Gradlife

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I’m approaching the end of my Masters degree, I’ll be finished in March – and as much as I’ve waited for this moment, there is a certain terror in coming towards a point in my life where the future isn’t exactly cut out for me. I’ve learned in recent years that I operate much more comfortably when I know what is ahead of me. Finishing a professional graduate program that will put me into a very bleak job market come the fall, there’s a lot of uncertainty of what will come next. But this uncertainty isn’t mine alone – it’s an experience of many of us, which explains why more than 200 students attended a workshop entitled, Employment Opportunities Outside the Classroom – a workshop originally slated for 30 students.

 

Geared towards Teacher Candidates, and presented by Glen Matadeen of the U of T Career Centre, the presentation focused on the importance of networking in order to secure jobs in today’s market. Although he spoke to a room of people who had originally hoped to teach in a classroom, Glen’s advice and guidance could be taken by anyone looking to secure work  in the private sector outside of their discipline.

So what was the take away from it all?

Informational Interviews.

According to Wikipedia, and informational interview is:

“a meeting in which a job seeker asks for career and industry advice rather than employment. The job seeker uses the interview to gather information on the field, and to find employment leads and expand their professional network”.

I for one, had not heard of this approach, and quite frankly now I am a bit concerned that if I share this information with you, you may end up stealing my future job. BUT I am very generous, so I’ll continue. The truth is, networking is still very much the best way to secure a job (ie: it’s still who you know). Most of us knew this on some level, but do you know how to network?

 

Here’s what you do:

1. Locate your skills – and the ones you like using. You have plenty. It’s been said that an undergraduate student uses between 400-600 skills between the start and finish of their degree.
2. Locate the industry. Do some research about which industries you could transfer your skills to and become valuable. Find some companies and businesses that you may be interested in working for, or at least knowing more about.
3. Contact the executive director/manager of companies you are interested in. Tell them your background and explain that you are interested in learning more about the company and industry, and ask if they would be willing to meet with you for a 20-30 minute meeting.
4. Hopefully this works. When you arrive to the meeting, act and dress professionally, but remember you are not asking for a job – you are only networking and locating information.
5. Make sure you have done some background research about the company and the person you are meeting with. You don’t want to be put on the spot and look foolish, or as if you are wasting someone’s time.
6. Ask questions that get them talking and revealing information about the industry. (ie: How did you get into the field? What do you enjoy best about your job? What are some challenges?)
7. Make sure you follow up with a request for referrals – make sure you are gracious for their time and how much you have learned. But make sure to ask if there is anyone else in the field they know who may be helpful in your research.

By doing this with several professionals within the field, hopefully you will gain contacts who might think of you when positions arise. Alternatively, they may be privy to job openings in other places that they may be able to recommend you to. The important point is that multiple connections will never hurt you!

And here’s something we should all remember, when feeling lost:

You are not average. Only 8.5% of Canadian citizens hold a Masters Degree. And you also happened to get that education at a pretty well-respected institution. SO, fear not young grasshopper! Take those legs, and jump into industry!