Networking & Social Media

VMock LinkedIn Connect with Employers Connect with Faculty How to be Successful at a Conference Networking Social Media Tips Federal Networking & Social Media Tips 15 Questions to Ask in an Informational Interview

VMock

VMock provides instant tailored feedback based on the O’Neill School standards and employer criteria. VMock can even identify careers that fit you best and provide actionable recommendations that strengthen your candidacy.

Visit the Career Hub website to access VMock and make your profile even stronger.

LinkedIn is one of the most important tools you will use to find opportunities, conduct organization research, and find alumni and contacts to reach out to and request informational interviews. LinkedIn is also a place where you can be discovered looking for potential candidates to fill their positions. It’s important to have a profile that represents you well as it will often be the first impression someone has of you.

Do the following to enhance your profile:

Choose a professional photo to have on your profile. Generally you just need a headshot; if you feel you would like something a bit edgier, look at the photos of professionals in your desired field and follow their lead. Do NOT use a selfie as your profile picture!
Write an impactful headline. What do you want people to know about you before they take a closer look at your profile?
Your summary is basically your elevator pitch or positioning statement. It should be written in a professional voice appropriate for your intended audience. But don’t be too stuffy – this is where you can let your voice and your personality come through.
Add all your projects, volunteer experiences, and any certifications/languages/licenses that you may not have on your resume. The purpose of LinkedIn is to connect with other people; the more you include, the easier it is for the platform’s algorithms to suggest possible connections for you.
Enhance your experiences by posting Multimedia to demonstrate the quality of work you do. This includes videos, photos, slide presentations, and anything you’ve written.
Request recommendations from previous instructors, coaches, supervisors, coworkers, classmates, fellow volunteers, etc.
Join LinkedIn Groups relevant to your interests and professional aspirations. Interact with members – comment on their posts and send them an In-Message to discuss a topic they are knowledgeable about. Use this as an informational interview. Knowing what topics are currently being discussed will help you ask relevant questions in interviews.
Make sure other people can see you. Include your contact information, and make sure your profile settings allow you to be seen by anyone searching LinkedIn. (Change your settings to private when you are doing research; you may not always want other people to know that you have looked at their profile.)

Connect with Employers

The Career Hub hosts a wide variety of events that are an excellent way for students to connect with recruiters, industry experts, and alumni. Each career community also hosts events tailored to the industries and organizations in their communities. You should begin attending events immediately and should plan to check the Career Hub events calendar regularly. Sign up to receive the newsletter for your Career Community/Communities of choice. Some of the benefits of attending employer events include:

Build your network of employers and alumni – and fellow students – you meet at the event.
Learn about organizations and roles within organizations. You don’t know what is possible for you unless you make an effort to learn about all the ways you can use your O’Neill degree in the world.
Get feedback on your resume and advice about ways you can make yourself more competitive during your academic career.

Employer Engagement Opportunities at the O’Neill School All employer events are posted on our website and featured in the appropriate Career Community newsletters. Sign up to begin receiving the newsletter of your choice on the Career Hub website.

Please review the full documentation to connect with employers here

Connect with Faculty

Your O’Neill faculty are not only experts in their fields, they are also really wonderful people who are excited to help you find success in your chosen field after you graduate. They are among the best people who can help you articulate what you’re learning in your academic program. That ability will prove invaluable when you are looking for an internship and full-time job.

Schedule a time to meet with your faculty or plan to attend their office hours. Prepare for this meeting as you would for any other professional meeting. The following steps will help you make the best impression on your faculty and set the foundation for a long relationship that will last beyond your years at the O’Neill School.

Step 1: Do your research. Know what the faculty member’s research area is and read some of their published work. Review the learning outcomes listed in your course syllabus and for your degree program. Through your research, answer these questions for yourself:

What are the main learning objectives of the class and/or the degree program?
What are the major themes/theories/concepts that I will learn by the time I complete the program? What have I already learned?
What skills will I learn as a result of the projects/tests/service that is part of the degree?
What career path(s) am I most interested in? What do I already know about this path? How did I learn this information? Step 2: Arrive on time and be prepared. Your faculty know you as a student, this meeting help him/her/they get to know you better. Be prepared to deliver your elevator pitch, and to tell them what you hope to learn during the conversation.
Step 3: Review the questions you began researching yourself. Ask for your faculty member’s insight and thoughts about your responses. Ask additional questions you prepared for this meeting. Make sure you take notes so that your faculty member knows you see this conversation as valuable.
Step 4: Send a thank you message the same day as your meeting. Your faculty are a very important part of your network, and you want them to know how much you appreciate their insight.

How to Be Successful at a Conference

How do you meet speakers and other attendees? What’s the right etiquette when walking into a session? What should you wear? What should you do during break time?

Pre-Conference

⬜️ Know what the conference is about, where it is, who will be speaking, and what sessions you want to attend.
⬜️ Find out what the dress code is – look for past conference photos on the website or email the organizers and ask. If you really can’t get any answers, err on the side of professional dress – you could offend the organizers or speakers if you are underdressed.
⬜️ Pack your supplies for the day(s): a notebook and a couple of pens, your business cards, a small snack, a bottle of water, mints, your conference registration information, and a phone and/or computer charger.
⬜️ Check the conference hashtag on social media to see who will be attending – reach out and interact with them before you go.
⬜️ Download a business card scanner app to your phone. There are many available, some of the more popular include ABBYY Business Card Reader, CamCard, and ScanBizCards.
⬜️ Prepare your micro-pitch so you are ready to introduce yourself to people you meet.

Morning Logistics

Check-In

⬜️ Be friendly and kind to everyone when you approach the check-in table. You never know will be working at the table, greeting guests, or waiting in line, and you don’t want to make a bad impression.
⬜️ Find and thank the organizers for creating the day – if they are available! If they are clearly busy do not stop them; wait for a better time.

Meals

⬜️ Even if the event covers meals, consider eating something beforehand in case you don’t like what’s offered.
⬜️ Sit with someone you don’t know. Ask the person if the seats at their table are available before you sit down, just in case they are holding them for someone else.
⬜️ Stay off your phone, and talk to people instead!

Presentations and Sessions

Attending Sessions

⬜️ If there are multiple sessions to choose from in one time block, choose one that will have the greatest ROI for you. Consider the topic, the speakers, the moderator, etc. when deciding.
⬜️ Introduce yourself to the people you sit down next to, get their contact information before you leave, and continue to talk to them whenever you see them the rest of the conference.
⬜️ Connect with them on LinkedIn.
⬜️ Take good notes. Use the “question/evidence/conclusion” format that Cal Newport developed – the question is the idea being presented, the conclusion is how the speaker answers the question, and the evidence is the argument presented to get to the conclusion. You can learn more on his Study Hacks Blog.
⬜️ Tweet out slides or quotes from the sessions using the conference hashtag.

Talking to Speakers and Panelists

⬜️ Making these connections is one of the most valuable aspects of a conference! “I attended your panel at Conference X” is a great way to start communication with them after the conference.
⬜️ Don’t be intimidated; sit toward the front and look interested during the panel or presentation; write down some interesting points you can ask that person about later.
⬜️ After the session, introduce yourself, ask your questions, make whatever connections you wanted to make. Meet your objectives, but be respectful of the line of people behind you.
⬜️ Connect with them on LinkedIn.

Networking

In-Person

⬜️ “Break” at a conference means it’s time to meet people! Introduce yourself and don’t be afraid to ask for business cards.
⬜️ Start conversations by asking questions about the conference – you can ask people about the sessions they attended, which one they plan to attend next, and even why they decided to come to the conference. That will usually start a conversation that naturally leads into talking about what they do for a living.
⬜️ Take pictures with people and post to social media with the conference hashtag.

⬜️ This is a great space to network in at a conference – you can meet speakers and attendees there and meet up with them later.

Post-Conference

Following Up

⬜️ Follow-up with new contacts within 24 hours. There are lots of people at a conference, if you wait longer they may forget who you are.

Talk About It

⬜️ Write a blog post about the conference and what you learned for the Career Hub and your LinkedIn profile.
⬜️ Use what you learned to keep in touch with those you met. If you heard a speaker talk about sustainable energy and then you read an article that relates to that talk, tweet the article, use the conference hashtag, and tag the speaker or conference organizer.

Put Your Profiles to Work (from our friends at Princeton University)

Round out your image by including all of the experience on your resume, relevant keywords and skills, accomplishments and Web links. When finished, meet with us for a profile critique.
Follow organizations you are interested in and stay current on news, announcements and opportunities.
Join groups relevant to your field and follow discussions and thought leaders to learn about current trends.
Update your profile with posts related to your field and work so employers can see how serious you are about your career.
Leverage features such as the Job Search and Alumni Search tools.
Search for alumni who work at your target organizations and reach out to see if they would be willing to provide advice.
Reach out to established connections periodically and personalize each message.

Twitter

Create a Twitter handle using your name or a combination of your name and profession.
Upload a headshot photo that projects a professional image.
Create a professional profile that highlights your top skills. Briefly describe the type of opportunity you are looking for, and add links to your website and/or LinkedIn profile, if appropriate.
Show knowledge and interest in your field by tweeting links to relevant articles or samples of your work.
Follow organizations and lists and look for interesting Tweetchats or Tweetups to join.
Re-tweet, reply and direct message to establish connections.
Search and follow hashtags relevant to your industry and your search. For example, #HireTigers is Princeton Career Services’ hashtag and you can also search broad hashtags such as #internships.
Search for jobs by location, job titles, hashtags or social recruiting resources.

Facebook

Professionalize your profile and use privacy settings and “friend” lists to manage who can view personal versus professional content.
Build your network by “liking” Facebook professional and alumni organizational pages, and request to join relevant groups.
Start discussions with people and organizations by answering questions, commenting, messaging and linking to informative content through wall posts or status updates. Always be professional.
Apply for positions through the Facebook Marketplace job board and other job search apps such as BeKnown or BranchOut.

Draft a headline that includes your career goals and 2-3 top skills.
Create an infographic resume using charts, graphs and other visual images to “illustrate” your work history, skills and accomplishments. (Note that you will still need a traditional resume.) If you are not a graphic designer, try using applications like Easelly(link is external), Re.vu(link is external) or Kinzaa(link is external).
Develop boards featuring career or professional information that inspires you or reflects your goals.
Add links to videos, images and other projects.

The application process for federal positions is very rigid and doesn’t allow for the referral process you can leverage in other sectors. It is still very good however to know people who work in federal positions, especially in the agencies you are interested in, to help you develop a true sense of what the work and culture are like. And even though they may not be able to refer you for a position, they can still alert you to potential openings and draw attention to your application after you apply.

Consider using the following platforms to help you expand your network and learn more about the agencies you are interested in.

LinkedIn Use LinkedIn to find and connect with people in federal positions. Join groups affiliated to the agencies you are interested in. Use the Alumni tool to find O’Neill School and Indiana University alumni to contact.
Twitter The following Twitter feeds can help you find current information that will help you in your job search as well as connect with people doing the work you want to do.

@USAJobs You’ll find links to open jobs and information that will help you be competitive in your application.
@USOPM Tweets from the US Office of Personnel Management will provide information that will give you a good idea of what working in the federal government is like.
@GovExec Government Executive will keep you updated on topics of biggest discussions at the federal level in real time.
@gogovernment Go Government is an initiative from the Partnership for Public Service. It provides very practical advice for applying to federal positions and is directed toward new professionals.
@GovernmentJobs This account advertises government jobs from around the nation.
@careersingov You will get information about local government jobs if you follow this account.
@vacareers This feed from the US Department of Veterans Affairs posts information about job fairs, positions at the VA, and stories about how it is helping veterans.

Instagram Many agencies are using Instagram to educate the public – and job seekers – about the work they do. The following is a list of some of the more popular accounts. Search for the agencies you are most interested in and follow them to stay current.

usinterior Interior Department
smithsonianzoo Smithsonian’s National Zoo
usgsa General Services Administration
dhsgov Homeland Security Department
nasa NASA
marines US Marine Corps
usfws US Fish and Wildlife Service
usdagov US Department of Agriculture
nsfgovNational Science Foundation
noaa NOAA

Snapchat Many government agencies are using Snapchat to reach a wider demographic. The following agencies actively share information. Search for your agencies of interest and follow them.

americas_navy America’s Navy
nationalservice Corporation for National and Community Service
statedept Department of State
housegop House Republicans
usinterior US Department of the Interior
whitehouse The White House

15 Questions to Ask in an Informational Interview

15 Questions to Ask in an Informational Interview BY CAREER CONTESSA

Question 1: Can you tell me a bit about your career path and what led you to the role you’re in today? An informational interview is about them, not you, so this is always the best place to start.
Question 2: What were some of your early roles in the field? You’ll also want to include the follow-up question: what did you learn there that helps you today? This question is meant to help you get an idea of where you’ll need to start if you’re new to the field, but it’s also a good way to learn more about how linear (or not) this person’s career path was.
Question 3: What does a work day look like for you? This is the best chance you’ll have to see what every day is like for the role you’re interested in. If she says she’s working 14 hour days and you’re not interested, you can start looking into other roles.
Question 4: What are some big projects you’re working on now or that you’ve finished up in the last few months? Projects are likely what will keep the job interesting, so you want to know what he or she has been working on. Plus, it gives you a good sense of the priorities of the role and company.
Question 5: What do you enjoy most about the work you do? / What are you most excited about right now? While this question is similar to #4, the answers may not be. What this person enjoys about her work could be completely unexpected. It’s a great way to get her to open up more.
Question 6: What do you enjoy the least? Or, is there something that surprised you about the role when you first started? Sometimes, you’ll get someone who is willing to get candid about the downsides of their job. An informational interview is, after all, a fairly informal conversation. Still, if the person starts to balk about talking about their least favorite element (“I really like everything I do”), you can shift the question to what surprised them instead. Most people have an answer for this.
Question 7: What skills do you think are most important for someone interested in a job like yours? Take careful note of these, especially the ones you don’t technically have. You’ll want to use this information to fill gaps in your skill set before applying for similar jobs.
Question 8: Do you think there’s a personality type that’s not well-suited for this kind of career? As he or she is answering, try to be honest with yourself. If the role requires an “absolutely Type A” personality and you’re a dreamer with a capital D, it might not be the right role for you.
Question 9: What are some of the biggest challenges you face day-to-day? As you listen, do these challenges excite you? Or do they sound horrible?
Question 10: What about the biggest rewards? The answer here might vary from emotional to monetary—so listen carefully and see if the answer gives you a “feel good” vibe.
Question 11: What do you wish you’d known when you were starting out in this career/role? Yeah, you want to know this.
Question 12: Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years? You know how people say something like “if you can’t see yourself in your boss’s role, you should quit”? You want this answer to align with your own goals. If you’re hoping to stay long-term at a big company, you’ll want to hear that they have the same plan. If you’d like to wind up working for yourself someday, it would be good to hear if that’s something that they can see themselves doing as well.
Question 13: Do you have any recommendations for other people I should talk to or other resources I should explore? If you’re lucky, they’ll introduce you to another contact. But it’s also great to just hear what sites you should be reading or newsletters you should subscribe to. The goal is to have some ideas of what to read/do/try next.
Question 14: Are there any questions I’m not asking that I should be? Love this question. Sometimes you’ve missed a big element of the work simply because you didn’t ask in quite the right way. See what they say here.
Question 15: Would it be alright for us to stay in touch? Whether that’s through LinkedIn or through an occasional email, it’s always nice to turn an informational interview into an ongoing networking connection or (ideal scenario) a potential mentor.