Your Career Mentor must be someone who has experience your field of interest and has been
involved in hiring. Your mentor should have a minimum of three years of experience in the industry,
and a background or knowledge of the hiring process for entry level candidates in their field.
Interviews can be conducted by phone, in person, or virtually.
Before the interview:
• Arrange the interview. With permission to use the name of the person who referred you,
arrange the phone, video, or in-person interview. Contact the person to set up an interview by
telephone, by an email followed by a telephone call, or by having someone who knows the
person make the appointment for you. An example follows:
o Hello Mr. Jones, my name is YOUR NAME. Sally Smith indicated you would be a good
person for me to speak with for information and advice on the NAME industry. I’m a
class at Trine University and am gathering information for my job search. If possible, I’d
like to set up a short meeting with you in the next two weeks.
• Treat the appointment as you would a job interview. Prepare for the interview by
researching the company in which your contact works. Dress professionally. Print out your list
of questions you’d like to ask your contact. Bring copies of your resume with you to the
interview. Consider emailing a confirmation of your appointment with your professional resume
attached to the message as background information about you.
After the interview:
• Send a thank you card. Ask for a business card and send a thank you letter within 24 hours
of the interview. Personalize it, let them know what you learned, and your next steps as a
result of their advice.
• If you will be conducting another informational interview on your own, follow up with:
Would you be willing to connect me with anyone else you know who might be able to offer
some advice? (You can either ask your current interviewee to make an email introduction for
you, or ask if it’s okay to use your interviewee’s name when contacting the person).