Start with family and friends to see whom they know. Follow up with people referred by your family and friends. Schedule meetings in person.
When you want to connect with someone you don’t know, prepare exactly as you would for an informational interview. Research the industry, organization, and job title of the person you’re contacting in order to formulate thoughtful questions. Depending on your goals for the meeting, plan to ask for advice or ideas, or information about careers, leads, and referrals.
- While it is best to meet in person, you may need to initiate a connection over the telephone or by email:
- Send an email first — before you telephone
- Do not include your resume if you are contacting someone for the first time
- Write in your email that you plan to follow up with a telephone call
- Be clear about when you plan to call. As an example, consider writing, “I will call you on Wednesday afternoon to see if we could arrange a time to meet”
- Make the follow-up call within three or four business days