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The
UCSB Alumni Association's Career Connections program
is a way for students and alumni to gain information
and insight to assist in making career decisions.
UCSB alumni from a wide variety of professions have
volunteered to share their experiences and welcome
your phone call. It is important to note that this
is an opportunity to gather information and begin
making contacts -- it is not a job or internship service.
When you do decide to go job hunting, having established
your Gaucho network will help.
The networking contacts provided may not always be
in geographic proximity to you, but these alumni may
be able to provide you more contacts through their
networks. Also, it is important to interview more
than one person as opinions and information could
be biased.
Why Explore?
Career Connections is designed
to provide you an opportunity to explore various
career options prior to making a final career decision.
An informational interview can help you overcome
four common obstacles:
1. You may lack knowledge about a career field.
Informational interviewing allows you to learn more
about the job titles, duties, and personality traits
of people in the industry.
2. You may feel that you lack relevant work experience
to achieve your goals. Informational interviews
can provide an opportunity to ask specific questions
about education and experience needed to pursue
this career. Also, a working knowledge about an
organization's mission and structure can sometimes
compensate for lack of experience.
3. In many fields, few jobs are ever openly advertised.
A job hunter may not come into contact with these
jobs if he/she does not know where to look. Some
employment specialists estimate that only one job
in six is advertised in a classified ad, personnel
office or on a placement office bulletin board.
The rest are "discovered" and filled through
word-of-mouth between professional colleagues. Informational
interviewing can help you develop contacts among
influential people who might provide assistance
when you begin your job hunt.
4. Most job hunters ask only personnel representatives
and receptionists for information about job opportunities.
Very often these individuals do not know about the
total range of jobs available, the feasibility of
non-traditional jobs or the existence of jobs that
are not advertised. Informational interviewing allows
you to get this information from people who do have
it -- people performing the kind of jobs in which
you are interested, or their immediate supervisors.
Preparation
1. Phone the alumnus/a to schedule
a phone appointment or a mutually convenient place
and time to meet. It is best if you can visit the
alumnus/a at his or her place of business during
regular business hours so you can see the work environment.
When telephoning the contact for the first time,
introduce yourself as a UCSB alumnus/a or student
participating in the Career Connections program.
If leaving a message, indicate the purpose of your
call since alumni are often involved with other
UCSB programs. Your conversation could begin as
follows: "My name is Gary Gaucho and I am a
student/alumnus from UCSB. I received your contact
information from the UCSB Alumni Association's Career
Connections program, and I am interested in speaking
and/or meeting with you to learn more about your
job and career."
Do not become discouraged if your alumnus/a asks
that you contact him or her at a later date because
they are busy at the time of your initial call.
Follow up with your phone calls.
2. Collect background information on the career
field. Your meeting will be more productive if you
have some basic knowledge of the field.
3. If meeting in person, wear business attire as
you would for an interview (e.g., suit, tie, dress,
etc.). This will not only prepare you for job interviews
but will also leave a favorable impression on a
potential contact.
4. Have a pen and notepad to make notes of pertinent
information.
5. Review the questions on the back of this sheet
and and note the ones which are the most important
for you to obtain answers.
6. It is not necessary to take a resume with you.
Do not feel you need to make a resume for the occasion
since the purpose of the program is for information
only.
7. Please inform the UCSB Alumni Association if
the information on your contact sheets is incorrect
or you have problems with any visitations. Your
feedback is important.
Questions for the Visit
Remember, you are seeking information
which will help you understand the realities of
working in a particular field. You will be doing
the interviewing. Here are some questions you may
want to ask:
1.
• How do you describe
your job?
• What do you do on a typical day?
• What kinds of problems do you face?
• What kinds of decisions do you make?
2.
• What are the most important personal satisfactions
and dissatisfactions connected with your occupation?
• What part of the job do you consider dull
or repetitious?
• What percentage of your time do you devote
to your job?
3.
• What social obligations go along with a position
in your occupation?
• Are there professional organizations that
you are expected to join?
• Are there other things in which you are expected
to participate outside of work hours?
• Do you consistently work overtime, on the
weekends, or take work home?
4.
• What types of jobs did you hold before entering
this occupation?
• How did these jobs prepare you for your current
position?
• What did you like best and least about your
previous jobs?
5.
• What types of changes are occurring in your
occupation?
• Is there a demand for people in this field?
• Do you view this field as a growing one?
6.
• How does a person advance in your field?
• If any, what are the advancement opportunities?
• What is the best way to enter this occupation?
• What are the major qualifications for success
in this particular occupation?
• How long does it usually take to move from
one step to the next in this career path?
• What is the top job you can attain in this
field?
• What are the prerequisites for employment
in the field?
• What entry level jobs qualify or prepare
one for this field?
• What training do companies give to persons
entering this field?
• What are the salary ranges for various levels
in this field?
7.
• Could you suggest other people with whom
I could speak in this field or in related fields?
• May I read job descriptions and specifications
for some of the positions in this field?
Follow-up
1. Keep records of your meetings.
You may want to evaluate what you have learned and
organize the names and addresses of new contacts.
These may prove helpful when you actually begin
your job search.
2. Send thank you notes! These should be sent promptly
to each person with whom you spoke at any length.
A few lines can indicate your appreciation of his
or her time and the value you derived from the interview.
This courtesy can also help you to be remembered.
3. If you establish a positive relationship, you
may want to re-contact these
individuals periodically. Tell them the results
of your visits with the people they recommended
you contact. If you find articles in newspapers,
magazines or journals which might be of interest
to an individual whom you have interviewed, send
along copies. If you keep in touch with these people
and remind them of your interest in their field,
they might share with you additional information
as they get it.
UCSB Alumni Association
Career Connections is a program of the UCSB
Alumni Association. It is free to current UCSB
students and members of the UCSB Alumni Association.
There is a $5 charge to process information for
non-members. Alumni and students may phone
the UCSB Alumni Association for contacts. Students may also access the program
by visiting UCSB Career Services in the Career Service Building 599. For more
information about this or other UCSB Alumni Association programs phone 805-893-4611
or email susan.goodale@ia.ucsb.edu.
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