Shortly after I graduated and my internship had ended, I was without a job. This, as I am sure all who have been without a job will know, is particularly stressful. It is also something that most recent graduates will have to face—because really, will you have your dream job lined up after graduation?

One piece of advice that one of the senior level people at my internship gave me proved to be an excellent way of bringing structure into your job search and relieving some of the stress. This is what he told me:

People love to talk about themselves, so make a list of ten to fifteen people in the area in which you are interested that you want to see for a chat. Tell them you would love to hear from them how they managed their career; tell them you are new and would love to discuss the different career paths you are thinking about. This is much more effective than telling them you are looking for a job and you would like to discuss the possibilities in his or her organization, but basically, you are asking the same thing.

Making that list however, is the easy part; in my case the people at my internship gave me several high profile names to contact, including a vice president for a big-time public relations agency and a chief communications officer for a large non-profit. The trick is lining up these interviews. Many people simply won’t have time or are not interested and you will find your list quickly exhausted. That’s why you have to keep the list of possible interviews at ten to fifteen people at all time; whenever you are denied (and you’d better get used to that), add another person to the list. And please, do ask the denier if they might know other people who would be interested in talking to you; they can always point you in the right direction.

By adding to the list, the list is basically a never-ending source for informal interview possibilities. It is a lot of work, but it is a very structured way: you can make a list of people who you should contact; a list of people who you should follow up with; a list of people who have declined, but pointed you to other people. Keep tabs!

And of course, cold calling all these people is pretty scary. Why not make a little script? For example: “Hi, my name is John Smith. Mr. So and So (always drop the name of their acquaintance) suggested I should give you a call. I was wondering if you would have some free time for me to stop by and talk to you about your career in (in this case) public relations. I am just starting out in the industry and I would love to gain some insight and some advice on how to approach my starting career, and I thought you would add an interesting perspective.”

Once you land the informal interview, treat it as a real interview. The people you are going to see know just as well as you do that you are looking for a job. Prepare, dress up, have resumes handy. Have questions ready and be prepared to answer questions. You will be amazed at the opportunities that spring from these supposedly informal chats. And don’t forget to ask if he or she can suggest other people you can talk to!

Marc van Bree is a native Dutch public relations practitioner living in Chicago. He works for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and is the author of Dutch Perspective (http://blog.mcmvanbree.com) – a personal blog on cultural affairs, international affairs and public relations.

Technorati Tags: career advice, interviewing, informal interviews

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