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Steps 4 & 5--Informational Interviews

So it's Sunday.

However, want to get you thinking about

Step 4--Identifying Real People who do what you want to do

Try reaching out to your alma mater and see if they can run you a list of people who graduated from your school who do what you love. Bring it up at cocktail parties and other networking functions that you'd like to talk with people in this area. A good network base will serve you well in your jobhunt. Develop one and hone it with several conversations over the next few weeks. Generating this list is way more fun with a couple of your best buddies over brunch.

and

Step 5--the informational interview.

It's a chance for you to connect with people who are doing what you think you'd love doing in organizations you think you'd love working in.

The end goal of this step is to aim for about 15, 15-minute informational interviews. Set up a spreadsheet or table in Word that lists: organization name, a couple notes about the company, the name of persons you know there, persons in the function you desire and then conversation notes, thoughts they gave you etc.

Try to get to meet as many of them live as you can. Seeing the building where they work and the natural work environs, the pace of the office, the artifacts around the office can help you envision yourself there and whether it truly appeals to you to work there or in that kind of space. You're gathering research to help you decide on what's right for you.

Jot down buzz words. Each industry and function has their own jargon. You want to become fluent in it. Have a list of questions. Some good ones might be: "what are the trade magazines/online spaces that people read in this industry/function to keep up on the latest/best practices?" "Who else do you know would be good for me to talk with?"

If possible, see if they'd be willing to take a look at your resume and give you tips and suggestions on how to market yourself in this area. Are you missing some key points that hiring managers and recruiters are looking for in this field? What might you do during your jobhunt to make yourself more attractive in this area? Are there classes or training that would be good to have? Are there opportunities to volunteer on a project to pick up some on the job training in the evenings or on weekends? Can you shadow someone?

Drizzle here in NYC...I think I'm going to take a break and curl up on the couch. Besides, need to rest up for the "conversation" tomorrow. Very exciting. Did I say I'm excited about this one? Such a great company doing something I fundamentally believe in.
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