Informational Interviews

Welcome back everyone! I hope you all enjoyed Winter Break! I sure did. During my break I visited Puerto Rico for a basketball tournament with Tufts Women's Basketball Team. It was amazing, but now that I'm refreshed and back in chilly Medford, I'm ready to get back into the Tufts student mentality!

"Ready for Spring Semester #nofear"

During break, though it was hard to leave the sandy beaches of Puerto Rico to do so, I followed some of Sean's advice for taking steps in my career development. As I'm currently searching for summer internship opportunities, Winter Break was the perfect time for me to network and learn more about potential positions and fields - something I didn't have lots of time for during the academic semester. While researching various opportunities I found myself scheduling more and more informational interviews. Informational interviews are incredibly important for learning about the fine details that will position you as a potential candidate. In this post I have decided to focus on the benefits of informational interviews, and how important they are in the internship search.

Informational Interview

You know what's so stress free about informational interviews? You ask the questions! Once you have scheduled an informational phone or in-person interview, your contact most likely is very interested in helping you already.  The interview not only is an advantage for you to gain insight into the company, but also can help you gain advice about entering a specific field and even an opportunity to access that person's network. Scheduling informational interviews even though there is no current job opportunity gets you in the door, i.e., you're now in a position to hear about jobs before they are posted for the rest of the world to see.

"Give them your Resume and Cover Letter!"

Preparation

Preparing for an informational interview shouldn't take that long, especially if it's a phone interview. Before the interview send an email with your current resume attached - it helps your target know more about what you've done and will allow them to gauge their answers appropriately.  Giving them more details about you will help them provide better advice and suggestions! You should plan on the interview lasting 30 minutes, but ask how much time they have to give you at the beginning of the conversation. If it's in person be sure to wear business professional attire. If it's a phone interview plan to be in a quiet area where you won't be disturbed. Usually when I have a phone informational interview I have a notebook nearby. A laptop is handy, as long as you aren't easily distracted!

Do Your Research!

Just like a normal interview it's important to learn about your target before you walk in the room or call them. Reviewing a person's LinkedIn profile is especially helpful in getting clues about their career path, and you'll know how to cater your questions. At first I thought it was odd to look at someone's LinkedIn profile before meeting, but researching a person demonstrates interest and reveals your preparation and work ethic. It's vital, just like any other interview, to make a great impression. According to Forbes it takes 7 seconds for a person to judge you, so make sure you're on your A game!

Brainstorm Questions

Feel free to ask questions about the person's career path, their interests, and even what did they did in college to discover which fields they liked and didn't like. Don't be afraid to ask tough questions. Asking critical questions about the person's workplace, their least favorite part of the job, and the biggest challenges shows that you are seriously interested in learning everything about the work environment. Not only does this reflect well on the type of job seeker you are, but also gives you vital insight that you can use to your advantage. However, be sure to keep your questions professional! Here is Quint Career's list of informational interview questions.

"Saying Thank You goes a long way!"
Source

After the Interview

You already know what I'm going to say. Follow-up!!! Send a short thank you note, and update the person on your career search from time to time. Let them know how valuable their suggestions and advice were to you in your career search and development. Not only is it practicing proper business etiquette but it also keeps you in contact with that person and their network. Keeping your network active and updated with your current search could help you when a job does open. Also, if you aren't already connected on LinkedIn, extend an invite after the interview! This will also serve to notify them about your career development as you update your profile.

Well, I hope that you are ready for a new spring semester at Tufts! Hopefully these tips will encourage you to conduct informational interviews to aid in your job and internship search. If you need advice about informational interviews and/or you would like to role play, feel free to  schedule an appointment with a career advisor. Let's bring in the New Year strong!

Carpe Diem,

Nicole Brooks

Class of 2016

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Angela's Internship Hunt Pt. 2: Madeleine Albright Through The Glass

By Angela Sun

I sat about two meters away from Madeleine Albright during my interview.

Madeleine Albright,
First Female US Secretary of State
 (Photo: US Department of State)

OK, we weren't even in the same room...but as a huge International Relations nerd, I couldn't but get all 'googly-eyed' at the sight of a political celebrity through the soundproof glass.

I was interviewed for a broadcast production internship with 'PRI's The World' in their WGBH radio studios. The day of my interview, Ms. Albright just happened to also be in studios for an interview as well, except she was in to promote her new book...In other words, her summer internship wasn't on the line.

So I straightened my back, shuffled my resume, and got ready for business. I had two interviewers, a senior producer and a senior editor/ host of the program. The senior producer had a pixie hair cut with streaks of purple highlights, giving her a sort of edgy look. She was casually dressed, wearing cargo shorts and sandals. The senior editor wore a pair of Santa glasses,  accompanied by a warm Santa Claus-y smile. Adding to the festivities, his sweater was forest green.

I was intrigued by their attire because it contrasted so completely with the suits and pearls I sat across from during my Liberty Mutual interview. I began to appreciate the extent to which culture can differ from organization to organization.

I, on the other hand, was wearing a neutral blouse with a grey blazer, and black dress pants. I was probably the only person in the studios (besides Ms. Albright) wearing a blazer. But I would still recommend being overdressed rather than underdressed. An interview outfit should always spell 'professional'.

The interview itself was pretty basic. My interviewers explained the internship tasks in greater detail. For the broadcast production position, I was to cut interviews, chase stories, prep hosts, etc. My interviewers then asked me the standard 'why are you interested in interning with us', and did a quick resume walk-through (basically where each item on the resume is reviewed/ clarified in succession).

The reigns were then handed over to me at hardly the half way mark of the duration of our scheduled interview. I knew I had to ask enough engaging questions to fill the time so I pulled out my list of prepared questions for the interviewers and got to work. I asked some questions to get more details about the internship then moved on to program-related questions that I had come up with while browsing their website. Some examples include, ‘how are the responsibilities divided for the different beats you cover—Health, Environment, Language, etc.,’ and ‘what is the role of social media for your program.’

‘Wow, we’re getting grilled!’ joked the senior editor. I smiled shyly and apologized. ‘No, it’s fine. Keep the questions coming,’ he reassured me. I asked a couple of more similar questions, and we wrapped up the interview.

Looking back, I would gather that my interviewers were looking for a specific kind of character, in addition to having xyz (i.e. basic) qualifications. A good way to think about it is if I didn't have the basic experience/ technical qualifications necessary for the position, I wouldn't have been offered the interview in the first place. I have often read that the interview is a chance for the candidate to 'shine', and found this description awfully ambiguous. But this interview really demonstrated this point. My ability to think on the spot, efficiently gather information, push for answers, and interact with others are all traits that would become critical as I reported and produced for 'The World' throughout the summer. How else to better communicate this than fifteen minutes of reverse-interviewing?

Check out the ways I have put these skills to use with the guidance of the dedicated producers/ reporters at The World by clicking here and here for links to stories I reported.

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