How Do I Connect With A Prospective Employer?
Networking
Networking is the key process by which people find jobs. It means asking questions and getting into conversations with everyone you can think of and anyone your personal connections can think of about their jobs.
A good networking tool that also helps you organize your qualifications, skills, experience, and education is LinkedIn. LinkedIn has free services that allow you to create an employee profile about you that employers can see. It also helps you to connect with other people who are in the jobs you want so you can ask them questions and learn more about the job you want.
Informational interviews
Informational interviews happen when you meet with a prospective employer, ask them more about the job you want, and provide them more information about you. It can be done in person, on the phone, and even via chat online.
Industry, occupation, professional, trade organizations and associations
Industry, occupation, professional, and trade organizations and associations form a very important role in networking. These organizations and associations are often national, but they do have local and regional connections. Go online and search for associations and organizations that include the occupations in which you want to work. For example, if you are interested in information technology or computers then you could look into the Women in Technology Association or National Center for Women and Information Technology. Or, if you are interested in helping professions you might look into the California Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. If you are using LinkedIn, search for the association there and join online. Attend meetings and conferences of the associations and organizations representing the industry and occupations in which you are interested and call or message them to ask questions about the occupation and jobs.
DISCLAIMER: The materials provided on this web site are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact an attorney to obtain legal advice about any particular issue or problem. The materials do not represent the opinions or conclusions of individual members of the Task Force. The posting of these materials does not create requirements or mandates.