field, industry or position. This kind of information is not always available online or in print.
• Find out about career paths you did not know existed.
• Discover what others with your same major are doing in their careers.
• Get tips about how to prepare for and enter a given career.
• Improve your communication skills and confidence speaking with professionals.
• Learn what it’s like to work at a specific organization.
• Gain knowledge that can help you in a job search. Resume writing and job interviewing become much easier when you have a good sense of what interests you and how your background and skills match the qualifications of a particular field, industry or job.
• Initiate a professional relationship and expand your network of contacts in a specific career field; meet people who may forward job leads to you in the future.
• Learn about how others have balanced their work and other priorities.

Six Steps for Informational Interviewing

Research Career Fields

• Do some initial research on the career field or employer using internet and print resources.

Identify people to interview

• Pursue your own contacts. People you already know, even if they aren't in fields of interest to you, can lead you to people who are. This includes family, friends, teaching assistants, professors and former employers.
• Call organizations directly or visit their website for the name of someone working within a particular area of interest.
• Visit the Career Center'sInformation Lab to review employer directories, past job listing binders and other resources.
• Read newspaper and magazine articles.
• Contact professional or trade associations.
• Identify names of Cal alumni. Berkeley graduates will often take a special interest in Cal students. Utilize the @cal Career Network to connect with Cal alums.

Prepare for the interview

• Develop a short (15-30 second) overview of yourself, including your reasons for contacting this person, as a way to introduce yourself and define the context of the meeting.
• Plan open-ended questions to ask.

Initiate contact

• Contact the person by phone (see Sample Telephone Script below) or email (seeSample Email (PDF)).
• Mention how you got his or her name.
• Ask whether it’s a good time to talk for a few minutes.
• Emphasize that you are looking for information, not a job.
• Ask for a convenient time to have a 20-30 minute appointment.
• Be ready to ask questions on the spot if the person says it is a good time for him/her and that s/he won’t be readily available otherwise.

Sample Telephone Script Requesting An Informational Interview Hello. My name is Jane Wilson and I'm a junior majoring in English at UC Berkeley. Is this a good time for you to talk briefly? I heard you speak at an event sponsored by the Undergraduate Marketing Association last semester. Although I am not currently looking for a job, I have become very interested in public relations and would like to find out as much as I can about the field. Would it be possible to schedule 20 to 30 minutes with you at your convenience to ask you a few questions and get your advice on how best to prepare to enter the field?

Conduct the informational interview

• Dress neatly and appropriately, as you would for a job interview in the particular industry or field.
• Arrive on time or a few minutes early, especially if you are meeting in an unfamiliar setting.
• Restate that your objective is to get information and advice, not a job.
• Be ready to give a brief overview of yourself and your education and/or work background.
• Be prepared to direct the interview, but also let the conversation flow naturally, and encourage the interviewee to do most of the talking.
• Start with your most pressing questions.
• Listen well and show genuine interest in what the person has to say.
• Take notes if you'd like.
• Respect the person's time. Keep the appointment length within the time span that you requested.
• Ask the person if you may contact him or her again in the future with other questions.
• Always ask for names of other people to talk to for additional information or a different perspective.

Note: You can bring a resume, but don’t take it out right away or lead with questions about it or your interviewee may think you’re actually fishing for a job opportunity. You may wish to ask for input about it at some point in the interview, but first make sure you’ve established a comfortable rapport with the person.

Follow-up

• Keep records. Right after the interview write down or type up what you learned (including the suggestions or advice given to you), what more you'd like to know and your reactions in terms of how this industry, field or position would "fit" with your lifestyle, interests, skills and future career plans.
• Send a thank-you note within 1-2 days to express your appreciation for the time and information given. Based on whether the informational interview was relatively informal or more businesslike, this may be a brief handwritten note, an email, or a business letter (seeSample Thank You Letter (PDF)).
• Keep in touch with the person, especially if you had a particularly nice interaction; let him or her know that you followed up on their advice and how things are going as a result. This relationship could become an important part of your network.

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This page last updated 8/2/2010 (dz)

Chapter 3 Assignment

1. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
     I agree with this above statement by Katharine Brooks. According to the book" if we consider your thoughts to be just as tangible as the book, then you can examine them and make deliberate choice in how you think. The field of cognitive behavioral psychology has demonstrated that how we think directly influences how we feel." This means that when our attitudes changes our behaviors chane and this will influences our performance.

2. Right mind thinking creates a positive chain to success
      To have the right mind set one will have a positive approach to challenging situation. Because of having a positive mind set then one will be able to  suceed or adjust  at any given situation.

3.Flexible thinkers are natural experimenters
     I agree with this quote that "flexible thinkers are natural experimenters" These persons are normally alert curious and wanting to explore. They just don't  take answers what you give to them but instead the probe for answers beneath the surface of the problem. Most time these person turn out to be leaders and will attract other person to them.

How to write a Resume

Instructions:

              1  Place your contact infromation at the beginning of your resume. Include your name, address that is professional, not him

             2. State your objective and goals, including how you think you would be an asset to the company or instituation.
             3. List your previous postions in chronological order. Be sure to incorporate accomplishment such as groundbreaking studies or successful projects.
             4.If relevant to your specific research job, mention publications you write or supported with research.
             5. Boast about any awards you have received special groups you've participated in or projects that had a major impact on your department. Awards and special mentions show your employers.
             6. Include your computer skills.
             
             7. Record all schools attended and degrees obtained.

This infromation came from the website. I hope it is usefull to someone. http:// www.ehow.com/hom_2046396write.resume_research_job.html.

Chater 2, 3 Quotes

Quote 1, The Knowlege One Acquire
         According to Katherine Brooks, " the knowlege one acquire in one area of your life can be applied to completely different setting." This is true because in some situation things will arise and it is the knowlege one learn from the past will help in the present world. It is also a fact that the knowlege that one acquire from one area of life one will used  to applied to a complete different situation. For example a college student was thought business in college he or she was not able to get a job out their in society. But one day that same student decides that he/ she is going to do his own business. This same knowlege that he/she gain, they are going to used it to thier  advantage to start their own business.

Quote 2,  Break away from the linear thinking to look for creative connections.
             Most times people will  follow the same path. No new way of thinking and breaking from  the old fashion way of doing things. At times one need to stand out, out of the crowd and be a leader. A leader must probe for answers beneath the surface of their knowlege and this is what creative thinkers do. They become the leader and think and find new ways for doing things.

Quote3, Open your mind to all kinds of idea.
           According to Brooks, "one must be open minded to new kind of ideas." One will be able to function well in society with new ideas. One would be different and uquie. In society today the more open -minded one is then one has a better chance to sore to great hights. The boss is looking for an indiviual that can handle the job well and do better than the rest of employees. This will open the doors for  a promotion on the job for the indiviual. It is good to know one's gift and talent it make the job load less and fun to work in the feild of the job. Having fun while doing ones job is the key to a successful life. 
          
           

Chapter I 3 QUOTES

Quote 1 A Butterfly Flaps its Wings and You Majored in What?
         According to the book called "You Majored in What by Katharine Brooks, " A Butterfly Flaps its Wings and You Find a Job" Sometimes one may find a job but it is not hundred present garantee that they are going to end up with the career major they study for in college. Sometimes one is going to be lead in a different path, a way from one's major. The skill that one develope in college will be a guide to help one function effectively  out their in society. According to Katherine Brooks, "thinking broadly about your options and being open -minded to new opportunities" is the way to look at life. This way one will be able better to function in society. Sometimes it is not a set path or plan that is going to work for an individual but sometimes there can be a change of direction in one's path.

Quote 2 Chaos Theory helps us to understand we can't predict the future.
           According to Katharine Brooks again, "chaos theory helps us to understand we can't predict the futuer in greater detail." Many at times as indiviuals we try to predict the future but according to Katharine Brooks " something always will occure to interrupts the pattern." This is why one must be open to oppertunities and be well rounded in all areas of life. One must be adventerous and be willing to explore life.

Quote 3 Adapt to changes and not be defeated by it.
         Accordind to Brooks, "Adapt to changes and not be defeated by it." This is a very prowerful thought, this means that one must be able to survive in any given environment out there in the job world. One must not be over thrown by the present changes. One must be open minded to there present situation and learn quick to adapt to new oppertunities.

           

Cover letter sample

COVER LETTER
I have done three research on cover letter form the web sites; Academic Search complete, Lexisneis and wikapedia and they almost show the same results.
The heading  of the the cover letter must have your name on it then you put your address. For example,
Name: John Brown
Address:1105 East 68 st
state:
Zip:
Date:

Then put a second Address, Name, Title Company name, Adress City,State and Zip. The next step is to write Dear. Most time people would put Dear: Sir /Madam but according to research this is not wise it is best to find out the person name of the company you are writing to. The first thing to write in  the first paragraph  is your intest of career to which you are applying or the postion. Then mension your experience and the level you are at. You could also mension how resourceful, adaptable and self directed with the ability to handle even the most challenging situation.

In the second paragraph write about working relationships and how you are a critical thinker and can produce signficant contributes.

Thirdly mension about your enclosed resume and how you are looking forward for meeting arragments and you will call for any question  the director may have. Sign out with yours Sincerely, and your name. That is example of a sample cover letter.

I N F J

I Sodian Salmon did the Myer's personaly test i found out that i am a I.N.F.J which means Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling and Judmental. I think this survey is true about my personality because i am a person of order and discipline. Introverted wich means a peson which have to have some detail to make a decision, intrutive for having a made up mind, veruy emotional when it come to decision making and judgmental about things. It is just thet person i am maybe eventual i will change.

Reflection of Survey

I know for a fact that not all job surronding is comfortable. It can be noisey and uncomfortable setting to work in but one have to learn how to adjust in any giving situation of life. The job market today is very limited meaninig there is not enough jobs for everybody. As for me i would like to work in an environoment that is comfortable. This will help work to be more productive and well done. When a task is giving by the boss and it is well done then the boss will be please and there can be a promotion on the job. A promotion will give more money and one will be able to take care of his or her self to the fullest.