Informational interviews

Last week I conducted my first informational interview and it was a great experience. An informational interview is a short meeting that you have with an experienced professional when you want more information about a field or company. It is best to get started by asking people you already know: friends, past colleagues, schoolmates, etc. about their experiences. You could also ask them about how they came to be where they are today or what it is like to work for the company and where they think it is going in the future. Informational interviews are also helpful for building your network because can ask them who else they would recommend you talk to. If you are relocating or the person you want to talk to is always busy, call them and ask if you can e-mail them a short list of questions. Don't forget to be professional: dress nicely, be punctual and have a business card ready.

For those who still question the useful of social media sites

Social media allows you to connect with others but these sites are about more than letting you know what your friend is having for breakfast. They give us a forum to share knowledge with each other and unlike the past it is knowledge that you want. You seek out this knowledge by subscribing to someone who posts what you want to know about and if you don't like it you can easily unsubscribe anytime. Following people has increased my world view, introduced me to new topics, allowed me to keep in touch with friends and family all over the world, keep abreast of current news, the benefits go on and on. So if you want to keep learning subscribe to others today, who knows what you'll find.