Your first goal is to find out whether or not they have any appropriate postings. Calling their Human Resources department will get you a yes-or-no answer, but often the dialogue ends there. Creating a relationship with the company takes some extra effort, but will help them remember you when a position does become available. To get that relationship started, take the first step by sending your resume and letter of interest to the company. I encourage you to send these directly to their Human Resources department.
Your letter of interest is nearly identical to a cover letter except rather than indicating the position you are applying for in the first line, you will instead ask them if they have any openings in your area of interest. Be as specific about your level of experience as you can, and tie this to the position you are interested in:
“I am writing to inquire if you currently have any entry level openings for a recent college graduate in the areas of communications or marketing.”
After you send in your materials, wait about a week and then follow up with a phone call. If they don’t have any open openings, your next step is to conduct an informational interview.
An informational interview is your chance to turn the tables. Here, you are “interviewing” an employee to find out all you can about the company. When you follow up with Human Resources, ask them if you can chat to someone as an informational interview. Or, just go to the company website and find someone whose job looks appealing to you. It doesn’t matter if the person has an entry level or senior position; the goal is to connect with someone currently working in the company.
Writing to someone for the first time to ask for an informational interview may feel awkward, but remember, people love to give advice and talk about themselves and their careers. When you decide who you want to interview, a brief email is appropriate. Avoid conducting the entire interview over email; it can be time consuming for the interviewee, and it’s difficult to make that personal connection. Your goal should be a phone interview or, if you are in the same city, a face-to-face meeting over coffee.
Don’t ask the person for a job. Start off with some questions about the career field, the company culture and his/her path. When you meet for the interview, prepare approximately 10 questions. After your interview, be sure to stay in touch. Try to find a reason to connect about once a month, maybe to mention an interesting article you’ve read in the industry or to update them on your job search. This way, when a job does come open, he/she will think of you first!
*A quick aside: do be sure to check a company's website before contacting them. Many employers only post jobs internally on their own site. It can be embarrassing to call only to be told to visit their website.
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Joanna Adler currently serves as the Associate Director for the Career Development Center at Mount Holyoke College, a women's liberal arts college in Western, Mass. In that role, she focuses on student preparation through individualized counseling, as well as overseeing the internship and student employment programs for the college.
