UC Berkeley Career Center Peer Corner

Bearly Accurate - Common Career Conundrums: "Informational interviews don't really help"

Informational interviews are GREAT for networking and bridging you to specific people at a company or organization you’re possibly interested in working for. In order to land one, you’ll have to identify people who are doing what you want to do and asking them if you can conduct an informational interview with them to get more familiar with their line of work. It’s always good to start off the initial contact with some information about yourself: name, year, educational institution, major(s)/minor(s), and your reason for contacting them followed by a brief introduction to your interests/goals. Informational interviews can last anywhere between 30-60 minutes so make sure you are available for it.

Prepare for these interviews by brainstorming questions you want to ask and maybe writing them down to bring with you. You can also take notes during the informational interviews, just let them know first. These interviews are a great way to get your foot in the door without it actually being a formal interview. You both get to know each other in a slightly informal setting and sometimes, the interviewee may inform you of opportunities at the company/organization, point you to someone else they know that you can network with, or they may even keep you in mind when an opportunity opens up. That being said, be prepared by having copies of your resume on hand.

Not only do you get your foot in the door and expand your network, but you also gain knowledge and ideas for how to go about reaching your goals. It’s important to develop your networking skills because you never know who they know, who you can be connected with, and what opportunities can come from that. Nowadays, more and more people are landing internships, jobs, or other opportunities via networking. Give it a try, you won’t regret it!

Check out the Career Center's Online Workshop on Informational Interviews for some more great ideas!

Blog written by: Linda Thai, Sociology '12

Is Law School For You?

 

“When all else fails, go to law school!” Many people view law school as a stepping-stone to money, prestige, and success. Others may view it as an option that can open doors to many other fields, since law can be flexible. You do not need a particular major, nor do you need any particular courses to apply to law school. Anyone can apply, right? While it is true that law school is a flexible option open to many people of different backgrounds, law school, or even a career in the legal field, is not for everyone.

Law school is not like an extension of your undergraduate career—in fact, law school entails a lot more accountability and a much more rigorous course load. Do you remember hearing about “weeder” courses in your college career, or courses that are known to be exceptionally difficult and can make or a break a student? Instead of just one “weeder course,” law students often face a whole year of this during their first year! Most law schools utilize the Socratic method, or a method that requires students to analyze multiple cases and opinions in a particular area of law, and to be prepared to summarize and answer questions about them. First year law students, or 1L students, step into this unfamiliar territory, and face huge amounts of reading of legal material that can be difficult to analyze and retain. So if you dislike reading, writing, and analyzing texts, you may want to explore the option of law a little more and see if it is really for you.

So how do you know if you want to go to law school? The most important task for any prospective law school applicant is to do research! Do you want to go right after you graduate from college, or do you want to take a break and gain more experience? Sometimes taking a break can be useful for reevaluating where you are in life, deciding if law is the right path for you, and for strengthening your application. Law schools love to see mature, experienced individuals who know that they want to attend law school and know what they are getting into.

Experience in law is not always necessary to get into law school, but it is definitely useful for making the decision of applying to law school. Interning at a law firm, assisting in legal clinics, or joining a pre-law organization are all great options for testing the waters and seeing if law is what you want for a career. Most lawyers spend long days researching, writing, and preparing for cases and trials rather than actually arguing in the courtrooms themselves! Be prepared to see the not-so-glamorous side of law and be open-minded to seeing if law is something that you want to do. If you do not have time to intern for a law firm, shadowing, or “externing,” is also another option! Apply for an externship during the fall semester, get in contact with a lawyer through the Career Center's Cal Alumni network, or utilize your own personal networks! You can also attend an employer informational session during the school year, or attend career fairs to network with other lawyers! Try to conduct an informational interview to get a clearer picture of what lawyers really do on a day-to-day basis. If you want to know more about the field, there are a variety of different options and resources to choose from to take that step.

So you know you want to practice law, but are you anxious about law school itself? Shadow a law student and take a tour around the law schools in the area to get a feel for what life would be like if you attended law school! Ask questions, and treat your shadowing day as a day long, live informational interview! Not only can you shadow a law student and get to know how law school life is, but you can also shadow law professors. Who knows, maybe you will want to be a law professor some day! Being proactive pays off!

Overall, you want to do as much research as you can to prepare yourself for what is ahead. Are you willing to spend another three years studying like crazy, investing more money, and entering a career involving a lot of analytical reading, research, and the synthesis of enormous amounts of material? Do you know exactly what the life of someone in law is like? While you take these steps to getting to know the field of law, you are also building networks and making connections. These connections will be valuable to your future, so if there are only two words remember from this article, remember to RESEARCH and NETWORK!

Post by Lilibeth Clelo, 2nd Year Political Science Major, Education Minor

The Benefits of Externships

Are you a freshmen or sophomore? Are you trying to gain experience or explore your career interests? Do you have free time during winter break? If you answered yes to these questions, you should consider Cal’s externship program!

 

Cal’s externship program is a great opportunity for freshmen and sophomores who are still exploring their career options but might not have enough experience to gain an internship or other position. If you are a Freshmen or Sophomore, externships connect you to Cal alumni and facilitate unique shadowing experiences. Externships can last from a few days to around a week in a wide variety of places including the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, and areas around Washington, DC. Externship opportunities and locations vary, but keep in mind that you will (generally) be responsible for travel expenses to the externship location.

The externship program has opportunities in a wide variety of areas including business, law, nonprofit positions and many more. Externships are perfect if you are like most of us and are not sure about what they want to do in the future or have several interests. For example, it’s hard to know whether you will like the law, or which type of law you want to study, without direct experience in a law firm and an understanding of the daily happenings of the profession. An externship will provide you a quick glimpse into different career fields and give you a feel for the position without the longer-term commitment of an internship or job.

 

In addition getting an up close and personal experience, externships will also get you started with networking and expanding your professional contacts. As a peer advisor, I always recommend that people start practicing networking as soon as possible because networking can lead to internships, unlisted jobs openings, and/or resources not publically available. It helps to know people on the “inside” of the industry. Externships are also a “safe” and low-pressure place for you to start networking because the sponsor is a Cal alum and they know the process of entering their position from Cal. They will give you  give valuable insight and advice about the process and any other tips that you might not get otherwise.

To sum up, externships are a great opportunity for you if you are a Cal Frosh or Soph and interested in exploring your career options. Our externship listings will be up on the Career Center website starting in late October so be on the lookout for new and exciting opportunities that will help you explore your career options and apply your interests!

Post by Juliana Steers, 3rd Year Ethnic Studies and Art History Double Major.

 

There is No Such Thing As "Speed Networking"

Sometimes, the best networking practice is to assume the role of a person who does not even know the meaning of networking.  In other words, not acting like you are trying to network or push to receive any sort of benefit from the person you are talking to is an effective way to stand out to professionals and potential colleagues.  By approaching the idea of “networking” with key people through a different frame than the average job hunter, you will be one of the faces he or she remembers long after you hand them your resume.  Asking unexpected, even unrelated, questions at a career fair or getting to personally know someone on a non-career level over coffee are just a couple examples of networking practices that may not involve the discussion of work at all.

 “It is not what you know, but who you know” is a common quotation brought up when people speak to the value of networking, and it is backed by the fact that most jobs today are still staffed through connections and prior relationships.  In the end this is understandable, as recruiters are swimming in stacks of fine-tuned (and even professionally crafted) resumes and cover letters that can be most-differentiated by a personal reference.  People today, however, and eager college students in particular tend to think this simply means they should meet and talk to as many people as they can while being as enthusiastic as they can to each recruiter.  Oftentimes, however, they come off too strong or become just another face in the crowd.  Maintaining a laid-back persona while asking unique questions will often take you farther than a perfect GPA or impressive leadership position.  These recruiters work day in and day out hearing the same things from the same type of people, and being that breath of fresh air will make you memorable.

A few examples of how to stand out to a job recruiter at a career fair or networking event include: asking how their day has been (you will be surprised, many people don’t take the time to ask this simple question), and if they look like they enjoyed answering that question you can go a step farther by briefly mentioning an eventful thing that has happened to you; talking slow and showing a relaxed smile will ensure that you look at ease rather than strained, stressed, or overeager; talk to them as if you are meeting a friend of a friend for the first time—do not jump into the nitty gritty details about finding a job or what the company has to offer—give them more background about yourself (for example, tell them why you are interested in this particular career field and explain why you want to learn more about it through them).  In the end, maintaining a balance between looking genuinely interested in what the recruiter is saying and looking relaxed enough to actually ponder the things they say to you will go a long way.  If you walk away feeling like you would want to be your friend if you were the recruiter, you’ve done your job. That is the practice of forming a true “network” of relationships with professionals.

Post by Claire Lee, 3rd Year Business Administration Major
 

Highlight: @Cal Career Network

        While the Career Center offers many great services to students, I wanted to specifically highlight the @ Cal Career Network because many of you may not be familiar with this helpful resource. This network is a database of Cal alumni who have volunteered to be available to share their career experiences and give advice to students and other Cal alumni. The @ Cal Network allows you to gather information about specific occupations or industries as you develop and explore in your career path. This is a great way to explore career options and gain insightful advice about career choice, job searching, or graduate school. You can search through the database to find someone that matches your interests, and then contact that person to set up an informational interview.  It is important to note an informational interview is not an actual job interview, and similarly the Network is not meant to be used to ask for jobs.  However, these conversations with alumni can help you to explore options and understand what particular positions and fields entail.

          After you find an appropriate match on the Network, note the method by which the alumni wishes to be contacted, and be clear about the information that you will be requesting in the informational interview. Remember when you are introducing yourself to mention your interests and your current activities, whether in school or at work.  You also want to be enthusiastic and professional! During your interview be conscientious with the person’s time (usually 20-30 minutes is good), and do your homework and prepare questions beforehand so you can be efficient with the time allotted.  Let the person you are interviewing guide the length of the interview.  In respect to the preparation of the interview, make sure you research the person’s organization and the questions you would like to ask. These questions can range from hearing this person’s individual career path, gaining insight into tips and steps for the job search, learning about career fields and industries, as well as gaining insights into specific job positions.

A couple of other things to keep in mind are the following:

• Have a resume prepared   so that you may be able to provide a copy to your contact to give them   a good sense of your background.
• Generally business   casual will be the attire of choice when meeting someone in their workplace.   However, be mindful of the work environments you will be visiting as   some places will be more formal and others more relaxed. To be sure,   you can ask your contact what the dress style is at their office.
• In terms of confidentiality,   make sure to respect the information your contact will be giving you   and reflect on the appropriateness of disclosing information to others.
• Express your gratitude   for their time and send them a thank you note afterwards!
• Follow up with your   contacts so that you may be able to build a relationship and possibly   use them in the future as they are now part of your professional network!

Hopefully these tips will help you feel confident to start using the @ Cal Career Network!!!

by Peer:
Jessica Parra-Fitch: 3rd Year, International Political Economy and Anthropology

It’s ALL about who you know

Ever since I was a freshman, I was always told that networking was crucial for my professional and academic development. Basically when it comes down to it, networking is all about who you know. I have to say that I deeply underestimated the value of networking until I actively experienced it and its benefits this past summer during my internship in Washington, D.C. I was working in the Organization of American States (OAS), the oldest international organization, under their Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) which strives to improve the social and economic development of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Aside from the fact that I had an amazing experience working with professionals from around the world and making a difference at the same time, I found myself in the midst of networking every single day. YABT has many programs it undertakes in countries all over the Americas and many times works in conjunction with other international organizations, banks, non-profits, private companies and governments to implement them. Therefore our office constantly experienced visits from members of our partner organizations, as well as ambassadors and interested investors. Fortunately, YABT did a great job in incorporating interns in almost all aspects of its inner working and I was able to meet people every single day. Furthermore, the OAS, along with the organizations within their network, held many special events, fundraisers, parties, and celebrations. This was another opportunity to extend my network.

Through these experiences I not only met interesting people but also learned the ins and outs of the working world and the many opportunities that are out there. At the end of my internship I was very well aquatinted not only with my staff but with many of our partner organizations as well. It’s funny too because even when I did not want to network and just have a good time, I was still in the middle of networking partly because I had my own Berkeley network in Washington. I was there as a Cal in the Capital student and knew my fellow students really well. I had a good group of friends and we took every chance to explore the city and have fun. Almost every day after work we would head out for happy hour before going out, by the way happy hours abound in Washington especially in the summer when it is full of interns so it gets really fun! Even when we were out of work and were trying to enjoy our free time, we would meet people and the typical questions would arise. Where do you work? Oh, and what do you do there? You’re a student, where and what do you study? Etc.

I have to admit at times these questions got old, especially when my friends and I just wanted to have some fun after work. However, these pseudo networking events became so normal to us it was like I had my professional “on” switch all the time. Through all of this, not only did we get the occasional “ins” to the best clubs, but most of my friends and I met people who were working in our dream jobs. The best thing is that they were all happy to tell us how they got there and what to do and not to do in order to get there ourselves one day and be successful. Overall I came out of my Washington experience almost a pro at networking and with valuable business cards that I have already used and will use in the future. So now that you have an illustrated idea of the benefits of networking here are some tips on socializing to get that job you want:

• It’s not scary because you are basically making light conversations to foster connections with people in order to have them as contacts and leads.
• Take the initiative and introduce yourself to people. Remember to be attentive.
• Create and practice your self-introduction. Think of it as your mini commercial, remember, you are selling yourself.
• Be yourself and relaxed. I like to think of it like a conversation with that cool aunt I haven’t seen for a while but that still doesn’t know all my business. You don’t want to come off uptight or nervous just cool, collected, and interesting so that they remember you.
• Be polite and respectful. Although I never thought I had to be professional at a bar, you really need to remain professional at all times. You never know who you might meet (I actually started going out with my supervisors a lot at the end of my internship), so you always want to maintain professionalism even when having fun.
• Keep a good sense of humor!
• Network with everyone! Classmates, GSI’s, faculty, roommates, neighbors, co-workers, family members, former teachers or advisors, really anyone and everyone!
• Use Berkeley as your starting point. There are many great resources on our campus, including the Career Center’s @Cal Career Network
• Keep a positive attitude and it is likely that your networking will pay off!!!

by Peer:  Jessica Parra-Fitch: 3rd Year, International Political Economy and Anthropology