Linda graduated with a degree in accounting. She worked two internships between her sophomore and junior year, and between her junior and senior year. She experienced difficulty getting interviews. She hesitated asking her father or family members for help. She didn’t know what to say other than”Can you help me get a job?” We coached her to create questions to ask family members. All of the companies her relatives worked for had accounting departments (What company doesn’t?) She found a job 2 weeks later from information provided by a family member.
Why We Hesitate to Talk to Family and Friends
You may resist talking to family members about looking for a job for several reasons:
- Ashamed that you have to look for a job
- Feel awkward “hitting them up for a job”
- Don’t know what to say
- Don’t perceive that they work in the field you do
- Already asked them for help once, don’t know what to say the second time
Questions You Can Ask Family and Friends
You can to ask family and friends questions that will not irritate them. For example:
- Questions about where they work
- “How many people are in the YY division?”
- “What are the key projects and goals at work?”
- “What do you like about your company?”
- “What are your biggest frustrations at the company?”
- “Who else would you suggest I talk to?”
- Questions about specific companies or situations
- You can ask the same questions that you asked about where they work except preface them with
- “What can you tell me about YY company?”
- “What experience have you had with YY company?”
- “Do you know anyone at the YY company?”
- “Do you know any one who does business or buys from the YY company?”
- Questions about industry trends
- “What do you see happening in the YY industry?”
- “What improvements do you see coming?”
- “What problems or challenges do you see coming?”
- “What else should I ask?”
Monday we highlight what to do with the information you gather from your network
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