How an Informational Interview Helped Me Land My Summer Internship

This week’s blog was written by Laura Chernikoff, senior Film Studies major and TAM minor at CU.

My experiences with informational interviews directly led to a summer internship in Santa Monica, CA. This summer, I will work  for BermanBraun, an independent media company that has film, television, and digital divisions. After several conversations with one interviewee she offered to pass on my resume if anything came up. Her recommendation helped me immensely, in addition to the advice and information that other individuals I spoke with offered through the informational interview process. 

1.  What is an informational interview?

The best way to explain this is that an informational interview is akin to a reverse job interview. YOU get to interview the job, rather than the other way around. It's your opportunity to talk to someone with a career that is related to your interests, and to hear about their firsthand experience. It is a networking opportunity in which you are information gathering and seeking industry advice. It can't be stated enough, however, that you are NOT asking for a job, just a conversation. The relationship you build from an informational interview may help you get a job down the road, but you certainly don't want to ask for it at this point.




2. How did you find people to do informational interviews?

I started with my parents' address books. From there I moved on to my friends, friends of friends, and acquaintances. I just started letting everyone know that I'd like to talk to anyone related to my industry. My dad even got in touch with a friend from his childhood whom he thought would be helpful. I searched LinkedIn and used my other social networks (Facebook and Twitter) to ask friend if they knew anyone I could talk to. I asked persistently for six months, and it finally paid off. 




3. What has been your experience with informational interviews?  Successes and failures?

Entering the film industry, there was one thing I kept hearing: It's all about who you know. Living in Colorado, however, I don't know very many people working in film in Los Angeles. So, informational interviews have been a CRUCIAL part of my networking, internship search, and I'm sure they will contribute to my job search in the future. 

I say this despite the fact that honestly, I very nearly gave up. My first two informational interviews were not that helpful. In fact, one didn't even happen. I was introduced to someone, but then never actually managed to pin down a time to talk. The second was just plain discouraging because it was with someone who had been out of the industry for a few years and was rather cynical about it. Then, I ended up connecting with several people whose jobs barely related to what I wanted to do. Despite these experiences, I stayed with it, and in the end had at least three wonderful conversations, one of which built a connection and helped me get a summer internship.

I was unable to conduct any informational interviews face to face. Phone conversations, I found, were ideal, but not always possible. I feel comfortable communicating via email, so if it seemed like it would be less trouble for the interviewee, I would offer, and be very careful to sculpt my questions and responses in writing.




4.  What questions did you ask that were particularly helpful?

More and more, I found that it was hard to plan a basic set of questions. I was always changing what I'd ask based on who the person was, how well I knew them, how long they've been in the industry, and how the actual conversation went. But, I would often try to use the following as a good starting place: 

• Tell me about your path to where you are now.
• What jobs and experiences led to your current position? 
• What do you enjoy most about what you do? What do you find most challenging?
• What do you recommend to someone starting in the industry? 


5. What would you recommend to someone who has never done an informational interview?  Any tips?

Never say no to a chance to talk to a professional. Even if you think their job has nothing to do with your goals, you never know what you will learn from them. I kept putting off pursuing one connection because I assumed it would not be helpful, and it ended up being the best conversation I had! Don't stop asking for connections, and never turn down any chance to conduct an informational interview.

Holding an Informative Informational Interview

I’m Tamara Berkman, a 2010 communication graduate from CU. After finishing a yearlong public relations internship, I am looking for a full time public relations or marketing position. To help further my job search, my friend suggested I talk to her neighbor, Ruth, who runs her own communications firm. I’ve heard of informational interviews, but I wasn’t sure how talking to someone who has no job to offer would be helpful. I deciding that hearing about the communications field from someone who is already a part of it would help me continue professionally.  After talking to Ruth - and some of her peers - I received great job searching advice.

Here are some tips on how to use an informational interview to guide your career path:

1)     Ask how people got started in their field.  This was the most eye-opening question I asked. Some started as assistants, while others volunteered and interned to gain the skills they needed. It took many of them 2-3 years to get an entry-level job in the industry, but they persevered and are now in a job they love. After holding multiple internships and volunteer positions, this was far from what I wanted to hear, but it helped me realize that I am on the right track even if the destination is still distant.

2)     Ask for resume, cover letter and interviewing advice. Those in charge of hiring can tell you several things they see from candidates that make great impressions or discard them from a job. For example, coming in to an interview with a list of questions is much more acceptable than claiming you already know the ins and outs of the position and company. Having questions shows you’re interested in the company, not just the job.

3)     Ask what you can do now to find a job. No one I spoke to was hiring, but they all had suggestions on how I could use social media, job boards and local groups to help my search.  Many suggested  Andrew Hudson’s Job List, Colorado Non-Profit Association Job Board and the Denver/Boulder based LinkedIn groups’ discussion boards.

4)     Write a thank you note. Anyone willing to take time out of their day to talk you about job searching is doing you a favor and deserves a thank you. I hand wrote each thank you note, as it seemed more personal and required a bit more effort.  Knowing I was meeting with so many people in such a short time, I made it a point to always have a package of thank you notes and stamps close by. To leave the best impression possible I sent each letter out within a week of meeting - while our conversations were still fresh. If you need help on writing a thank you note here are some examples.

After meeting with multiple people in the communications field, I am certain that while this job search will not be easy, by taking advantage of any opportunity to do an informational interview, I can make many connections with those already working in areas that are of interest to me. Eventually, I know I will reach my ultimate goal of a full-time communication position.

For example, I reached out to my friend Alex who has been working in the communications field for a few years and asked if she knew of any good contacts. Alex got me in touch with Steve, her former boss at Crispin Porter + Bogusky. Over the summer Steve left CP+B to start his own communications firm, Sapka Communications. After our conversation, Steve offered me a part time job at Sapka Communication gathering press contacts, tracking media and managing social networks. This will be a great opportunity to learn from a communications veteran and expand my network more. Through experiences like this and my commitment to furthering professional connections, I know eventually I will reach my ultimate goal of a full-time communications position.

Career Services also offers assistance with informational interviews. Check out our Quick Tips here. Consider joining the University of Colorado Boulder Alumni LinkedIn group to network with a variety of professionals and conduct additional informational interviews.

How I got my social media internship

My name is Mindy Rappoport and I’m a Peer Career Advisor (PCA) at CU Career Services. I’m currently a senior news-editorial journalism major who is also earning a technology, arts and media (digital media skills) certificate. My interest in communication ranges from traditional print media to public relations to social networking.

A little over a year ago, I interviewed Elyse Heslin for the Career Services blog. Elyse was a former PCA who had graduated the semester before I started working at Career Services. After graduating, Elyse began working at Room 214, a social media agency based in Boulder. I had stumbled upon their website while I was searching for social media and communications internships in Boulder. I couldn’t help but wonder what Elyse’s job was really like, so I emailed her some questions for her to answer for the Career Services blog post. I was amazed when she replied and told me that part of her job entailed managing “social media communities and online conversations” about such brands as Sanrio (Hello Kitty) and Crock-Pot. Working at a social media agency sounded like an incredible job for someone like me, who has strong research and writing skills and also loves social networking and communication. Once the blog was complete, I sent Elyse the link and told her how interested I was in her line of work. I could see myself going into a similar career after graduation. Elyse replied back with an offer to meet with me to talk about my career interests and learn more about social media marketing.

With graduation just a year away, I needed to hone in on the specific type of communications job I was interested in. I set up an informational interview with Elyse, where I asked her even more questions about her job and what it’s like to work at a social media agency. I left the meeting more ecstatic than ever! Not only did Elyse love communications just as much as I did, but she had landed what I was convinced was my dream job. I immediately scoured Room 214’s website for information about their company and watched every YouTube video they had posted.

Once I completed my research, I emailed Room 214 my cover letter and resume. I hoped that I could show them what a valuable and helpful part of their team I could be. They didn’t have any open positions at the time, but nevertheless I applied because the worst they could say was “no.” After interviewing with Room 214, they extended an internship offer to me and I accepted.

I’ve been working at Room 214 for a little over a month now, and as a social media intern, I conduct research, test Facebook applications that our developers have created (quality assurance), and help manage social media accounts for clients. I love the work I do in the office, and to this day I can’t help but think that if I hadn’t met with Elyse to find out more about her job, I might not have found my place in this growing social media industry.

Seniors, it’s time to start your post-grad job hunt!

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Hi everyone, my name is Mindy Rappoport and I’m senior journalism major here at CU. Before I started working as a Peer Career Advisor in Career Services’ office, I would’ve never thought about applying for entry-level jobs when there are still eight months left before graduation! Recently, when I asked my friends who are CU seniors if they have started applying for jobs, I got the same response; “Now? No way, it’s only September!”

But, surprising as it is, now is really the time to start searching for jobs. While some companies recruit year round, others have deadlines to fill positions the following year. Companies like McGladery and Chevron already have internships and full-time positions posted on CSO. They will start accepting entry-level job applications from May graduates by the end of September to mid-October, according to Career Services Online.

If you’re not sure where to begin, here are four things you can do now to get started on your post-graduation job search:

1.     Polish your resume. The beginning of the school year is the perfect time to update your resume! Make sure your most recent job or internship is listed at the top, and that everything fits on one page of your resume. For more resume writing tips and templates, check out Career Services’ Resume Writing Quick Tips or head over to the third floor of the library (E303) for Resumes That Rock, our offices’ resume writing workshop, taking place Tuesday, September 13 from 5:30-7 p.m.

2.     Start researching companies you might be interested in. Pull up your favorite search engine and start exploring the websites of companies you might want to work. If you’re not sure what companies offer positions in your field of interest, log on to Career Services Online and use the “On Campus Interviews” tab to find out which companies will be on CU’s campus to interview seniors for entry-level positions.

3.     Network with former employers. Check in with contacts at past internships or jobs—you never know what positions they may be hiring for in the near future, or they might know another company that is searching for entry-level job applicants.

4.     Set up informational interviews. If you find a company or job you are particularly interested in, ask an employee at that company if they’ll meet with you so you can ask them questions about what a typical day in the office is like. By asking an employee questions beforehand, you’ll know if you’re interested in applying for a job at that company and what exactly it entails before you line up an interview (hopefully). For some ideas on types of questions you can ask a professional during the informational interview, check out Informational Interview Quick Tips.

If you’d like some more help, feel free to set up an appointment with one of the counselors in our office by calling 303-492-6541 or going online at https://www.securedata-trans12.com/ap/universityofcolorado/index.php?page=10.

Happy job hunting, seniors!