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IN THIS ISSUE:

-Job Search Tip of the Week - "Informational Interviewing"
-Help Spread The Word!
-Job Search Links
-Free Job Search Book
-Sponsor: Free Career Analysis

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Contents

- Job Search Tip of the Week, by Brian Krueger, author of "College Grad Job Hunter," the #1 book for entry level job search:

"Informational Interviewing"

Let's clear the air on a very common misperception among college students. Starting in the last two decades, there has been a plethora of books written on the subject of informational interviewing and using it as a device to get an interview.

Let's get this straight--if you use informational interviewing as a ruse (i.e., lie, deception) for getting an interview, you should be put up against the proverbial wall of ethics and shot. Strong words? Maybe. But I have seen the scores and scores of abuses in this area and there seems to be no end in sight.

The problem is this: many career authors (often with little or no personal real world work experience), are unknowingly setting up college students for the wrong use of informational interviewing. There is a right use of informational interviewing: namely, to speak with someone in a career you are considering to help you decide whether to pursue that career path. The wrong use of informational interviewing is when you already know what career path you intend to pursue and use informational interviewing as a technique for talking to someone on the inside of a company in order to get an interview. Let's call it what it is--dishonest and unethical. Any fool that gives in to your informational interviewing ruse will be a fool no longer when you get to the closing line (and true ulterior motive): "Your company sure sounds interesting. Do you know of any way that I could get a job here?"

When I was at IBM, no one in our department would even consider going through an informational interview--even if we thought it was valid. Why? Because the technique was so abused that we had become calloused to its usage in any form. And you will find the same response at many large companies.

My advice: don't do it. If you are an underclassman sincerely seeking information on which career to pursue, informational interviewing is a valid technique. But there should be no job strings attached. On the other hand, if your true motivation is to get an interview with the company, do not lie about it. Be up front. And use the following technique as an honest and ethical way to get on the inside.

Instead of rusing your way into a company by saying you are "informational interviewing," be honest and let them know you want to work for them. Then seek out a person who is willing to be interviewed in a "company interview," i.e., where you interview that person about their company. This does not have to be a formal interview setting; in fact, it does not even have to be face-to-face--over the phone is usually sufficient. The key is to choose your potential interviewee wisely. It should not be a potential hiring manager and it should not be someone in Human Resources. Ideally, they should be a contact you have generated through your personal network, someone who has a personal desire to help you. Your "network" is your personal connection with others who can help you in your job search. The subject of networking will be fully covered later in the "Network Intelligence Gathering" Section. Next best option is a member of a professional association of which you are a student member.

The key questions you should be asking are:

"What type of person does your company typically hire?"

"What is the hiring process and who is involved?"

In addition, ask you contact questions why they joined the company, why it is a good company to work for, and what the company culture is like. You need to be careful in asking your questions so that you are not asking the person to give out "Confidential" or "Internal Use Only" information. For example, it would be inappropriate to ask for a company phone directory or a copy of internal correspondence. But if you build a rapport with this person, you can usually get not only the broad overview of the company, but also the basic information identifying what specific steps are taken in the internal interview process. Then you will be prepared to proceed through those steps with advanced information already in hand.

Next newsletter: "Help Wanted in Twelve Different Flavors"

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Contents

- Help Spread The Word!

Do you know of someone who can benefit from the information in this newsletter? Simply forward this e-mail to them and tell them to subscribe at http://www.CollegeGrad.com/newsletter. Thanks for spreading the good word!

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Contents

Job Search Links:

• Searching job postings:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/jobs
• Setting up a job alert:
  http://jobs.CollegeGrad.com/JS/Form/SearchForm.asp?alert=y
• Post your resume:
  http://jobs.CollegeGrad.com/JS/Form/SignUpForm.asp
• Update your posted resume:
  http://jobs.CollegeGrad.com/JS/Form/LoginForm.asp
• Creating your resume:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/resumes
• Quickstart resume templates:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/resumes/quickstart
• Creating your cover letter:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/coverletters
• Career information/exploration:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/careers
• Employer research:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/employers
• Top Entry Level Employers:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/topemployers
• Interviewing techniques:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/intv
• Salary info--how much are you worth?
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/salaries
• Job offer negotiation:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/offer

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Contents

- Job Search Book Online

There are at least two other entry level Web sites that offer books on job searching, proclaming that they will tell you everything you need to know about entry level job search.

However, there is a very important point about these books they don't mention up front: they cost money.

At CollegeGrad.com, we give you two things they don't:

1. The #1 entry level job search book ("College Grad Job Hunter").
2. It's free.

It's that simple. So don't buy the hype. Read the real information you need for FREE:

http://www.CollegeGrad.com/book

Don't ever pay for books or reports or resources of lower quality when you can access the very best quality information for free.

P.S. Yes, you can buy "College Grad Job Hunter" in hardcopy format as well at Amazon.com for $15 (actually, 30% off that price), but the online version is better. Why? Because the version at Amazon.com (the 2003 edition) is being continually updated at CollegeGrad.com. So the most current version of the book is actually the online, free version.

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Contents

- Sponsor: Free Career Analysis

Searching for the right career? Get a FREE Career Analysis using the MAPP (Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential). This career analysis will show you the top 11-20 jobs with your greatest potential for success, including 5 free job matches:

http://www.CollegeGrad.com/careers/freecareeranalysis.shtml

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