Job Search Tools
Information Meeting
80% of job vacancies are not advertised. Therefore, you must learn to tap into the hidden job market by networking and doing information interviews.
What is an information meeting? The information meeting is a research tool aimed at meeting and talking to people, an employee or an employer, to gather information on a certain career path or an organization. The information meeting allows you to collect information specific to your needs. You get first-hand, real information about a career or an occupation. You can see if it matches your needs, interests and skills.
Send a personal thank-you letter after the information meeting expressing your appreciation for the person's time, counsel, information or resources shared. This is also a good opportunity to mention your interest in having another meeting at a later date.
Examples of questions addressed to an employee during an information meeting:
- What kind of education or professional training is needed for this position or this type of work?
- Please describe your career path.
- As an interested party in this type of position, how can I prepare myself?
- What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful in this job?
- What is your level of freedom to solve problems and take action on the job?
- In your position you seem to have many responsibilities. How do you manage your schedule in order to accomplish all of the tasks?
Examples of questions addressed to an employer during an information meeting:
- As someone interested to work for your company, how can I prepare myself?
- Employers are looking for what personal qualities, abilities or skills in an employee?
- What opportunities for advancement are there in this field and within your company?
To get help setting up an information meeting or networking, drop in or make an appointment to meet with a member of the Career Service's team.
Resources
Schaefer, Nancy. Good Job! A Yound Person's Guide to Finding, Landing and Loving a Job, Toronto, Stoddard Publishing Company Limited, 2000, 128p.
Fontaine, Denise, Chantal Nault et Marie-Josée Richer. Guide d'auto-accompagnement en recherche d'emploi, l'énergie d'une démarche réflexive et structurée, Sherbrooke, Les Éditions du CRP, Faculté d’éducation, Université Sherbooke, 1999, 160p.