Getting started on networking might feel a little daunting, but we are here to help.
Here are some sample communications that can guide your outreach to alums through UVM Connect and LinkedIn. Consider dropping by the Career Center for help crafting a message of your own, or use these samples as inspiration as you reach out to alums or prospective employers.
UVM Connect Messages
Dear Mr. DeSoto,
As a senior at the University of Vermont, I am currently exploring career options and am setting up informational interviews with alums in the finance field. I found your profile on UVM Connect, noticed that you were also a Political Science major, and was wondering if you’d be willing to share some advice regarding pursuing a career in finance.
Would it be possible for us to schedule a time to talk on the phone for 20 minutes? I’d be very grateful for any suggestions you might have.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely, Sarah Bevin
Hello Sidney,
I am a 2018 UVM alum with a degree in English. I found your profile on UVM Connect and was wondering if we could set up a time to speak, on the phone or in person, for 30 minutes about your work and career path.
I am exploring my options for work and am interested in finding out more about merchandising. Since graduation, I have worked as an Account Executive in advertising sales with Time Inc. While I greatly enjoy communicating with clients and developing advertising, I’ve found that sales is not the right fit for me. Any insight or advice you would be willing to share about merchandising would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.
Warm regards, Robert Cross
LinkedIn Messages
Hello Robin,
I am a UVM senior studying Public Communication and am interested in a career in publishing. I am wondering if we could arrange a half hour to meet, on the phone or in person, about your work at Random House and your career path.
Thank you for your time. Darren
Dear Ms. Brown,
As a UVM’er interested in pursuing law school, I was excited to see your profile on LinkedIn. I am wondering if we could connect here on the platform and set up a half hour to meet about your career and experiences in law school. I look forward to your reply.
The key to a successful informational interview or networking opportunity is preparation.
Below, you’ll find some questions to help you brainstorm what you want to talk about.
JOB QUESTIONS
Why did this type of work interest you and how did you get started?
What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position?
What are the responsibilities in your job? What does a typical day or week look like for you? What percentage of your time is spent on which responsibilities?
What kinds of problems do you deal with? What kinds of decisions do you make?
What knowledge, skills, abilities, and other qualifications are desirable for this job?
What do you view as the critical skills for a position in this field?
What is your favorite and least favorite element of your job?
CAREER FIELD QUESTIONS
What are typical entry-level jobs in this field?
What is the typical pattern of career development in this field?
What are the trends and hot issues in this field? What journals or web sites do you read to keep up with trends and developments in your field?
LIFESTYLE QUESTIONS
What obligations does your work place upon you, outside of the ordinary workweek? What are your working hours like?
How often do people in this field change jobs?
How much flexibility do you have in terms of dress, schedule, vacation, etc.?
CAREER PREPARATION ADVICE
How did UVM prepare you for this work? What kind of background is necessary to enter this field?
How can I acquire the required skills? Are there courses, or experiences, paid or otherwise, which you would recommend?
If you were to hire someone to work with you today, what factors would be most important in your hiring decision and why?
Is a graduate degree recommended? Are there specific programs that are valued in this field?
What other related types of work should I consider and research?
JOB SEARCH ADVICE
Given my education and experience, would I be a competitive candidate for entry-level positions in this field?
How do you suggest that I break into this field?
How can I identify both advertised and unadvertised vacancies in this field?
Can you suggest anyone else whom I can contact for additional information? May I use your name when I contact them?
RESUME REVIEW QUESTIONS
Is this an appropriate resume for the jobs I will be seeking?
If an employer received this resume, how do you think she or he would react to it?
How might I best improve the form and content of my resume?
If you think through and practice interview questions ahead of time, you will be more poised, confident and prepared. Here’s a list of common interview questions broken out by theme. At the bottom, you’ll find a list of possible questions for you to ask an employer.
QUESTIONS AN EMPLOYER MAY ASK YOU
Personal assessment and career direction
Tell me about yourself.
What are your long- and short-range goals? How have you prepared to achieve them?
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
How would someone who knows you describe you?
What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
Why should I hire you?
What qualifications do you have that will make you successful in this field / position / organization?
In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
Describe how you work under pressure.
How would you describe your ideal job?
What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
What are some examples of your creativity?
Work attitudes
How do you define success?
What qualities should a successful manager possess?
Describe the relationship that ideally exists between a supervisor and supervisee.
What criteria are you using to evaluate the company for which you hope to work?
Academic assessment
How has your college experience prepared you for a career?
Describe your most rewarding college experience.
What changes would you make in your college or university? Why?
Do you have plans for continued study? An advanced degree?
Knowledge of the employer
What do you know about this organization? Where did you find this information?
What contributions do you think you could make to this organization?
If you were hiring a graduate for this position, what qualities would you look for?
Why did you decide to seek a position with this organization?
Other interests and experiences
What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it?
What have you learned from your mistakes?
Situational or behavioral questions
Describe the most difficult interpersonal situation you’ve had with a professor, supervisor, supervisee or colleague. How did you handle it?
If your supervisor were setting impossible deadlines, what would you do?
How would you handle a situation where your direct supervisor asked you to do something that was not consistent with your professional judgment?
Sensitive issues
How did you get along with your last supervisor?
You seem overqualified for this position. Can you explain why you applied?
What is the hardest job you have ever performed?
How much do you think this position pays?
Tell me your position on drug testing.
QUESTIONS TO ASK THE INTERVIEWER
What qualifications do you expect the successful candidate to have?
What are the main issues that need immediate attention?
What resources are available to solve these issues?
Do you support professional development? How?
What are the established guidelines and procedures for making decisions in this position?
What are the reporting relationships of this position?
What are the short-term and long-term goals of the department and how are they set?
How would successful performance be measured in this position?
How often is performance reviewed in this position?
What is culture of this organization?
Describe the interdepartmental relationships.
What has the turnover rate of the department been?
Take some time to review the employers and organizations that are attending the fair. Read about their organization and any open positions they are actively recruiting to fill, or research details about their programs of study. Look to see if they are offering individual or group sessions at an upcoming virtual fair & then sign up!
3. Update your Handshake & LinkedIn profiles.
Some employers will be researching candidates ahead of time by browsing Handshake profiles. Based on that information, they will invite students and alums to attend individual sessions. Make sure that your profile is up to date and that your profile visibility is set to Community or Public so that employers can discover you and have an accurate sense of who you are. Include relevant experiences and update your Career Interests survey so that employers know what your goals and interests are.
4. Create / update your resume.
Including a resume on your profile or offering to share your resume with a recruiter is another great way to stand out during an event. Make an appointment to speak with a Career Counselor or request an online document review for help drafting and revising your resume. Click here for Your Guide to Resumes – tips on how to get started with your resume and some examples.
5. Practice your pitch.
When it comes time to meet with a recruiter, how will you introduce yourself? Be ready to answer questions like: Why are you interested in the company? What types of positions are you seeking? How is your previous work experience relevant? Also think about what questions you plan on asking the representatives. Practing ahead will help you be more comfortable and confident. Drop-by to speak with a peer leader for help in crafting & practicing your personal pitch. And check out Handshake’s tips for preparing for preparing your virtual career fair pitch.
Other helpful tips: Dress to impress, be distraction-free, ask if the employers would like to connect via LinkedIn, and always follow up with the recruiters you spoke with to say thanks and let them know if you are applying.
Preparing for Virtual Career Fairs
In addition to the applicable steps above, you should also…
1. Register for employer sessions ahead of time. You’re going to want to register for group information sessions and one on one conversations with employers prior to the start of the fair. These sessions are the primary way to connect with employers on the day of fair. Group information sessions will typically include a presentation by the employer, followed by a question and answer period. They will be attended by other UVM students, too. Individual sessions will just be you and a recruiter. Begin thinking about what questions you have about the company and the positions they are hiring for – especially if you are signed up for a one on one conversation. Check out Handshake’s tips for individual sessions with employers.
2. Make sure your technology is ready to go. While it is preferable to have video capabilities in case an employer would like to speak with you face to face, you don’t necessarily have to have a device with a camera to participate in the fair. Check out Handshake’s tech requirements here.
3. Familiarize yourself with how the day of the fair will run. On the day of the fair, you will log in to Handshake and easily have access to your schedule for the day via a tab that reads “Your Session”. The sessions that you signed up for ahead of time will appear with a button that indicates “Join Now” or “Launch Video” depending on the session type. Check out Handshake’s guide to participating in a virtual fair.
How does a Virtual Career Fair work?
Like our traditional fairs, you’ll have the opportunity to meet with recruiters from companies and organizations who are seeking talented candidates to fill their open positions. To ensure you secure a spot with the employers you wish to meet, be sure to register early and sign up for group or individual sessions as soon as possible.
Employers who are attending the fair will set up two different engagement opportunities for students: group sessions and one on one sessions. Group sessions will typically last 30 minutes and employers will share a presentation about their organization, answer your questions about their open positions or what it is like to work at their company, or discuss a topic of interest related to their industry. One on one sessions are 10 minutes each and give you the chance to connect with a recruiter for an individual conversation. Registration is required for the fair and for the different sessions that you wish to attend, and can all be done in Handshake.
Stand out in the crowd with a polished personal statement.
When applying to graduate school, personal statements are your chance to highlight your writing skills and demonstrate your passion for your chosen field of study.
Content
Your personal statement should be exactly that: personal. Use specific examples and speak honestly about your experience, interests, and goals.
POTENTIAL TOPICS TO ADDRESS:
Academic Influences: Comment on an inspiring writer or article in your field of study, your favorite professor and how they influenced you, the best project or paper you ever wrote, or the single most important concept you learned about in college.
Academic Background: Discuss the rigor of your academic program, your specialized skill set, or relevant knowledge of the field.
Motivation: Explore the evolution of your interest in the field, including turning points, contirbuting factors, challenges or hardships that influenced your decision, and what you have done to test your commitment to the field (work experiences, volunteering, internships, research, etc.).
Personal Endeavors: Include any leadership opportunities or community service experiences, and highlight your maturity and self-reflection.
Career Goals: Identify your specific post-graduate career plans, the role that your graduate-level education plays in those plans, your 5 to 10-year goals, or any additional educational plans beyond this program.
Academic Record: If there are any major gaps or declines in your academic record, speak to the circumstances that led to those changes.
Length
Some graduate schools have specific guidelines for their personal statements. If your program provides instructions, be sure to read them carefully. You want to be sure to answer the question that is asked, and stick to any length requirements given. If there are no guidelines for length, consider keeping your statement between 1 and 2 pages long.
Additional Resources
Whether you’re still brainstorming possible topics or need someone to review your final draft, UVM’s Writing Center and the Career Center are both great on-campus resources. Check in with your Interest Group leader to schedule time for in-person support, or make an appointment at the Writing Center.
If you’re looking for additional online resources, consult the following:
