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Job Search Resources

The Benefits of Networking

• A Successful Informational Interview
• Helpful Questions for Networking and Informational Interviews
• Tips for Effective Networking

Tips for Making the Connection

• Before You Contact a Career Advisor
• Making the Contact
• Visiting the Alumnus
• Following up

The Benefits of Networking

Networking is the process of utilizing and discovering connections between people. It requires moving beyond one's immediate professional community and tapping into the communities of others (colleagues, professors, former employers, etc.). This involves talking to people in both formal and informal settings, such as at a professional conference, presentation, club or group meeting, or even a social gathering. Networking can serve as a tool to explore a field of interest as well as lead to potential job opportunities. Informational discussions with professionals can help an individual select a major, narrow an area of interest, collect advice on graduate schools, and select a career path. In addition, job searchers can use networking to receive information about job openings, build contacts, obtain referrals, and improve their interviewing skills.

An estimated 60-80% of jobs are found informally through networking with direct or indirect contacts such as friends, relatives, former colleagues, and alumni. During periods of economic difficulty, networking is an essential way to improve one's job search and increase the likelihood of finding a job. When jobs are scarce, utilizing all connections and conducting informational interviews becomes especially critical.

A Successful Informational Interview

Meeting with the ICAN career advisor in person can be an important aspect of your job search or career development plan. You may select specific advisors to meet because of their educational background or their current place of employment. Before asking for an informational interview you should feel comfortable with basic knowledge of the advisor's background and career history. If you are specifically seeking a job in his or her company, you should know the company's major products or services, financial status, and total number of employees. Acquaint yourself with its profitability, financial strength, and its status in the industry.

These visits should be kept brief, about 20 minutes, and are not the same as job interviews. You should go prepared to ask questions to learn about the advisor's experience and his/her organization. These visits may give you an opportunity to decide which organizations you would like to return to for formal job interviews. Informational visits are easier to arrange than actual interviews and can lay the groundwork for your ultimate job-hunting success. It is essential (and expected) to follow up with thank-you notes or email everyone you talked with about your job search.

Helpful Questions for Networking and Informational Interviews

• How did you break into the field?
• Where do you see a person like me fitting into this field (industry, company)?
• What professional associations should I join?
• What professional publications should I read?
• Who are other recognized MIT alumni in this field?
• What are some of the problems and issues your organization faces?
• What are the most necessary skills for these types of jobs?
• What are the trends affecting your business?
• How is the hiring done? (direct ads, search firms, contacts, friends)
• What kind of compensation could I expect in the first year?
• Is there formal or on-the-job training?
• How should I prepare for job interviews in this field?
• What's a typical career path for someone coming in at my level?
• What are some of the obstacles I would face in this job?
• Whom would you suggest I talk to next? (Be sure to keep a list and ask the advisor if he/she could provide introduction or if you could use his/her name when making contact.)
• Can I keep in touch with you and let you know my progress?

Tips for Effective Networking

• Effective networking takes practice - start with the contacts with whom you are most comfortable.
• Assess your conversations afterwards - What information helped you? Which of your questions were most effective? What areas of the discussion interested you?
• Keep a journal recording who you spoke with, the information you received, your impressions, any promised follow up strategy, and referrals the person may have given.
• Follow up by keeping the people with whom you've had contacted abreast of your progress.
• Networking can take place anywhere, at any time!

Tips for Making the Connection

We recommend that you print the search results for each search. Then, after clicking on the alumni you wish to contact, print the profile information so you will have it available when you are ready to make contact. Your search criteria can be different each time you use the network, and new advisors join the network often. Printing the results of your search will provide you with a good record and save time if your search is conducted over several Web sessions.

Before You Contact a Career Advisor

• Review each ICAN advisor's profile carefully. Where does he/she live and work? How does he/she wish to be contacted? Determine if you may have common experiences, either at MIT or in the work force. Were you in the same living group at MIT, or have you both joined an MIT Club?
• Check the profile to determine whether the alumnus wishes to be contacted by telephone or email, at home or at the office, and their preferred contact time.
• Be ready with a list of questions you wish to ask, and if contacting the advisor by phone, be prepared to take notes or have your calendar ready to schedule a time to talk.
• Be clear about the information you are seeking: do you want job search strategies, specific information about openings in the advisor's company, or information about a particular occupational field?

Making the Contact

• Introduce yourself as an MIT alumnus or student and explain that you found the advisor's name on the Institute Career Assistance Network.
• Make any personal connections about MIT by describing briefly your MIT experience.
• State your career interests and goals, and describe the assistance you need to help you meet your objectives.
• Let the alumnus guide the length of the conversation.

Visiting the Alumnus

• Be flexible about when and where the appointment can take place.
• Confirm any appointments the day before by phone or email.
• Be sure to have a list of questions to discuss with the advisor.
• Give regular feedback during the meeting and agree on a time to follow up.

Following up

• Thank the advisors for his/her assistance, either via email or postal mail. Advisors expect this and will be more likely to help further if there is polite follow up.
• Be sure to contact the advisor when your employment changes; staying connected to the advisor may bring you further rewards in the future.

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