Brian Van

Sun, 18 Apr 2004 21:51:00 -0500

Good advice. The only caveat is that you may not wish to include a resume with a request for an information interview. It would depend on the situation, but if you are unfamiliar with the person with whom you are requesting an interview, I would advise to omit the resume and provide it later in the process - either when meeting in person (when applicable), or sent along with a thank-you note. If you are quite familiar with the person, you could choose to send the resume as you request an information interview. The reasoning is that you want to focus on obtaining an interview appointment, which is harder for a job interview than it is for an information interview. The more it seems like an information interview (and less like a job interview), the more relaxed your contact will be about accepting your invitation. In some cases, a resume might imply "job seeker looking for job interview" and that can scare someone away from a information interview. By all means, KEEP YOUR RESUME HANDY once you get that appointment. And it does not hurt to offer it during or after your discussion. Providing it in person offers a discussion topic and perhaps even leads to good resume advice. Sending it with the thank-you note is a good way to make sure it's in their hands whether they think they want it or not. One other thing about information interviews, applies to pretty much any advice you ever get in life; if it's important to you or represents a major change, don't take any advice as gospel. This is especially true if the advice came across laced with negativity/bitterness or if it sounds kooky. Bring it up casually with others who also know such things and discuss. Do not go ahead with major resume changes, large purchases, wardrobe/appearance changes, long car trips, or anything of that sort based on one person's advice. Make your own decisions and verify all of your research. Oh, and don't read any articles about the job market. Sad and desperate stories sell liberal newspapers, and the job market has a lot of sad stories. Many of the people in those articles seem quite normal, but may be stubborn, inflexible, inept, awkward, unmotivated, well-funded, or undereducated. The author will convienently omit or underreport such things. It's not always the fault of the job seeker that the job search is so difficult, but it's easy to commiserate with other frustrated individuals and fail to identify and work on your personal impediments. Don't lose perspective in your own search. And good luck.

Gothamist: Back to Basics: Tips for Finding a Job

Brian Van