Senior Struggles: Expert answers to your LinkedIn questions

March 7, 2012

Follow each week as we present step-by-step suggestions to achieve post-college success with less senior year stress.

The Career Center’s resident LinkedIn expert, Scott Tsuchiyama, answers some basic, yet important questions about how to maximize your LinkedIn networking experience and find a job.

1. My profile is complete, what is the first step toward having active interactions with the people on LinkedIn who can answer my career questions or possibly help me find a job?

First, start by finding and connecting with your family, friends, co-workers and classmates–anyone who knows you and will want to help you. Don’t worry about whether or not these people work in your field of interest; the more connections you make, the better. Next, start joining the LinkedIn groups that pertain to you. You should join the obvious college and alumni groups, but also groups that relate to the field you want to work in.

2. What are some things to do on LinkedIn to get my profile noticed, so that people start contacting me?

Visit some of the groups that relate to your career of interest and post thoughtful and smart questions. The people who who can help you are likely to see those and reach out. So, for example if you wanted to work in social media marketing, you could ask something like, “What are the most important social media platforms to be experienced with?” If someone answers this, you can ask to connect with them and then begin a conversation about how they got to where they are and if they have any advice for you.

3. What if I’m not ready to start contacting people directly? How can I still use LinkedIn to my advantage?

LinkedIn can be a great learning tool. Start finding people who work in the field you want to find a job in. Check out their career path–what experiences led them to their current position? How can you emulate their route to career success? What groups are they a part of? Think of this as a non-creepy form of Facebook stalking, only this might actually benefit your future!

4. How do I know if it’s ‘okay’ to connect with someone whom I don’t know personally?

This varies from situation to situation, but in general, LinkedIn etiquette dictates that you should not try to connect with anyone whom you do not know. However, if you want to make contact with someone outside of your network, try looking to see if you have any connections in common. If you do, you could ask them to ‘introduce’ you on LinkedIn, or even better, you could email or call the mutual connection and politely ask them to email the person you want to connect with. The person you’re trying to connect with is much more likely to agree to communicate if you are recommended.

5. Okay, I’ve connected with someone whom I think might be in a position to help me, how do I initiate a conversation?

Come up with several solid, smart questions, but DO NOT start with, “Hi, can you help me find a job?” You can either InMail them or email them with a few questions and simply ask them to help you answer those questions. If you are able to start a dialogue with someone, see if you can eventually take the next step and achieve in-person contact. Ask if you can take them to lunch or coffee. People are way more likely to remember you from an in-person meeting than by your online profile alone.

Remember, LinkedIn is a great tool for online-networking, but it is not magic. It only works if you work it! So, get online and start making some connections. If you’re still unsure, here are some more tips on learning to use LinkedIn.

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Posted by Nell Gable

Senior Struggles: 8 basic networking tips

February 15, 2012

Follow each week as we present step-by-step suggestions to achieve post-college success with less senior year stress.

Whether you’ve been looking since the fall or haven’t begun to think about it, it is by no means too late to start or continue your job search. In fact, sometimes it’s best to take a deep breath, and go back to the basics. Here is a basic set of networking tips to help you get started.

spider web

Not that kind of web.


1. Cast a wide net. Start by making a list of anyone and everyone whom you know that might be able to inform you about your desired career OR who might be able to link you to someone who can. Some find it helpful to create a networking spreadsheet, others a simple word document. Find what works for you and start emailing, phoning and talking to your web of contacts. I try to constantly talk about my career aspirations–to my hairstylist, professors, co-workers friends–anyone who might suddenly realize that they DO have a friend or uncle or hairstylist who might be able to help. You just never know.

2. Don’t forget about social networking. Is your LinkedIn account up-to-date? Is your Facebook profile appropriate? Start learning the tips and tricks to networking via social media.

3. Keep asking questions, but make sure they’re the right kind. Once you’ve reached out to your network of contacts, start asking questions and advice. Say you get the email address of someone in the industry/area you’d like to get a job in. Don’t start off with, “Hi I’m really hoping to get hired at your company, can you help me?” It’s best to ease into this new and fragile relationship. Start by simply asking how they got there, and what advice they have. Hopefully previous networking has led you to some of the “right” questions. By building on your previous networking experiences, you are better informed when it comes to the next level of networking.

4. Thank people as you go along. It’s easy to forget this one, but it may be the most important part of networking. Being gracious and appreciative makes people WANT to help you. If you treat people like stepping-stones, they tend to disappear.

5. Target specific organizations. We often talk about researching an industry, but at some point you need to start targeting specific companies and perusing networking contacts within them. There are a number of ways to do this:

  • LinkedIn- search the company you want to work for and find someone within it to politely contact for advice, NOT a job.
  • Career counselors- visit The Career Center and talk with a career coach. Ask about ways you can identify people to contact for advice or even an informational interview.
  • Google- you can find out just about anything on Google these days. Try searching the company you want to work for and finding an employee to reach out to. Take a look at names mentioned in press releases, news articles, and on websites.

6. Achieve in-person contact. This can take shape in a number of ways, but will likely be an essential part of job search networking. Here are some things to try:

  • Set up an informational interview with one of your contacts. Ask to buy them lunch or coffee, and come prepared to ask questions, NOT ask for a job (yet).
  • Join a professional association.  These groups often hold networking events and gatherings where you can meet people and practice your pitch.

7. Maintain relationships. Again, don’t forget to express gratitude to those who have helped you along your networking path. Simple thank-you cards are great, thank-you emails and phone calls are good too. Let people know how you are doing, and ask how they are doing too. Networking is two-way street.

8. Stay true to you. Take some time to revisit your iPlan. Make sure you know your story, community and presentation, and don’t stray too far from your unique personal brand. Stay true to who you are what it is you really want to do. And remember…

“If you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”

-Conan O’Brien

Photo credit: cybershotking / CC BY 2.0

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Posted by Nell Gable

Does it sound too good to be true? Investigate. Be Savvy!

February 16, 2011
Free Money?

Hmmm...I don't know about that.

It’s the time of year when many students’ thoughts are turning to summer internships or jobs. Obviously, summertime employment is a bit tricky. You want to make sure that you are maximizing those few months that you have — either by gaining solid experience in an internship, or by earning a decent wage to help defray your costs when you return to school.

Although there are plenty of legitimate job opportunities out there, it’s also true that some companies take advantage of that natural urge to want to make as many dollars as possible, quickly. If a job posting is not forthcoming about what your job responsibilities and duties will actually be, but instead only focuses on the amount of money that you can make, proceed with caution.

After all, just because an organization approaches you on campus (on the Diag, before a lecture, etc.) does not mean that they are endorsed by the University.  There are many public places on campus that anyone can visit or rent out.  Just because someone approaches you someplace on campus and has a website doesn’t make them legit — or even the best potential fit for you.

This is not to say that any opportunity advertised this way is not legitimate. However, you probably need to do a little bit more digging to suss out if this is truly a “job opportunity” or really an attempt to set you up as a contractor working solely on commission.

Some people can do well on commission alone, but don’t be overly eager to gloss over the potential challenges of working as an essentially independent business entity — handling your own taxes as well as your own profit (and loss). Also be wary of any opportunity that requires you to pay upfront fees or make any sort of “initial investment.”

Before proceeding with a job opportunity that might fall in this category, you can do a few key things.

  1. Ask questions. Make sure you understand exactly what the opportunity is, what is expected of you, and what you can expect from the company. If you sense some hedging from the company’s representative, that may be a valuable cure.
  2. Check simple things like the recruiter’s email address — is is at the domain of the company (john@coolcompany.com) or does it just appear to be a personal email (johnnyboy012@yahoo.com)
  3. If the company has a website, do some browsing. How clear is that website about what the company actually does?

Loyola offers a very comprehensive list of other “red flags,” and here Boise State also weighs in on a few things to be aware of if you are approached by very “aggressive recruiters.”

You may even want to check with consumer services organizations like the Better Business Bureau or the Federal Trade Commission to see if complaints have been lodged against the company. Again, just one “red flag” doesn’t necessarily mean that a company is illegitimate, but they raise important questions to follow-up upon if they do come up in your job search.

All in all, realize that you’re often your own best advocate, and that asking questions when appropriate is the primary way to know exactly what you’re signing yourself up for. Use those critical thinking and research skills that you’ve been developing throughout your college career, and when in doubt, know that the Career Center can step in to help you evaluate things, too.

Photo credit: dotpolka / CC BY 2.0

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Posted by mcherem

10 Days of Expo: Take your preparation to the next level

September 27, 2010

The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo is coming up on September 29th, and in order to help you prepare, we’re running a series called “10 Days of Expo.” Each day until 9/29 we’ll discuss helpful tips and information, along with some featured employers that will be in attendance (check out the previous few days if you’ve missed them). Today we give you a few ways to build on your preparation this past week.

You’ve faithfully read the 10 Days of Expo series. You’ve followed all of our tips; researched Expo employers, considered your pitch, and figured out what you’re going to wear. With two days to go, is there anything else you can do?

Here are a few homework assignments to take your Expo prep to the next level:

Kick up your research
There are several employer presentations coming up in the next couple of days.  Attend a presentation and do some in person research.  The added bonus: it gives you a chance to practice your pitch!

Connect your research to you!  List out 2-3 stories that demonstrate the skills you learned about through your research. Be specific:  “This is an example of leadership because (fill in the blank)” or “These classes developed my writing skills by (fill in the blank again).”

Practice Out Loud
You’ve gone over it a million times in your head.  Now practice your pitch out loud.   Pick 2-3 friends and ask them to practice with you.  Sometimes what sounds great in your head doesn’t work as well out loud.  Practicing out loud helps you make sure the employers hear your best pitch.

Dress For Success
Avoid any Expo day surprises and check out your planned outfit in advance.  Is the blouse/shirt ironed and ready to go?  Do the shoes need a quick polish?  If you haven’t worn your “dress-up” clothes for awhile, it’s better to take a quick look the night before than to find a stain the day of Expo.

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Posted by Sally Schueneman

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