Networking Information Interview After Making

Networking

Information Interview

After making a list of about 30 possible contacts in the business and nonprofit industry that I received through friends, family members and school associates, I decided to interview Keith Roberts at a medium-sized advertising/marketing agency in the area.

A decided that I wanted to interview Roberts, because of my interest in marketing and public relations and also to work for an agency vs. A corporation.

My questions included:

What was his educational and experience background and how did he break into the ad agency field;

How long as he been with the company;

What are his overall responsibilities;

Have these responsibilities changed with promotions and job changes;

Does he like his work -- why/why not; what are some of the challenges he faces and what brings him the most satisfaction;

How many hours does he put into the job on a regular basis and how does that jive with his objectives for his personal life;

What is an overview of expected salary from a job like this;

What is the company's lifestyle, such dress, schedule, work at home possibility, weekend/night work;

What does he plan to do in the near, long-term future regarding his work; would he suggest my going into this type of work;

What is the demand for this type of position;

What particular skills, personality traits are needed; does he have other contacts for me;

What if I wanted to apply for this firm in the future.

The interview went very well. He gave me about an hour of his time and also took me out for lunch. I was able to meet with a few other people who worked in the agency and learn more about what they did in their positions.

He referred me to another marketing person at a larger firm that did advertising and marketing for larger corporations. The firm that he is with has medium-sized and smaller companies. They do some work for larger organizations, but that is rare. His firm also has an emphasis on web marketing and design; this other firm does more print and TV/radio. As mentioned, I was also able to talk with some of the other people in the firm during lunch and hear about their background and responsibilities. I had 15 minutes with the president of the company and was able to show him some of the projects I have been working on in my marketing classes. He suggested that I contact his company after graduation if I still am interested in pursuing a position in marketing and communication.

A brought in both my resume and also a portfolio that had some of my marketing projects and dummy advertisements and PR campaigns. He liked my creativity and ambition and explained that such skills are definitely required in this field. It takes someone who is able to take other people's criticism and not get offended and also to keep on trying when ideas are not accepted. This also takes self-confidence and patience.

If I was looking for a straight nine-to-five position, this would not be it. Many times, there is work on weekends and at night, because one never knows when the clients will have a particular need. This also means that one has to be internal directed and be self-motivated, rather than externally directed and encouraged by others. On the other hand, in some cases, this type of work is more flexible and people can telecommute or work different hours based on their clients' needs.