Personal info:

I am an undergraduate senior in Denver, Colorado with a major in Finance and Minor in Marketing.

Essay Detail:

One of the most effective ways to learn about careers and job/internship opportunities is by talking with people working in the field. Even so, it is one of the most under-utilized ways of gathering information about careers.

For this assignment, you will begin to develop your network and get job search tips for the career area you are considering. The assignment will be completed in two parts:

Part 1: Target Company & Networking List

Identify six professionals (not students) who work in career areas and target organizations that you could speak to for informational interviews or job networking. None of these people can be family, friends or current students! They need to be new people you have identified through family, friends, cold calls, professors, mentors, professional web sites, LinkedIn, Pioneer Connect, etc.

Type up the information for these 6 individuals including all of the following information for each person: Name, Title, Organization, City/State, Phone and/or Email, and how you identified this contact person. You can either upload this as a separate document or all-in-one with Part 2 when you submit the assignment (this list does not count toward the 3-4 page requirement for Part 2). 

Part 2: Informational Interview

Conduct an informational interview with ONE person on your networking list via Skype/Zoom or phone. This person cannot be a professor/advisor on campus unless you approve this with the course instructor.

Use the informational interviewing handouts in Canvas as a guide for setting up the informational interview and for ideas on what questions to ask. Also look them up on LinkedIn prior to the meeting to see if they have an account and to learn more about their background. There are a few questions I would like you all to ask about during the meeting:

1) The person’s educational background and the day-to-day tasks of their job.
2) The organization culture and what is it like to work in the organization. (Tip: consider asking questions related to your values. i.e. How often do you get to work with teams in your organization?)
3) Job or internship search advice. (Example: “I am going to be graduating soon and looking for a job. Do you have suggestions for me on the best way to find openings in my field?”) 
4) Please ask at least 3 more unique questions that would be helpful to you. (Ideas: resume feedback, types of jobs you could pursue with your major, interview tips, ideas for additional people to meet with, etc.)

You will need to write up a reaction/reflection to what this experience was like including at minimum the following (points will be lost if you fail to clearly include the below items):

• Who you interviewed, their job title, their educational background and what they do on a daily basis. Look up the individual on LinkedIn…did they have an account? If so, what did you learn?
• Describe the work environment that you observed and organizational culture in detail. How does the culture relate to your personal brand and what you are looking for in an ideal company?
• What job or internship search advice did this person have for you?
• What three unique questions did you ask the person and what did you learn from their responses?
• Your reaction to doing an informational interview (easier/harder than you thought?).
• Attach a copy of your thank you note and the person’s business card or email communication with the individual that confirms your meeting.

You are welcome to include any other comments, reflections, learnings, etc. from your informational interview/curiosity conversation! 

Approximately 3-4 pages double spaced (12pt font).