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December 14, 2007
Conducting Informational Interviews
We’ve mentioned it in several of our recent posts, so you should know by now that conducting information interviews/networking meetings is an excellent use of some of your time over winter break. You’ve sent out your emails or letters and made your follow-up calls and now you have a couple appointments set up for a chat over coffee. Great! Now what do you do when you’re actually sitting face-to-face with these people?
Just like in an actual employment interview, your goal is to have the meeting turn into a true conversation, with a natural back-and-forth and an easy rapport. But you’ll also want to make sure you’ve taken the time before your meeting to determine why you wanted to meet with this particular person and prepare questions ahead of time to make sure you get the information you’re seeking. The following is a list of some sample questions you might want to ask:
o How did you decide on your practice area?
o What courses did you take in law school that you’ve found to be most helpful to you in the practice of law? (You can ask the same question about activities or organizations they participated in.)
o What professional publications do they read or what professional organizations are they are member of?
o What’s a typical day like for you?
o What’s the most interesting part of your job, or the most interesting project you’ve worked on recently?
o What do you find most challenging about your work?
o What advice do you have for me in relocating to this market? (if you’re meeting with someone in a different legal market)
And, of course, always remember to close your meeting by saying thank you and asking if there is anybody else you should be talking to in order to learn more. And remember to send a thank you note within 24 hours of your meeting!
For more information and motivation on networking meetings, read Chapter 4 of Guerilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams by Case alum Kimm Walton.
Posted by kcc17 at December 14, 2007 04:16 PM