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Reclaiming Joy at Work: Transform Your Unhappiness into Professional Success

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Reclaiming Joy at Work: Transform Your Unhappiness into Professional Success

June 26, 2023

woman at her laptop looking unhappyAre you feeling unsatisfied and unmotivated in your current job?
Do you dread going to work every day?
Are you feeling undervalued or like you were meant for something more?

If any of these questions resonate, it's time to take action and make a change!

But how do you make a change in the right direction? How can you be certain that your next job is a better fit?

Here are five things you can do to get clear on where you want to go from here.

Identify Your Values: One of the key factors in finding happiness at work is understanding your values. That’s because your values are what drive and motivate you to do your best work. They are the guiding principles that shape your decisions and actions. Take some time to reflect on what truly matters to you and what you want to prioritize in your career. Are you driven by integrity, honesty, recognition, or something else? Knowing your values will help you align your work with what truly fulfills you.

Establish Clear Boundaries: Boundaries play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy work-life balance and preserving your overall well-being. It's essential to assess whether your values align with the boundaries you have set for yourself. Are you comfortable with the culture and the people you work with? Do you feel supported and recognized for your contributions? By identifying your boundaries and ensuring they align with your values, you can create an environment that fosters your personal and professional growth.

Develop Your Self-Confidence: The key ingredient for achieving success and happiness in your career is your confidence. It gives you the strength to speak up, assert your needs, and advocate for yourself. Building self-confidence takes time and effort, but it's a worthwhile investment. Your increased confidence will enable you to navigate workplace challenges and make informed decisions that align with your values.

Take Intentional Action: Don't let unhappiness at work linger. Take the initiative to invest in your future and find the fulfillment you deserve. Whether you decide to find a new job, acquire new skills, go back to school, or proactively improve your situation at your current company, I encourage you to make choices that are aligned with your aspirations.

Keep Growing: Embracing a mindset of lifelong learning is key to staying relevant and adaptable in today's dynamic work landscape. Commit to continuous growth and improvement. Seek out learning opportunities, stay updated with industry trends, and expand your knowledge and skills. By embracing lifelong learning, you position yourself for long-term career satisfaction and fulfillment.

It is possible for you to be happy at work. That opportunity is within reach! When you understand your values, set clear boundaries, and develop your self-confidence, you can take charge of your career and create a path that aligns with your passions and aspirations.

It's time to take charge of your career—start your journey towards happiness today.

What if you could find out about job openings before they were posted?

Download the guide, The Secret to Getting to the Front of the Line, and learn how to access the hidden job market.

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How to Take Your Resume from Zero to Hero

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How to Take Your Resume from Zero to Hero

June 5, 2023

Pictured: Woman sitting at a desk on a laptop, writing her resumeIn today's competitive job market, having a strong resume is essential for early- to mid-career professionals, especially if you’re looking to make a career move.

While most people focus on listing tasks and responsibilities, you can better stand out if you shift your perspective and emphasize your accomplishments.

Employers are no longer satisfied with simply knowing what you did in your previous roles. They want to understand how well you performed and what value you brought to the organization. When you shift your resume's focus from tasks to accomplishments, you demonstrate your impact. This will make a stronger impression on potential employers.

How to Shift Your Resume to Focus on Accomplishments:

Creating a compelling resume can be challenging, but it’s crucial to dedicate the time and effort. Your resume is usually the first impression you make on hiring managers, so approaching it casually can cost you valuable opportunities. When you develop an accomplishment-focused resume, you’ll increase your chances of standing out among other candidates.

One key aspect of crafting a successful resume is aligning your skills and experiences with the specific requirements outlined in job descriptions. Take the time to analyze your own skills and draw connections between your experiences and what employers are seeking. When you highlight these connections, you underscore how well you fit the role and this will capture the attention of recruiters.

Resume Formats that enable you to incorporate your accomplishments:

The Problem Action Result (PAR) method involves:

  • Identifying a problem or challenge you faced
  • Describing the action you took to address it
  • Showcasing the results you achieved

If you choose to use this one, think about the projects you’ve been on, the teams that you’ve been a part of, and challenges you’ve had to solve. This is a great format for highlighting many skills including your ability to problem-solve.

The Before-During-After approach is a little bit easier for most people. This format allows you to demonstrate growth and improvement within a role. To use this format:

  • Start with your initial responsibilities
  • Detail how you transformed them during your time in that role
  • Highlight the positive outcomes

In both cases, you have to take what stage you are in your career into account. If you are an early- to mid-career professional, you can draw from your work experiences However, if you are a recent graduate, you should focus on achievements from your education, internships, or extracurricular activities.

For example, one of my clients worked for a fraternity association and helped to increase membership by 50%. That’s a great example of highlighting your accomplishments, even if you haven’t had a full-time job yet.

That’s also an example of highlighting your accomplishments in a quantifiable form. There is power in quoting numbers, percentages, and other measurable outcomes that demonstrate the extent of your success.

These formats support your interview:

The work you put into identifying and articulating your accomplishments in your resume will also benefit you during interviews. If a hiring manager asks about your proudest achievement or a problem you've solved, you’ll be able to go into detail about this. When you have a clear understanding of your own accomplishments, you can confidently discuss them and showcase your problem-solving abilities.

Investing time in crafting an accomplishment-focused resume is a crucial step toward securing your desired job. When you shift the focus from tasks to achievements, you stand out in a competitive job market and increase your chances of success.

Remember, your resume is an opportunity to showcase your value and make a memorable impression on potential employers. So, take the time to evaluate your experiences, identify your accomplishments, and create a powerful resume that elevates your professional brand.

What if you could find out about job openings before they were posted?

Download the guide, The Secret to Getting to the Front of the Line, and learn how to access the hidden job market.

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Increase Your Chances of Getting an Interview with These Two Steps

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Increase Your Chances of Getting an Interview with These Two Steps

February 20, 2023

Image: woman in suite at laptop with her chin in her hands, looking frrustrated or sadMany clients who come to me do so after they have tried to find a job on their own. They’ve applied for many jobs – sometimes hundreds!

But they aren’t receiving calls to be interviewed.

Sometimes they aren’t hearing back at all… and they realize they need help.

Their biggest problem is that they don’t know what they’re doing right and what they’re doing wrong, so they don’t know where to put their attention and make changes.

While the answers vary from client to client, the biggest thing I see them struggle with is this: Aligning their resume with Automatic Tracking Systems (ATS).

What are Automatic Tracking Systems (ATS)?

According to JobScan.co, 99% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS, a software that helps them manage the large volume of applications that they receive.

When you submit your application, you may (correctly) have the hiring manager in mind, but you also need to get through the gatekeeper: Their ATS system.

If you don’t get past ATS, the hiring manager will never see your resume and you’ll never receive an invitation to be interviewed.

To Increase the chances of (1) your resume landing on the hiring manager’s desk and (2) receiving an invitation to be interviewed, there are two things that you need to do:

1. Apply for jobs that you are qualified for.

Many people apply for jobs for which they are underqualified and overqualified. And I can see how that makes sense.

Job seekers apply for jobs where they are overqualified because they think that since they have more than the company wants, the employer will think they are getting a bargain.

But that’s incorrect. The employer does not need someone with more skills. In fact, they see someone who’s overqualified as potentially expensive and unlikely to stick around for long. Employers want someone who will stay around for a while and will grow into the roll.

Conversely, people applying for jobs they are underqualified for may think that they can just get training and they’ll get up to speed quickly. But companies don’t want to wait, and employers don’t want to take a chance on whether you’ll learn fast enough.

In both cases, job seekers seem to think that job descriptions aren’t serious or specific, and that they can be adjusted to fit the applicant. That’s not the case at all.

Job seekers who are applying for jobs that they are over- and underqualified for think they are keeping their options open and that it will make them more marketable, but it does not! Rather, it seriously decreases your chances of getting interviewed and hired.

The ATS system and the hiring manager are both going to be looking for closely matched skills, experience, and accomplishments. In other words, they’re looking for someone aligned with the job and qualified for it. If you are not appropriately qualified for the job, then you do not have what they are looking for. You will NOT receive a call to interview. When you are applying for jobs, the best thing you can do is to focus on what you are qualified to do in the job market.

2. Incorporate the keywords into your resume that ATS will be looking for.

If your resume does not have many of these key words, they won’t make it past the ATS! So, edit your resume to bring in as many keywords for the job as possible.

You need to use the exact words because ATS scans your resume to find those words in the job description.

After you’ve done your research and have brought in all of your keywords, I recommend using an excellent tool called JobScan, which mimics an ATS. I have all of my clients use this tool because it scans your resume against the job description to see how closely aligned you are for the role.

There are other ways to find a job.

I know that this sounds like a lot of work, but if you continue to use the advertised market to find your job and don’t do these steps I’ve outlined, your search will take much longer and be that much more difficult and frustrating.

The good news is there are other ways to find a job! The advertised market is just one path. If you want to bypass the ATS altogether, choose another path. Learn about the three paths jobseekers can use to find the right job.

What if you could find out about job openings before they were posted?

Download the guide, The Secret to Getting to the Front of the Line, and learn how to access the hidden job market.

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Not hearing back about your job search? Here’s what to do.

Pictured: woman in yellow with her head in her hands, looking frustrated while she waits by her smartphone

Not hearing back about your job search? Here’s what to do.

January 23, 2023

Pictured: woman in yellow with her head in her hands, looking frustrated while she waits by her smartphoneJob seekers do a lot of waiting.

They wait to hear back from a recruiter or hiring manager about their resume.

Then they wait to hear back about the interview and whether they’ll get to the next round.

They also wait to hear back from colleagues who said they would refer them.

It’s an anxious process that requires a lot of patience.

During that waiting process, questions start to rise up:

  • Why aren’t they getting back to me?
  • How long should I wait before I reach out?
  • Will reaching out hurt my chances, or help?
  • At what point is this silence a definitive “no”?
  • Why do they do this?! 🤦‍♀️

Is your anxiety rising? Mine, too!

So, let’s back up.

When you hear crickets, what are you thinking?

Do you start to worry about why you are not hearing back?

Or perhaps you are thinking: “I thought I did well during the interview. What did I do wrong?” It’s easy to ruminate about what you did wrong, what subtle message you missed… it’s a scary time and incredibly frustrating.

What can you do to reduce your anxiety and frustration?

How can you better manage these times, and even make them more productive?

First, keep in mind that your sense of time is very different from the people doing the hiring. They are working and very busy with a lot of things. You are just one thing on their long to-do list. If you are not working or anxious to move on from your current position, your sense of time is very different. It moves more slowly, and you want things to move faster… but it’s not in your control.

Second, try not to judge the silence as bad news. When you start ruminating and creating negative stories about why they aren't getting back to you, you create a negative spiral. It can affect a lot more than your waiting period. It can affect the decisions you make and how you show up in the world.

What can you do instead of judging the silence as bad news?

  • Manage your expectations. Be realistic about when will you actually probably hear back from people. When someone tells you a week, I recommend you think of it as two or even three weeks.
  • Remember that not everyone has the same sense of urgency as you. The people looking to hire have a lot more to their job than hiring, and their urgency is different from yours.
  • Spend this time on other job search activities. While you’re waiting to hear back, spend your energy and time making sure that this one opportunity is not your only option!

Finding a job takes time, patience, and an understanding of the process. Try not to judge the silence. Choose to remain optimistic. You never know... on the other side of those crickets might be a job offer!

One more thing... if what you're waiting for is a call back from an interview and you're feeling ghosted, read this article to learn about the steps you can take during your next interview to minimize your anxiety and even stop the ghosting.

What if you could find out about job openings before they were posted?

Download the guide, The Secret to Getting to the Front of the Line, and learn how to access the hidden job market.

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How to Measure Your Job Search Progress

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How to Measure Your Job Search Progress

October 31, 2022

Pictured: notebook with the words: how to masure your progressDo you sometimes feel like you aren’t making any progress in your job search?

It’s a long and sometimes frustrating process, and it can often feel like you’re spinning your wheels. So, that’s a great question to ask:

How do you measure how much progress you are making in your job search?

It can be difficult to tell!

Most job seekers measure how their job search is progressing by how many online jobs they have applied for, how many interviews they’ve had, or whether they’re waiting to hear back from a recruiter or hiring manager.

But then recruiters don’t call back when they said they would, interviewers talked about moving to the next round but you haven’t heard anything more about it, and you feel ghosted. When you haven’t heard back from the companies where you thought for sure you were qualified, the frustration is real!

One minute, you think you’re making progress; and the next minute, you aren’t. It feels like one step forward, two steps back. You’re feeling on top of the world, only to be let down and wonder if you’ll ever find a job.

Why is this?

It’s because of what you’re using to measure your success.

How many interviews you’ve done and which whether you’ve gotten to the second or third round of interviews are what I call a “vanity metric.” It can feel like you’re making progress, but it can be a false hope and you can go from hero to zero in a second. This is not what you need to be paying attention to!

Instead, I recommend these criteria for measuring your progress:

  • How many people (ideally hiring managers) in your targeted companies know what you want to do in your next role?
  • How visible are you on LinkedIn, especially to your connections, people you want to get to know, and people within your targeted companies?
  • How many face-to-face meetings do you have on your calendar each week?
  • How many people have you met with since you’ve started your job search?
  • How many new names have you added to your list of contacts from your one-on-one meetings?

As you may have noticed, these measurements are all about talking to people. Are you wondering how you’re going to find a job when that’s all you’re paying attention to?

That, my friend, is the whole point!

The best way to find and land the right job (not just any job) is to find out about new openings before they are posted online. Help people in the companies you want to work for get to know you (and by “people” I mean the hiring managers and the people they trust). Then, when there are new openings, you are the first person they’ll think about.

There’s one more benefit that you get when you focus on how many people you know and how visible you are: You eliminate the highs and lows that come with doing all of those interviews for jobs you aren’t even sure you want.

What if you could find out about job openings before they were posted?

Download the guide, The Secret to Getting to the Front of the Line, and learn how to access the hidden job market.

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3 Steps to Finding Your Best Next Job

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3 Steps to Finding Your Best Next Job

October 17, 2022

pictured: man and woman networkingIn a recent blog post, I talked about choosing the best path to your next job. In that article, I highlighted the most powerful way to find a job that you love… one that fits you and steers you in the direction you want to go.

In this article, I want to dig into that process a little bit, because I know that it can be daunting.

I’m going to give you three steps for getting onto this new path so you can get moving forward more quickly and easily.

But first: What is this job-hunting process that am I talking about?

The best way to find your best job – one that you’ll be happy in and will also help you move in the direction you want to go in your career – is to network first, apply second.

This isn’t just your typical networking, where you walk into a room of unknowns and see if you can find something interesting. Rather, it’s an intentional networking process during which you connect with prospective employers that you have already researched. Ideally, you have already spoken to them by email or phone prior to the networking opportunity!

What makes this your best choice? There are a few reasons!

For one, you’re starting with what you are interested in doing and then finding the job that fits what you want. That’s why this process increases the likelihood that you’ll be happy in your job.

For another, you’ll start with companies that you’re interested in working for and focus only on them, which increases the likelihood that you’ll like where you work.

And lastly, you’ll make connections with prospective employers before you apply for a job, which means you are a known quantity to them and vice versa. Everyone interacts better with people they know; that includes hiring managers!

How can you get onto this more lucrative job-hunting path more easily, especially since it’s probably new to you?

Here are three steps to get you started:

  1. Download my guide, The Secret to Getting to the Front of the Line, and answer the two questions it presents. You’ll end up with a list of key contacts!
  2. Send a message to each of those contacts to begin connecting. This could be via email or through LinkedIn.
  3. Meet with each of those contacts in person or via Zoom and have a networking conversation. In addition to telling them what you are looking for, make sure you learn what they are up to and how you might be able to help them.

If this still feels too big, or you aren’t sure what to say, maybe we should talk. I can help you get clear about what you’re looking for, coach you around what you want to say during your conversations, and help you build your confidence, so you present your best self to your prospective future employers. If that sounds like something you need, let’s connect! Just fill out the form on this page to get started.

What if you could find out about job openings before they were posted?

Download the guide, The Secret to Getting to the Front of the Line, and learn how to access the hidden job market.

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Choosing the Best Path to Your Next Job

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Choosing the Best Path to Your Next Job

September 26, 2022

pictured: business people standing in line along a wallWhat does making progress in your job search really mean? Here are three options for you to choose from:

  1. You have attended a lot of interviews
  2. You’ve made it to the second and third round of many interviews
  3. Each week, more people know what you are looking for and you have visibility within your targeted company even though there isn’t a job opening.

Most job seekers would choose 1 or 2 from that list. They believe the interviews are the key sign of progress. They are feeling optimistic about moving through the interview process because the interview went over 15 minutes, the interviewer liked their responses, or they told you someone would be calling you to move to the next round.

That makes sense! When you can see something, you can visualize you doing that job and you are hopeful about getting an offer.

Unfortunately, looking for a job is much more complicated than applying online and walking through the interview process. If you want just any job, you’re probably right. But if you want to like your job, and if you look at your next job as just one step in your long, successful career, then it isn’t that simple.

There are three pathways job seekers can use to find the right job. Which pathway are you using?

Pathway #1

Most job seekers are applying for jobs online. They’re seeking roles they believe they are qualified to do. Either they have the skills outlined in the job description, or they have some of them and are confident that, with some training by the company, they can get up to speed quickly. They supply a cover letter and a resume. Then they wait…. and wait… and wait. Sometimes they hear back, but they often don’t.

Pathway #2:

Some job seekers look for jobs within companies where they know someone. They start by finding jobs online, but then their second step is to identify someone they know (or someone that someone they know knows) and asking or a referral. Ideally, the referrer knows the hiring manager and passes on their resume, which increases the chance of hearing back and getting a screening interview.

Pathway #3:

Few people take this third path. It involves developing relationships within your targeted list of companies and roles. You get to know people who can give you information about your industry, and the skills and qualifications needed for the role you are seeking. Hiring managers get to know you beyond your resume, and it increases the chance that you’ll learn about an open role before it’s put out into the public. Because you are now a known entity and have built a nice rapport with the hiring manager, you have an increased chance of getting an interview and getting the job.

Think about it: If you had an opening in your department, would you rather hire someone you’ve already met or someone you need to get to know.

Looking back at these three pathways:

In pathway #1, you aren’t doing enough. You’re starting way back at the end of the line, where thousands of other people are in line with you. You’re largely invisible, and you’re leading on luck to get that job.

Pathway #2 has a better chance of working than #1. Now you’re in the middle of the line. There are still a lot of people there, though not as many as in pathway #1. It is a big help that you’re coming in through a referral in the company. In essence, you are leaning on your referrer’s credibility. It makes you a bit more of a known quantity.

I have to say though – the biggest problem with both #1 and #2 is that you’re basing your search on what is already available. You’re taking what you’re interested in doing and fitting it into the cookie-cutter jobs that are being publicized.

That’s where pathway #3 really differs. When you are taking this route, you are starting with your interests and finding the job that fits you. When you get to know the hiring manager ahead of the job opening, you’re leaning on your own credibility.

Looking for a job is not easy. More than likely, you have used pathway #1 or #2. My question for you is this: Have they led you to a job that you love and a company where you really fit?

If your answer is no, then maybe it’s time to try a new approach. You can get started right now by downloading my free guide: The Secret to Getting to the Front of the Line.

What if you could find out about job openings before they were posted?

Download the guide, The Secret to Getting to the Front of the Line, and learn how to access the hidden job market.

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Asking Better Questions During Your Interview

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Asking Better Questions During Your Interview

April 25, 2022

In my last article, I talked about “behavioral questions,” and preparing for behavioral interviews.

I’d like to take this topic one step further, because YOU can ask behavioral questions during the interview as well!

During a formal interview, you will be given the chance to ask questions. This is an important opportunity because the answers you receive can help you determine if it’s the right job for you.

For example, let’s say your interview is with the person who would be managing you. Here are three standard questions that interviewees might ask:

  • Can you describe your managerial style?
  • How do you recognize your employee accomplishments?
  • What professional development opportunities are available?

Again, those are common questions, and they aren’t bad! But they also won’t get you a lot of information. How a person describes the way things are supposed to be is very different from how their employees experience it or the stories that emerge from the organization.

What if we turn these standard questions into behavioral questions?

Here are some ways that you might do that:

  • Can you give me an example of feedback you’ve given one of your employees before the review process?
  • What type of recognition or acknowledgement have you given your employees over the last couple of months?
  • Can you give me a couple of examples of how your employees have taken advantage of your professional development opportunities over the last year?”

If you’re thinking that asking these types of questions might be difficult to ask, I’m going to agree with you. It’s a different way of asking and so they take practice!

Asking behavioral questions like this can be very powerful for helping you determine if the company you are interviewing with is the right fit for you. So, take some time to practice, whether it’s with a friend or a career coach. That will enable you to ask your questions with confidence and conviction.

Where do you want to go in your career?

Use this guide to create your own career path. You can choose your own adventure.

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How to Prepare for a Behavioral Interview

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How to Prepare for a Behavioral Interview

April 11, 2022

Have you ever been in an interview and the interviewer asked a question that began with the phrase, “Tell me about a time when you…”?

That is a standard opening to what is called a “behavioral question” and the interviews that use this style of question are known as “behavioral interviews.”

Through these questions, the interviewer is asking about how you’ve behaved in certain circumstances in your past. They ask these questions to get an indication of your knowledge, skills, and even your beliefs, under the premise that your past behavior indicates your future behavior.

It is important that you give the correct responses to these types of questions. To respond correctly, you need to prepare ahead of time. Coming up with examples from your past can be difficult under the pressure of an interview, so going in with your stories already in mind will help you show up confidently.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW

The best way for you to prepare for this type of interview is to break apart the job description and pay close attention to what they are looking for in behaviors.

For example, they might be looking for someone who:

  • Manages stress well
  • Organizes multiple priorities
  • Uses effective communication skills
  • Manages difficult customers with calm and grace
  • Makes sound decisions in urgent situations

After you’ve identified the behaviors that they are looking for, spend some time identifying examples from your past when you were in a situation that called for this behavior.

From the list above, for example, identify a time when you managed a difficult customer successfully or needed to make important decisions while things were moving quickly. If you can’t think of a work example, consider drawing from your volunteer or professional association work.

HOW TO PRACTICE FOR A BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW

After you’ve identified the stories that you want to draw from, you need to practice telling them. It’s a good idea to mimic the interview environment so if it will be face-to-face or via video, set up your practice session in the same way. Invite a trusted friend to have the conversation with you so that you’re talking to a real person.

Answering this type of question isn’t easy if you aren’t used to it, so practice is important. When I do this type of work with my clients, I help them focus on the key points of their stories and make sure they connect their story back to the question.

It is very possible that you won’t get to tell the exact stories you’ve identified during your preparation, and that’s ok. The practice is as much about getting used to drawing from your past and telling those stories as it is identifying the specific scenarios you want to draw from.

You’re developing the skill of answering these types of questions, and that is the whole point. Without a doubt, you need to anticipate that you will be asked these types of questions. It will make an enormous difference if you are prepared. You’ll show up with calm and grace under the pressure of an interview and that will tell a story unto itself.

Where do you want to go in your career?

Use this guide to create your own career path. You can choose your own adventure.

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5 Tips for a Successful Informational Interview

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5 Tips for a Successful Informational Interview

February 28, 2022

informational interviewAre you thinking about entering a career, industry, or company, but you have questions that you wish you could ask someone?

If so, you are prime for doing an Informational Interview.

Informational Interviews are conversations with key people that help you gain information and advice about the companies you are targeting, industries you’re interested in getting into, and the career goals that you’re considering. As an added advantage, these interviews can help you develop your professional network and your relationship building skills.

It’s imperative that you keep this one thing in mind: Informational Interviews are NOT about asking for a job!

However, through these conversations, you can learn what employers are looking for in new hires, the trends in specific industries, plus which hard and soft skills you should focus on. You can also build a professional relationship that does, in the end, lead to an actual job, so don’t discount the benefits to your job hunt altogether.

So how can you get the most out of an informational interview? Here are 5 tips:

1. Be prepared before you set up your meeting

Prior to reaching out for to set up the interview, there are a few things you should get in place:

  • A formatted resume – Though you are not using this conversation to ask for a job, your resume will help them understand who you are, what you’ve done, and where you’re hoping to go. This will help them get a sense of who you are prior to your interview.
  • A completed LinkedIn profile – Make sure everything is up to date because it’s highly likely that they’ll check you out sometime before your meeting.
  • A targeted list of 5-10 companies that you think might be a good fit for where you’d like to go next. Even if the list is just a guess at where you think you’d like to be, it serves as a starting point and can create context for your conversation as well as your job search.

2. Aim to make a great impression

Some of the things you need to do to make a great impression are obvious: Be early for your meeting and dress professionally (even if it’s a virtual meeting!). But there’s more that you can do to leave a great impression:

Be gracious by thanking them for meeting with you both at the beginning and at the end of the conversation. This step is crucial! They are taking time out of their day to help you, and so it’s important that they know that you are aware of this and that you aren’t taking it for granted.

Since YOU asked for the meeting, it’s your job to run it. After your initial greeting and saying thank you, get to your questions. Your being prepared will show them that you respect their time and it could increase your chances of being introduced to new contacts.

When you put in the time and effort to make a great impression – through your graciousness, preparation, and professionalism – you deepen your professional relationship with the person you are meeting with. The chances of them thinking of you if an opportunity comes up increases dramatically!

3. Do your research

Do some initial research so it’s clear you already know a bit about the topic you’ll be asking about.

Now to be clear – the Informational Interview is a form of research! What I’m saying here is… don’t go in with a blank slate. There are things you can learn online so start there. Then use the Informational Interview to deepen your understanding.

This means that instead of asking, “What does a person in this role do?”, you can say: “I understand that this role involves doing x, y, and z. Can you tell me a little bit more about what a person in this role does beyond that?”

When it’s clear that you already know a bit about what you’re discussing, it can raise your conversation to a new level. They aren’t talking to someone who has no clue… they’re talking to an informed and interested party who is trying to make a decision. This will shift their approach and increase the quality of the information they share.

4. Ask them these two final questions:

Use these two final questions to bring a close to your conversation:

  • Is there anyone else that you think I should talk to about this? If they do suggest someone, either ask them to introduce you or ask if you can mention the referral.
  • Is there anything I can do for you? Don’t discount this question! You never know how you might be of service in return! At the very least, just you asking this question will tell them something more about your character and it will help you to leave a great impression.

5. Follow Up

The follow up is where most people go wrong, and yet it’s the most powerful work that you can do. Do not drop this ball!

When you follow-up, you are creating an ongoing connection with the person you spoke with, and you are deepening a professional relationship that can serve you (and them!) for many years to come.

Here’s your quick follow-up to-do list:

  1. Send a thank you card through the mail or, if you don’t have their address, an email will do
  2. Send a personalized LinkedIn Connection request mentioning you look forward to staying in touch.
  3. Mark your calendar to reach out in a couple of months. Let them know how meeting with them helped you further your search, update them on where you are in that search, and ask if there’s anything that you can do to help them.

Throughout this entire informational interview process, your focus is on building the relationship with the person you are meeting.

Throughout the process, I invite you to keep Dale Carnegie’s words in mind:

“You can develop more relationships in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can getting people interested in you.”

If you’re looking for a more in-depth conversation about this topic, I talked about it recently in one of my LinkedIn videos. You can check it out below:

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