This document summarizes a course on career fundamentals. It outlines the course timeline, how to conduct informational interviews, and provides an example of a student's experience. Key points include: - The course covers interviews, emotional intelligence, informational interviews, and resume/cover letters. Assignments include reflections, informational interviews, and optional interview practice. - Informational interviews provide career exploration and advice. Students should research contacts, prepare questions, actively listen, and follow up with a thank you. - An example is provided of a student, Stella, who reached out for an informational interview, prepared well, maintained the connection, and later benefited from the relationship. - Students are

1. COMM 202:
Career Fundamentals
T24 & T25 with Samyta Rai

2. Today’s Agenda:
1. Course Timeline
2. How to Nail the Informational Interview
3. Interview Stream
4. Action Items

3. Course Timeline
Week 10 (today) Week 11 Week 12
• Lecture: Interviews and
Emotional Intelligence
• What’s due: Networking
Reflections due March
21st at 11:59pm on
Turnitin
• Final Tutorial:
Employment Interview
Questions
• What’s due (optional for
bonus marks): Interview
Stream by April 2nd @
11:59PM
• Tutorial: Info Interviews
• What’s due: Resume &
Cover Letter Assignment
due on Mar 12th at
11:59pm on Turnitin and
COOL
• Networking Event on
Mar 13th 6-8pm in CPA
Hall

4. Informational Interview
2

5. What’s the
point of Info
Interviews?
Ø Not sure what to option
in? Considering a
double option?
Ø Want to know how to
get into a certain field?
Ø Want to learn what its
ACTUALLY like to work
in a certain field?
Informational
interviews are an
excellent way to
explore different
career paths, jobs,
options and
industries

6. What Can
An Info
Interview
Look Like?
1. **In person at
a coffee shop or
professional’s
office**
2. Over Skype,
Google
Hangouts
3. Over the phone
**For this course you have to complete the info interview in person**

7. Story Time
Stella’s 202 Informational Interview Experience

8. How to Nail Your
Informational Interview
3

9. Things to Include In The Email:
• You’re a student
• How you heard about them or know them
• What you are looking to learn (their career
progression, advice on how to best leverage time
at Sauder, etc.)
• 20 minutes of their time
• Close by suggesting two times you are available to
meet
• Tell them you’re willing to meet them at a location
most convenient for them (near their work, etc.)

10. How did Stella Reach Out to Lindsay?

11. Her Response:

12. Before the Meeting: Do Your Research
• Their company
• Know their major skill sets
• Work history
• Accomplishments
• Associations
• Common interests
• Internet search
• LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram(?)
• Their personal website
• Ask mutual contacts
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHERE TO FIND INFO

13. Before the Meeting: Prepare Questions
Examples:
• How did you get into the industry?
• What do you like most about your job and/or field?
• What is one challenge you’re currently facing at work?
• What do you need to do to become successful in this industry?
• What should I be reading?
• What advice do you have for someone starting out?

14. What Questions Did Stella Prepare?
Job/role related
Common interests (found on LinkedIn)
Relevant & specific Q’s that show interest and
research

15. During the Meeting
1. Thank them for their time
2. Take charge – you’re the one who called the meeting. Remind them
why they are here
3. Bring a notebook, ask if it’s ok if you take notes, take notes
4. Ask questions and listen to their responses fully – don’t feel like you
need to ask only the questions you prepared for. The best
conversations are those where questions flow naturally
5. 15 mins in ask if they are okay to continue

16. During the Meeting: Reminders
• Eye contact, smile, handshake,
thank you
• Dress the part
• Pay attention to body language
• Bring a notebook and take notes
• Offer your opinions
• Be curious
• Respect their time
• Who pays?

17. During the Meeting: Emotional Intelligence
• Watch out for signals – have they closed their book or checked their phone?
This means they may need to head back to work and you should ask them if they
are okay to continue
• Acknowledge that they’re busy and you really appreciate them taking time out
of their day for you
• Active listening – essential for having a natural conversation. This looks like:
o Maintaining eye contact; not looking elsewhere while they’re talking
o Asking relevant follow up questions to what they say

18. Magic “I Owe You”
Offer them help in
some way, and they
will be more likely to
want to help you.

19. Tell Your Story
• What you would love to do for
companies
• What problem have you identified that
makes you want to work in the industry
• Why you feel it’s important to talk to
experts in the field
• Use phrases like: ‘I like to…’, ‘I believe...’
• Keep it short, positive and focused

20. Following Up
• Send a thank you email
• Thank them for their time
• Mention something you talked about
• Mention when you will follow up with them next

21. Sample Follow Up

22. The Rest of the Story…
• Stella emailed Lindsay again two months later – Dec 2015
• Found out she decided to leave Lululemon after 5 years and move back
home to Toronto
• They said we would keep in touch and she wished her best of luck
• They connected again over email in June 2016, updating each other on
our lives

23. The Rest of the Story…
• When Stella landed my internship in Toronto, she updated her
LinkedIn headline (in March), and Lindsay saw it
• They caught up this past July in Toronto!

24. Informational Interview Assignment
• contact details (name, company, title, phone, email)
• list of questions asked
• major insights gained – what did you learn during your informational interview?
**This is the most important part, should be 40% of final paper**
• did you request/receive any information regarding additional connections?
• follow up action – What will you do to maintain this connection? *Screen shot of
thank you email is required
• what are your next steps having conducted this information interview?
Due on Apr 20th
at 11:59pm on
Turnitin

25. Informational Interview Assignment
15%
• Due April 20th at 11:59 on Turnitin
• Two page paper
• In-person and NOT a current UBC student/staff/faculty or family
member
• Look at potential questions on the course blog
• More details on blog

26. Interview Stream
4

27. Optional Assignment & Practice Tool:
Interview Stream Optional
assignment due
Apr 2nd for 1
bonus mark
• Practice answering interview questions
• Go back and review your recording to
see what was good and where to
improve
• 5 general questions will pop up on the
screen and then your webcam will
record your answer
• Will NOT be graded and no one will see
your videos. But you can receive 1 bonus
mark if used before Nov 26th!

28. Action items for next week:
1. Networking Reflection: due March 21st @
11:59pm on Turnitin
2. Set up informational interview (if not done
already)
3. Interview Stream: due April 2nd@ 11:59pm
4. Lecture Next Week!

29. 1. Email: comm202.7@sauder.ubc.ca
2. Tutorials: Approach me before or after tutorial
3. Office hours: Sign up on COOL
How to get in touch with me:

30. Thanks!
Any questions?
Have a great day!