Informed search rewards seekers

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.

Two techniques are helpful to ensure the person you contact will agree to meet with you, O'Brien said. First, let them know how important it is to your career decision making process to talk to them. Second, put the focus on them by saying that you want to know how they got into the field, what they like and dislike about it and what they recommend. Also let them know it will only take 15 to 20 minutes.

Look at company information on the internet to prepare for an informational interview, "so you don't walk in cold," O'Brien said. Prepare a list of questions to ask about the field, such as job requirements, training options and starting pay.

Dress for the information interview the way you would for a regular job interview.

"Even though you're researching a career, they're still evaluating you as a potential employee," O'Brien said.

After the interview, always send a thank you note or e-mail, she said. Make contact every few months to update them on your progress. Once you've established regular contact, consider connecting with them through a social network like LinkedIn.

"Students in school have the time - whether they know it or not - to make those connections," O'Brien said.

Students who don't find when they graduate they have no contacts in the field, and they don't know about the field because they haven't investigated it enough, she added.