No matter how many technological tools are available to job seekers, the most effective way to be noticed by employers is — and always has been — to meet in person. LinkedIn can help to introduce you to people, but ultimately, if you want to leave the kind of impression on employer that will make them think of you when job opportunities arise, you have to meet face to face. This was confirmed by a study from the Federal Reserve Bank, cited in Forbes Magazine that found “referred candidates were twice as likely to get interviews and 40 percent more likely to be hired than other candidates.” How do you get that referral? Ask for an information interview.

What is an Information Interview?

The meeting does not need to be long; 20 minutes is all that you need to ask for. Think of it as first step in a long-term process of forging a meaningful connection. It’s simply intended to meet, gather information and develop rapport, with no pressure for employment.

How do you go about meeting with a potential employer face-to-face?

Step 1: Identify your networking target.

Job seekers often make the mistake of targeting their networking efforts at Human Resources managers, who are often not the final hiring decision makers. The best and most credible referrals often come from the person who does the job you would like to do (a potential colleague, perhaps) or a department manager. LinkedIn’s company pages, or the contact lists of your contacts, maybe can be useful to identify your target person. If you don’t have any connection and cannot get an introduction, try joining those LinkedIn groups whose members may be worth meeting.

Step 2: Connect on LinkedIn, if possible.

Try to connect via LinkedIn with your target person. Make sure to send personalised note with your invitation to connect, and thank them, once they agree. Work on establishing rapport, through commenting on their updates once in a while (not too often).

Step 3: Plan your meeting.

Think through what you want to discuss. Review their profile and think about questions regarding their job, company, education or career. Think through how you will introduce yourself and your career path. Prepare a script of your self-introduction. Call your contact from a quiet room; have paper, pen and your calendar ready.

Step 4: Pick up the phone and set up the information interview.

Introduce yourself briefly
State the purpose of the phone call (or email): you are researching careers and would like to set a date for a short meeting
Explain your reasons for wanting to meet: to gain information about the person’s occupation and benefit from their insights and advice
State clearly that you do not expect them to have a job for you or to know of any job openings, rather you want to be in a more informed position before you pursue a career direction
Ask for 15-20 minutes of their time, preferably within the next week, for the interview.
Set a date, time and location of the meeting. (Should the person decline to meet with you, check if he/she has time for some questions on the phone either now or at a later date and ask for additional names you could contact).

How to conduct an Information Interview:

Arrive ahead of time, dressed neatly (although it does not need to be quite as formal as an actual job interview)
Bring a folder containing a list of questions and information you have already gathered
Have your business card available (if you have one), as well as a copy of your resume – don’t offer your resume; you may want to ask for feedback about it, if appropriate, as well as provide it if they request a copy
Express appreciation for their time and remind them that 15-20 minutes is all you expect
Re-state the purpose of the meeting – information, advice, no expectation of a job
Introduce yourself: describe your background, experience, skills, interests, objective
Bring the person up to date on your research so far – concisely so that new information will be added
Ask three or four essential questions that you have prepared and take notes
Ask for suggestions and other areas to be explored
Ask for referrals to other persons in specific occupations in the other areas suggested; ask about their background, and request permission to use the referring person’s name when calling
Thank them and express your appreciation for their time

Make sure to follow up:

Send a thank you letter as soon as possible. In the letter, thank them for their time, mention a point of interest from your discussion. Inform them of your next steps.

In the long term, keep in touch with those with whom you connected. Send a holiday greeting card, comment on LinkedIn and update them about your progress.

Developing a life-long practice of networking is useful for all those involved. Successful networkers know that in addition to the rewarding feeling of making a positive impact on others’ careers, the time and effort spent on helping another person will surely benefit them in the future, in return.

If your plans for the new year include finding a new job, the start of a new year is a perfect opportunity to launch a new, carefully thought through work finding strategy. Considering how many talented and experienced job seekers are unemployed and seeking new opportunities, it’s important to remember that those who will be successful will be not only those with skills and experience needed by employers, but job seekers who are easily noticed by them.

In the last year, we offered a range of tips worth considering when upping your job search game and be more easily noticed by employers.

What can you do to be best prepared to find your next great job?

1. Update your resume

An updated resume is obviously always important. The changes brought on by new technology make new demands on this document: resumes will be read on the computer screen, and are often preselected through a computerized Applicant Tracking System (ATS) before any person even sees the resume. For job seekers, this means that they need to carefully format their resume and choose the wording thoughtfully.

Our Employment Specialist has offered some good advice on this to a job seeker in a previous blog post about the ATS, and in another previous posts, you will find tips for dealing with resume gaps as well as a discussion about the resume formats preferred by employers.

2. Up your social media game

As a job seeker, it is important to ensure that you are easily found on Google, where potential employers are most likely to look for you. Most importantly to this end, make sure your LinkedIn profile is complete and updated. That includes ensuring that your LinkedIn Summary is the best it can be, since it is the first things employers read when they find your profile. In addition to LinkedIn, consider Twitter as a way of gathering information, networking and tips.

Social media is an excellent tool to help market your transferable skills. In the last year, we provided tips for how social media can be used to support the various changes in your career, whether you are making decisions at high school, making a career change or considering relocation.

3. Enhance your skills

Even if you think your skills are up to par in terms of employer expectations, it’s now 2017 and your skills and experience now appear a year old (at least on your resume). Consider it a challenge to engage in an activity which will enable you to add “2017” to your resume.

It might be a course (such as updating your computer skills or CPR certification). Courses can be found at your local community centre, community college (look for the continuing education courses, for part-time options).

Another possibility is to volunteer in a meaningful role. If you live in Toronto, you can find volunteer postings at Volunteer Toronto, or Canada-wide, you will find your local volunteer centre here.

Make sure to add your newly acquired skills and experience your resume and LinkedIn profile.

4. Expand your Network

This goes back to that old truth about finding work — it’s not only about what you know, but who you know. Time to reconnect with old contacts and make new ones. LinkedIn might be the best way to start the process — see who you know, and figure out who you would like to get to know.

Go out and meet with people face-to-face; ask questions, get support and guidance and make sure they know that you are still looking for a new opportunity.

5. Look for new sources of job alerts to your email inbox

Many job search sites allow users to set up job alerts, which will send them emails with jobs that match their specific criteria. We recently posted a detailed list of job boards, where jobs can be found by keyword and location, and saved an Email Alert or RSS Feed.

That way, you can apply directly from your email box. Just remember to carefully choose your key words and set your location carefully (50 km range is too wide, and 5 km too close)

2017 has the potential to be a year of economic growth and new opportunities. Make sure that you are ready to benefit from these opportunities as they arise.

Increase your job referrals by conducting effective information interviews