• What skills to market in your resume or during an interview?
• Which skills employers look for in new employees.
• If your job related skills are not strong enough or right on target?
• How to prioritize of your skills when marketing to employers.
• Where to locate those job leads that are not advertised?
• Who employers are looking for in the job market when they need someone right now!

  Successful Informational Interview Techniques:

  No more than five questions in any Informational Interview. To reduce resistance from the person, ask
  for Informational Interviews of no longer than 15 or 20 minutes.

  Use the telephone! But first, develop a telephone script, so you know what you are going to say. (It will
  keep you from stumbling around on the phone.)

  Try for an in-person interview. A professional image, winning smile, and warm handshake will put you
  miles ahead.

  Before you pick up the phone, set a primary and a secondary goal for the call. (The primary goal may be
  to seek an in-person Informational Interview, a secondary goal may be to conduct a telephone
  Informational Interview - should the person be unwilling or unable to meet with you.)

  Have your questions ready (your only option may be the telephone informational Interview). If they won’t
  or can’t meet with you, tell them you only have five questions and ask if they could spend five minutes
  with you now.

  Have your appointment calendar ready. (By scheduling multiple Informational Interviews on the same
  day you can more effectively use your time and won’t be constantly changing your attire.)

  Take into account driving time between appointments. Also be prepared to listen - people enjoy visiting
  about themselves. Add time to allow for this increased "connection time" between the two of you.

  After the interview (telephone or in-person) and on the same day, mail a personal, hand written thank
  you note or card. Keep it short, express your appreciation, thank the person for the information and
  their time.

  Within five working days, send a cover letter and your "new" resume. (Be sure your resume reflects the
  job related skills mentioned to you.)

  In your cover letter, mention that you would appreciate their consideration for any openings and that
  it would be O.K. to pass your resume along to others who could use someone with your skills.

  Plan a return call within two days to the person receiving your new resume, and thank them again.
  Reiterate that if the person knows of others who could "use an energetic person, who can be counted on
  in pinch", that it would be O.K. to pass your resume along.

  Plan a follow-up call to the person in three to four weeks, maybe just say "hi"- let them know of the skills
  you have been developing, especially those they recommended to you. Ask about getting together for
  coffee to discuss some ideas you have as they relate to business, or ask if they know of two other
  contacts with whom you could conduct Informational Interviews.

  SAMPLE QUESTIONS:

• What do you look for in new employees?
• What kind of skills should I be working on to make myself more marketable?
• What skills helped you to achieve your current position?
• What are the market trends in your business today?
• Do you use computers in your daily operations?
• Do you know of two other people I could visit with about this type of (work, business or industry)?