Informational Interviewing & Networking

These resources will help you get a jump start on your career exploration and job search by networking and informational interviewing:

Informational Interviewing

Guide to Informational Interviewing:
Make Great Career Connections Online (PDF)
Everything you need to know to prepare:

  • How to request an informational interview
  • How to structure the conversation and what questions to ask
  • Technology tips for video informational interviews
3 Steps to a Perfect Informational Interview
from The Muse, with MIT contributor Lily Zhang
MIT Sloan Zoom Backgrounds
MIT photos and logos might be the perfect backdrop for your professional video chats.

Networking

How to Effectively Network During a Quarantine (Forbes)

  • Create opportunities
  • Think long-term
  • Embrace the sense of community

Before Your Reach Out, Reach In:
Reconnect With Your Skills, Strengths, & Accomplishments

Clear Light Bulb Placed on Chalkboard You bring a unique set of skills, strengths, talents, and accomplishments to your work. Think about the talents, strengths, skills and experience you have developed in your career – everything from leading projects and teams, designing programs or pitch presentations, learning programming languages, to leveraging statistical software. Is there a common thread or theme that ties it all together? (Do you thrive on teams and collaboration? Are you driven to find solutions? Are you energized by analyzing numbers or processes?) Does that theme help you explain your unique experience to others, and help you envision your future? Use this information to help others get to know you.

Looking Ahead: LinkedIn Announces a New Tool for Interview Preparation

New Ways to Get Ready for the Virtual Job Interview
The CDO offers lots of support for interview preparation, but you might also be interested in exploring this new AI technology for interviews developed by LinkedIn.

Free Access to LinkedIn Learning through MIT

MIT offers free access to LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) with tutorials on a variety of business skills, including excel, programming languages, and communication. If, as you explore and learn about new areas of business, you realize you want to learn more about particular skills, use LinkedIn Learning for both overviews and deeper dives on key business skills.

Click LinkedIn Learning for MIT and authenticate through Touchstone.

Be sure to check out your Program’s Page on Your CDO for targeted career advice: MBA/MSMS/LGO, MFin, MBAn, SFMBA, EMBA.