27-32 Credits: Networking

Complete an Informational Interview

A great way to learn about potential job prospects is to speak with professionals working in that industry. This conversation is called an informational interview. While an informational interview is a resource for someone exploring careers, it is also an excellent networking tool. Follow these steps to get started:

• Brainstorm your current network for possible informational interviewing contacts and identify people to interview.
  • Do you have friends, colleagues, classmates, neighbors, or family members working in the career field you want to pursue?
  • Can your existing contacts connect you with other professionals?
• Develop your Two-Minute Presentation to make sure you can quickly sell your skills. Schedule an appointment with a CREW Career Center counselor to help format and practice your introduction.
• Initiate contact with the person you want to interview.
  • Be sure to state who you are and your purpose for calling.
  • Reference the person who provided you with this contact information.
  • Ask if the contact has 15-20 minutes to speak with you at a convenient time.
• Review the CREW Career Center Networking and Job Search Resource Guide to help prepare your questions and explore networking categories.
• Don't forget to send a thank-you note after the informational interview and connect on LinkedIn.

Create a LinkedIn Account and On-line Career Portfolio

You are in luck! Technology has made it easier than ever to network with professionals in your career field. Review these tips to help you promote yourself online:

• Google yourself often. What do you see? Is this what you want employers to see? Employers will make a first impression of you based on an Internet search.
• Connect with the CREW Career Center to update your resume to your respective industry standards. It is very difficult to create or enhance your professional online presence without first having an updated resume.
• Create a LinkedIn and Handshake profile to network and connect with professionals in your industry. LinkedIn has over 100 million users and is the world’s primary professional networking website. Review the LinkedIn Profile Checklist (pdf) to make sure you have the best possible LinkedIn profile.
• Review the CREW Career Center Networking and Job Search Resource Guide for additional information on online networking tips.
• Develop an online career portfolio to market your experiences, accomplishments, qualifications, and more.
  • You can create a free career portfolio without having any IT skills… it’s that easy.
  • A career portfolio commonly includes your resume, a homepage introducing yourself, and samples of your work, including projects and presentations.
  • Check out the Promoting Yourself Online Resource Sheet (pdf) and Building an Online Career Portfolio (pdf) to learn how simple it is for you to begin creating your career portfolio today.

Update your Handshake Profile

The Handshake Student Guide will walk you through how to upload your resume to your student profile.
 

• Complete Your Profile - It is important to thoroughly complete your profile in Handshake, just as you would with LinkedIn, or any other professional networking platform. This is very important if making your profile visible to others.  No one will be impressed with an incomplete profile. 
• Change Your Profile Privacy Setting - There are 3 privacy settings: Community, Employers, and Private.  Some Handshake features require profile to be set to either Community or Employers. It is recommended to use the private setting until profile is complete and you are ready to network.
• Change Your Resume Visibility by Employers - Do not inadvertently make your resume visible to employers until you have had it reviewed by the UCC staff or other experts. You do NOT want your incorrect or incomplete resume coming up in employer searches! Note: resume visibility is different from profile visibility.