Last Friday I attended part 1 of a 2-part advanced advocacy training seminar and I'll admit, I was nervous. Through work in the past I have gone to events/talks/etc. and I was never really....engaged. So, I've found ways to convince myself not to go to these types of things -
1. I don't want to spend money if I'm not earning any (or I guess, even if I am earning).
2. It's gonna be a time waster and I could be doing better things. Well let's be serious, I probably wouldn't be doing better things.
Anyway -- I was so frickin' pleasantly surprised by this experience and part 1 alone was worth the $45 I spent.I took an advocacy course for my Master's (which probably cost me THOUSANDS of dollars) and this 9AM-2PM class was more worthwhile for my advocacy skill set.
AND, even more importantly, I met people, people in my field, people with whom I made connections and gave my brand new business cards (people thought the QR code was very savvy).
Our very first activity was to give a 30 second elevator speech about ourselves. Most people there were older, more developed in their careers and so that's what they talked about. Everyone everywhere will talk about how and elevator speech needs to be engaging & memorable so I wanted to make sure I was both of those things.
Hi, my name is Anna. I am a recent MPH graduate and unemployed Baltimore local with a very strong portfolio in economic and health policy writing. I am passionate about women's and global health, especially in W. Africa where I lived for a semester. I am a classically trained pianist with a great love for romantic and modern music - I teach lessons. In less than a month, I am marrying a man I met on World of Warcraft.
After everyone did their speech, the training leader asked everyone what they could remember besides names and people really took note of some of things I said, in part because I made it very personal.
But, one of the smartest things I did that day was be upfront about being unemployed. I had oodles of women come up to me throughout the event and ask what I was interested in doing - they told me about volunteer opportunities, upcoming employment opportunities at their agencies, and they talked to me about people with whom I should connect. I have an informational interview set up for next week because of this and I know that more opportunities will arise because of the connections I've made through this professional development training.
I'm looking forward to part 2 this week!
Showing posts with label Interviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Interviews. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
No Really...Informational Interviews
Yesterday I wrote about the importance of informational interviews, and then I had one.
And it was AWESOME.
I feel like the woman I spoke with gave me everything I needed: confidence, encouragement, and a big ol' reality check.
We began our conversation trying to get to know a little bit more about each other, our goals, and our paths. One of the most important things we talked about was networking. She brought up a statistic that I've seen as well and talked about over here. Roughly 80% of new hires come from people's networks, not responding to a job post. This is really hard to stomach when you read about it on the internets because let's be honest, it's much easier to sit at home & respond to a job post than to get yourself out there! However, when you hear the statistic and you're in the process of networking (having an informational interview in my case) it doesn't seem so scary.
One important reality for me is that I am a closet introvert. I don't think that's how my friends would describe me but I am often terrified when meeting new people at a social event or conference or whatever. I'm no good at going up to people and selling myself, it scares me. Well one thing we talked about last night was changing my perception of networking. I was networking with her and it was fun! FUN! All you have to do is have a conversation with someone, not shmooz about and sell yourself. When you realize that networking isn't a chore and it's not negative, it makes that 80% statistic seem positive, not a hurdle.
Also, wouldn't you rather have a conversation with someone than write a cover letter? Absolutely.
Speaking of cover letters, she gave me a fantastic tip,
And it was AWESOME.
I feel like the woman I spoke with gave me everything I needed: confidence, encouragement, and a big ol' reality check.
We began our conversation trying to get to know a little bit more about each other, our goals, and our paths. One of the most important things we talked about was networking. She brought up a statistic that I've seen as well and talked about over here. Roughly 80% of new hires come from people's networks, not responding to a job post. This is really hard to stomach when you read about it on the internets because let's be honest, it's much easier to sit at home & respond to a job post than to get yourself out there! However, when you hear the statistic and you're in the process of networking (having an informational interview in my case) it doesn't seem so scary.
One important reality for me is that I am a closet introvert. I don't think that's how my friends would describe me but I am often terrified when meeting new people at a social event or conference or whatever. I'm no good at going up to people and selling myself, it scares me. Well one thing we talked about last night was changing my perception of networking. I was networking with her and it was fun! FUN! All you have to do is have a conversation with someone, not shmooz about and sell yourself. When you realize that networking isn't a chore and it's not negative, it makes that 80% statistic seem positive, not a hurdle.
Also, wouldn't you rather have a conversation with someone than write a cover letter? Absolutely.
Speaking of cover letters, she gave me a fantastic tip,
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Informational Interviews
I'm a strong believer in the power of informational interviews. They are a great way to use your network of people to your advantage! I'm having one this evening and here is how the connection happened - I started this blog, my sister sent a link of it to one of her friends, said friend read it and suggested I connect with someone she knows, I did, now we're having an informational interview. Thank you, blog.
I found some tips for having an effective informational interview on Lindsey Pollak's Blog and I wanted to share them here since they are especially relevant for me today:
1. Confirm - at least 24 hours in advance to show that you are taking this seriously. This is SO important. I had a meeting set up once and did not confirm ... the woman I was meeting had the date and time wrong in her calendar so I waited in a coffee shop for an hour before I was able to get in touch with her. Confirming is beneficial for you in so many ways.
2. Be on time - Duh! As a professional you should be on time anyway. To me, being 15 minutes early is on time. You want to get there and still have some time to collect yourself and your thoughts.
3. Do your research - When you're going into an informational interview, you want to be able to ask smart questions. This does not include, "What do you do?". You should already know that...that's why you're talking to this person! A quick search on Google or LinkedIn should answer this for you. Doing your research shows the person you're talking to that you are taking this opportunity seriously.
4. Clearly & concisely explain your situation - While you've done your research, it's likely that the person you're interviewing hasn't done theirs, and that's okay, it's not their job. You should be able to give a brief introduction of who you are, what you've done, and what you're looking for. This about your job "objective" and expand on it a bit. It's okay if you don't know what you want to do; you're probably doing this interview in part to help you find out. Just be able to communicate.
Even if you aren't searching for a job, it's still a good idea to do informational interviews from time to time with people in your field. Get to know people in your field, find out what they are doing and whether or not they like it.
I found some tips for having an effective informational interview on Lindsey Pollak's Blog and I wanted to share them here since they are especially relevant for me today:
1. Confirm - at least 24 hours in advance to show that you are taking this seriously. This is SO important. I had a meeting set up once and did not confirm ... the woman I was meeting had the date and time wrong in her calendar so I waited in a coffee shop for an hour before I was able to get in touch with her. Confirming is beneficial for you in so many ways.
2. Be on time - Duh! As a professional you should be on time anyway. To me, being 15 minutes early is on time. You want to get there and still have some time to collect yourself and your thoughts.
3. Do your research - When you're going into an informational interview, you want to be able to ask smart questions. This does not include, "What do you do?". You should already know that...that's why you're talking to this person! A quick search on Google or LinkedIn should answer this for you. Doing your research shows the person you're talking to that you are taking this opportunity seriously.
4. Clearly & concisely explain your situation - While you've done your research, it's likely that the person you're interviewing hasn't done theirs, and that's okay, it's not their job. You should be able to give a brief introduction of who you are, what you've done, and what you're looking for. This about your job "objective" and expand on it a bit. It's okay if you don't know what you want to do; you're probably doing this interview in part to help you find out. Just be able to communicate.
Even if you aren't searching for a job, it's still a good idea to do informational interviews from time to time with people in your field. Get to know people in your field, find out what they are doing and whether or not they like it.
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