• One-on-one interactions with employees at a special event
• IDEA Center-hosted events with industry professionals
• Attending company-related events off-campus
• Tapping into your parents' networks, your friends' parents, alumni, neighbors or the IDEA Center
• Informational interviews through lunch or coffee. Company employees always love going out for coffee
• Career fairs

• Create or spruce up your LinkedIn account. People might want to find out more about you by looking up your LinkedIn account
• Research the company your contact currently works with. Get to know their services, products, history and anything in the news
• Have questions! Make notes from your research, and include questions specifically for your contact

• Approach with energy, make a firm handshake, and smile! People love seeing energy
• Introduce your name, major and class. If someone recommended the connection to you, mention that person as you introduce yourself.
• If the occasion seems appropriate, come prepared with a business card, resume and a notepad to take notes

• 85 percent of the conversation is about finding out more about the other person
• Be curious about their work/industry while avoiding a “What’s in it for me?” mentality
• Ask for advice or insight about landing a job or internship in that specific industry or company
• Ask questions about their industry/company, their job, daily tasks, etc.
• Be prepared to talk about your major, and why you chose that major
• Articulate your passion to work in the industry your contact is currently working in, if it’s of interest to you. People are interested in hearing your story and what your future goals entail

• Like, follow or connect to their business social media accounts
• Send a concise, sincere, short thank you paragragh via email (be specific and mention something from the conversation)
• If they offered to make an introduction to another connection, mention that in your thank you email
• Circle back to them when it seems appropriate and nurture the relationship

• Make contact through either email or phone and confirm a date
• Work around their availbility instead of yours
• You want to work at their convenience
• If someone referenced you, mention that in your message

• Bring your energy! (But stay authentic) Show some enthusiasm for being allowed to interview them!
• Smile, shake with a firm handshake and make eye contact  
• Start the conversation by introducing yourself. Articulate your reason for wanting the meeting (keep it to passion, interest, inquiry)
• Come prepared with a copy of your resume and business card, a pad of paper, a pen and a list of questions

People love talking about themselves and their work.

• Ask about how they started out and get them to tell their story
• Draw up more questions as you listen to their answer
• As the conversation goes along, ask for advice, not the job
• Keep asking questions that show you are curious about the person and their work (Ask why they like working for their particular company. What excites them? What motivates them?)

Your goal is to walk away from each informational interview with a refined understanding of your career options, a better understanding about the work your interviewee does, and possibly a new connection. 

You can be easily forgotten. Nothing personal, people are just busy.

• Like, follow and connect to their professional social media accounts
• After the interview, send a concise, sincere and short "thank you" paragraph via email
• If your interviewee mentioned someone you should connect with, mention that in your email as well by asking for an introduction 

• Remember their name
• Keep a log of dates, times, comments, and other linking connections
• Circle back to them when appropriate

Trust the next door will open for you!