As an undergraduate student, it is important to gain insight into a variety of fields to learn of potential career paths. The best way to do this is through informational interviews, where you have the opportunity to ask career-related questions to professionals in a field that interests you.
To begin the process, you first need to determine a career field that interests you. Once you have narrowed down your choices, it’s time to use LinkedIn! When looking for career and networking opportunities, LinkedIn is going to be your best friend.
You’ll want to begin by polishing your profile, making sure it is up to date and identifies that you’re a Binghamton University student. Once you’re confident in your profile, you can now start reaching out to alumni in the field you are looking to learn more about. To do this, you will need to utilize the Binghamton University Alumni page, which can be found here. On this page, you will be able to narrow down alumni by using the filters provided. These filters allow you to select alumni based on where they live, what they studied, what they currently do for a living, and many more options. By doing this, you will come across alumni that meet your search criteria. Once you have reviewed their profiles to ensure they are in a position that interests you, it’s time to reach out!
Still using LinkedIn as the platform, you are now going to begin crafting a professional message to send. You will want to begin by introducing yourself and stating how you found their profile. Following this, you should describe your interest in their particular field and ask if they would be willing to engage in an informational interview. To finish, you should thank them for their time and include your contact information so they can reach out to you if interested.
This may seem scary, but I promise you, it’s not! Binghamton University alumni love helping current students navigate their career paths and almost all of them are willing to help you in some capacity. If you need help crafting your message or finding alumni that fit your career aspirations, our Fleishman Center Team is here to help you! Our Arts and Communications Career Consultants can be found here and they would love to assist you in your endeavors. Our Career Guide is also full of information on informational interviewing, which can be found here. Making connections and networking may appear to be an intimidating process, but I can assure you that our alumni network is filled with caring and compassionate individuals who are more than willing to assist young students with their career search!
