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Networking and Social Media

Networking and the Seven Steps | Samples | Social Media

Networking

Networking is a way of building and maintaining genuine relations with family, peers and colleagues. Anyone you know can be considered a part of your network, including peers from social and professional networking websites. When people within your network know you are job searching, you have a far greater chance of hearing about new job openings and securing employment. Building your network can happen through many means and settings -- socially, electronically, through career fairs and employer networking events.

If you are still trying to decide which direction to go on your career path or have decided to change careers, meeting with people who work in that field may help you decide if the job would be a good fit for you. If you already have a career in mind that you are pursuing, connecting with people who work in that field can help you with contacts and your job search process as well.

Informational interviews are a great way of learning more about a profession while simultaneously making contacts in that field. Through an informational interview, you can: get an insider's view of the profession, learn what people like and dislike about their jobs, get advice on how to prepare for a similar career, explore potential career options, and network with professionals while you are conducting a job search.

The following steps are a good guideline to follow when preparing to conduct informational interviews:

The Seven Steps

Step 1: Define Your Purpose

What information are you looking for? Determine for yourself whether you are interested in obtaining information and advice on career fields or if you are looking to develop a career network to assist in your job searching.

Step 2: Identify Your Contacts

Identify people in your life that might be able to assist you:

Relatives, friends, parents of friends, neighbors, members of social, civic or professional organizations in which you participate, current supervisors, professors, co-workers, guest lecturers, etc.

Step 3: Do Preliminary Research

Once you've identified your contacts, make sure you've researched their company and field. Most of your networking contacts will be more friendly and helpful if they recognize that you have made some effort to understand their organization/position prior to contacting them. Try not to waste their time by asking questions that you could have easily researched before your meeting. The web can be your best friend on this!

Step 4: Develop List(s) of Questions

Identify 5-10 questions that will solicit information useful to you. Check out the link below for a list of sample questions - make sure to edit these to meet your needs. However, you will only have a limited amount of time, so prioritize which questions to ask. Additionally, the questions you ask may change depending upon who you are interviewing.

Step 5: Make First Contact and Schedule the Interview

Your first interaction with potential contacts should always be to introduce yourself and request a 20-30 minute meeting for an informational interview. From that point, your goal is to establish a relationship, seeking information, not a job. You can reach out to your contacts in several ways:

Email is a great way to reach out to potential contacts; it is NOT a great way to conduct a networking and informational interview. You will get more information through an in-person or phone conversation. However, given busy schedules, you may not have a choice. When using email follow these simple guidelines:

Pay attention to proper etiquette, grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your email - it is a formal business correspondence.
Use a professional subject line such as, "CSU Student/Alumni Network Request."
Address your contacts by appropriate titles such as "Ms.", "Mr.", and "Dr."
Do not use informal instant messaging language or slang in your email.
Close your email with a professional closing such as "Sincerely," "Regards," or "Best," followed by your name.
Do not send mass emails. Send a unique and separate email to each of your contacts. You'll be more likely to get responses

Phone

Calling is also an appropriate way to schedule networking and informational interviews. Do not call expecting a network contact or an alum to have time to speak to you right then (although be prepared just in case), but ask if they would be willing to set up a meeting to talk about their career.

Step 6: Conduct Interviews

If you've followed all the steps above, you should be prepared to set the tone of your interview and ask most of the questions.

Dress and conduct yourself professionally. Be on time and DO NOT fail to keep your appointment. Restate your intentions.
If you already know that you are interested in this career field, your stated intentions might be to learn about the other person's career path and obtain their advice for breaking into the field and their list of top organizations to work for in this industry. However, if you have yet to determine a particular career field your goals for the meeting may be to learn about the different roles and jobs that are available in this industry or career field. Ask your questions and take notes.
Never ask for a job or a job interview. You can ask: "If I were to apply for a job with this organization, how would I go about doing it?" "What are good organizations in this field?" or "Is there someone else in this organization you might refer me to for an additional informational interview?"
If you are serious about the organization and the field of your contact person, you may want to bring a polished resume to the interview. If you need help with a resume, consider the CSU Career Center.
Think about asking for recommendations of other professional contacts that would be willing to speak with you to expand your network and help you with your search for information about careers.

Step 7: Follow-Up

Thank your contacts. Send a thank-you note within a day or two of your networking session/informational interview. Making the extra effort to write or e-mail a note will help you stand out in the person's memory.
Be organized. Keep an orderly list of your contacts and conversations. If you're not naturally organized, you'll quickly lose track of important information. It may be helpful to set up a personal database or to use index cards and a box.
Evaluate. What information do you now have about this kind of work? What are your next steps? Who will you contact next? How will you adjust your career plans and/or job search strategies based upon the information you gained? (Beware of relying too much on the advice of only one or two people.)
Keep your contacts informed of your progress. If somebody referred you to another contact that was particularly helpful, write to the original person and let them know.
Remember that networking is a mutually beneficial process. If you come upon a resource that you think one of your contacts would appreciate, pass it along to him or her.

Question Samples

Job Questions

How did this type of work interest you and how did you get started?
What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position?
What are the duties/responsibilities in your job?
What does a typical day or week look like for you? What percentage of your time is spent on which responsibilities?
What kind of problems do you deal with? What kinds of decisions do you make?
What knowledge, skills, abilities, and other qualifications are desirable for this job?
What do you view as the critical skills for a position in this field?
What is your favorite and least favorite element of your job?

Career Field Questions

What are typical entry-level jobs in this field?
What is the typical pattern of career development in this field?
What are the trends and hot issues in this field?
What journals or web sites do you regularly read to keep up with trends and developments in your field?

Lifestyle Questions

What obligations does your work place upon you, outside of the ordinary workweek? What are your working hours like?
How often do people in this field change jobs?
How much flexibility do you have in terms of dress, schedule, vacation, etc?

Career Preparation Advice

How did CSU prepare you for this work? What kind of background is necessary to enter this field?
How can I acquire the required skills? Are there courses, or experiences, paid or otherwise, which you would recommend?
If you were to hire someone to work with you today, what factors would be most important in your hiring decision and why?
Is a graduate degree recommended? Are there specific programs that are valued in this field?
What other related types of work should I consider and research?

Job Search Advice

Given my education and experience, would I be a competitive candidate for entry-level positions in this field?
How do you suggest that I break into this field?
Are there specific job search strategies or web sites that I should be utilizing? How can I identify advertised and unadvertised vacancies in this field?
What types of employers hire people in this line of work?
How can I identify/access both advertised and unadvertised vacancies in this field?
Can you suggest anyone else whom I can contact for additional information? May I use your name when I contact them?

Resume Review Questions

Is this an appropriate resume for the jobs I will be seeking? What about the length, paper quality, layout, print-type?
If an employer received this resume, how do you think she or he would react to it?
How might I best improve the form and content of my resume?

For more questions, check out the Quintessential Careers Information Interviewing Tutorial

Email and Telephone Samples

Email Example #1

Dear Ms. Hawson,

Greetings! I am a CSU alum of the class of 2006 with a degree in English. I found your name on the CSU Career Center LinkedIn group and was wondering if we could set up a time to speak, on the phone or in person, for a half an hour about your work and career path.

I am exploring my options for work and am interested in finding out more about merchandising. Since graduating from CSU, I have worked as an account executive in advertising sales with Clear Channel Communication. While I greatly enjoy communicating with clients and developing advertising, I've found that sales is not the right fit for me. Any insight or advice you would be willing to give me about merchandising would be greatly appreciated.

I can be reached at this email or at 617-555-1234. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Warm regards,
Robert

Email Example #2

Dear Mr. DeSoto,

As a senior at Colorado State University, I am currently exploring career options and am setting up informational interviews with CSU alumni in the finance field. I found your name on the CSU Alumni Association LinkedIn group and noticed that you were a Political Science major as I am, and wondered if you'd be willing to give me some information and advice regarding pursuing a career in finance.

Would it be possible for us to schedule a time to talk on the phone for 30-minutes? I'd be very grateful for any suggestions you might have. I can be reached at the email or at 802.555.9876.

Thank you for your time!

Sincerely,
Siovonne

Phone Examples

"Hello, Ms. Shaw. My name is Maria Fernandez. I'm a student at Colorado State University in the process of making some career decisions. Would you be willing to arrange a 30 minute meeting to discuss your career in international business?"

"Hello, Mr. Cooper. My name is Doug Gerrity and John Atwell recommended I contact you because of my interest in environmental education. I would like to gain some information and advice about pursuing a career in this area and I was wondering if we could set up a brief meeting at your convenience."

"Hello, Dr. Parnell. My name is Carrie Tonga and I'm a recent graduate of CSU. My volunteer supervisor suggested I contact you as I am interested in speaking with you about the job market for health care professionals in Seattle. I'll be in Seattle the week of March 14 and was wondering if you would be able to meet with me then."

Social Media

Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are great ways to network yourself with existing and potential colleagues and employers. However, if not handled appropriately, these outlets can cause you more harm than good. Think of social media as your public image on the internet to prospective employers.

While Facebook is a tool for connecting to and staying in contact with family members and friends, LinkedIn is a professional social media networking tool. A significant percentage of recruiters use Facebook as a screening tool and part of their recruiting process to investigate applicant background, behavior and character. Many employers use LinkedIn as part of their recruiting strategy to connect with active job seekers and passive candidates who are currently employed.

There are a number of CSU LinkedIn groups that can help you jump-start your LinkedIn professional network such as the CSU Career Center and the CSU Alumni Association. For more information about LinkedIn and tips to set up your profile, go to http://www.linkedin.com

The following are some social media networking best practices:

Clean up your profile(s). This should go without saying, but if there's a photo of you passed out on your neighbor's roof wearing a toga on your Facebook profile, and a potential employer sees it, it will probably hurt your chances at landing a job. Be sure to hide or remove any photos/videos/comments/posts that could make you seem unprofessional or possibly offend a potential employer.

Keep it simple. In the age of social media, it is critical to catch a professional's attention quickly since they are likely being bombarded with other communication and information. When initiating contact with a colleague or employer on a social networking site, keep your message simple, concise and polite. For example: "Hello Mr. Smith. It was a pleasure meeting you at the event last week. I'd love to meet with you for coffee to discuss some ideas. Sincerely, Sally Johnson."

Expand your horizons. Don't limit yourself to just one social media site. The more ways that you can connect yourself to other professionals, the better. Also, don't be afraid to network with people in different fields/professions. You never know what the future might bring. More connections will likely lead to more opportunities.