Category: Networking

Why in-person informational interviews are much more valuable than phone calls

11/9/2018

When reaching out to contacts for potential informational interviews, you should do everything in your power to set a face-to-face meeting instead of a phone call. An informational interview with the right person can be one of the biggest boosts to your job search, but only if you can make a good impression. And that’s hard to do on a phone call. Think about it: Would you hire someone based off of a phone interview? Probably not. Your goal for an informational interview is to lock down a contact that could potentially put you up for jobs at some point, but it’s unlikely that anyone is going to go to bat for a person they’ve never even seen. Especially when dealing with higher level executives, you need to keep in mind that they’re on the phone with various people all day long, and without being able to put a face to a name, they’re not going to remember you for more than a day or two. Unless you’re speaking with someone in a different state, find a way to get that in-person meeting.

But aren't you supposed to let your contact dictate the terms of the meeting so they aren't inconvenienced — and isn’t it an inconvenience to ask for a face-to-face meeting? The answer is no. When requesting an informational interview, simply ask for a meeting and let the other person select the location and time. Don’t suggest a call as an option. If that’s what they end up coming back with, tough luck, but more likely, they’ll find a window to fit you in at some point, even if it's several weeks out. Expect that you’ll probably be rescheduled a few times, and that’s perfectly fine. Take what you can get — even a 15 minute face-to-face meeting is better than a phone call when trying to make a lasting impression.

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Where to look to find job postings and open positions in Hollywood

8/23/2018

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If you’ve recently moved to LA and are starting to look for a job, you may be feeling a bit lost. Although there are tons and tons of companies and open positions in the entertainment industry, you probably aren’t seeing too many good job postings if you don’t know where to look. Especially when searching for assistant positions, sites like Indeed.com or even LinkedIn aren’t always the most helpful. Here are six resources that might lead you to something great:

Referrals. Referrals are by far the best way to land jobs in Hollywood. Most positions are filled through word of mouth, so it’s essential to have a great network if you want to find out about open roles. Make a list of your top companies and start setting up informational interviews with people at those companies as quickly as you can. And don’t forget to network with people at your level! Assistants are often the first to hear about open positions.
Company job portals. After you’ve made a list of your top companies, set up aschedule for checking their job portals every day. You can submit your resume through them, but you aren’t likely to hear back unless you’ve gotten your resume into the hands of the right person. This all goes back to networking, but the portals will help you identify open positions and know when to reach out.
Trade publications. Stay up to date on the trades. Look out for announcements of new companies, new divisions, and new projects and try to figure out who’s leading the charge to fill out the new teams. You can always send a cold email with a congratulatory note to build a new relationship with someone whose latest endeavor interests you.
Tracking boards. Tracking boards are email listservs or Facebook groups that facilitate communication within the industry. Lots of job postings are listed on tracking boards, so if you’re ever given the opportunity to join one, do it! The catch to tracking boards is that you need to be invited and accepted to join, so it may take some time to get on one. If you're not on any boards yet, ask your contacts about theirs. They may be able to add you to one or be willing to forward job postings.
Paid subscription services. There are a couple of subscription services dedicated to publishing Hollywood job postings. Hollywood Job Opps and EntertainmentCareers.net are two popular ones that you could consider for entry-level positions. If you're looking for production jobs, Staff Me Up may be a good resource. Lots of people use these services, but paid members have access to postings first, so if you log in frequently, you could be ahead of the game. Even if you don't want to fork over the money, you'll still get access to valuable postings. Either way, you'll maximize your chances of landing an interview if you ping your contacts about any companies you apply to where they may be able to put in a good word.
Entertainment-focused job lists. The UTA job list is probably the most well-known collection of Hollywood job postings that goes out every week. It used to be very exclusive, but now everyone gets it, so you’ll have to be smart about applying for jobs listed there and boost your applications with some networking follow ups. You should also look for lists that may go out through your university or any professional organizations you’re a member of.

You'll notice that each of these suggestions has something in common: networking. If you want to maximize the number of interviews you’re getting, you’ll need a few allies. The good news is, many people are willing to help! Don’t be shy about reaching out -- it will pay off in the long run, and then you’ll have the opportunity to pay it forward to others trying to break into the industry.

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A sneaky trick for figuring out a potential connection's contact info

6/15/2018

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Have you ever sent a direct message to someone you don’t know on LinkedIn and never received a response? Or, have you ever seen a news article quoting an executive at a company you’re interested in and wondered how you could get in contact with him? Cold emails can be a good tool for getting in touch with contacts that are too far removed from your network to get introduced via a referral. But there's one problem -- how are you supposed to find the person's email address? It’s not like people’s email addresses are published all over the internet!

Actually, a simple Google search will often do the trick, as long as you use the correct search terms. Try searching “[company name] press release” and see what comes up. Very often, a PR rep from the company will have a direct email address listed at the bottom of the article. From there, you should be able to figure out the company’s email format and will be able to make an educated guess at the email address of the contact you’re hoping to reach. In some press releases, you may find a more generic address (likepress@companyname.com), and in that case, go one step further and google “@companyname.com” (including quotes) to see if any employee email addresses pop up. You can also try googling the person's name in various common email formats until you find one that yields multiple results.

Unfortunately, sometimes these strategies won’t work. If the contact you’re hoping to reach has a hyphenated name, a multi-word name, or the same name as someone else at the company, you may not be able to figure it out. And of course, some people simply won’t respond to a cold email. If that happens, don’t get discouraged -- you’ll just have to find another way in!

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How to set up an informational interview

4/19/2018

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An informational interview is one of the best networking tools you can use during your job search. But how should you go about setting one up?

The ideal way to set up an informational interview is through a referral, where one of your contacts introduces you to someone he knows via email, and the two of you set up a meeting from there. Sometimes this will come about as the result of a casual networking conversation or drinks with a friend, but you can also be proactive about setting up informational interviews. Identify the top companies you want to work for and target people at those companies for potential meetings. LinkedIn is a great tool for figuring out who you know that could refer you to someone at a company you're interested in. Because they allow for someone to vouch for you, you'll have the most luck with setting up informational interviews via referrals, so use this strategy as much as possible.

However, you probably won’t want to ask the same contact to refer you to a ton of people (unless that person is more of a friend than a contact), but you can build your network quickly by turning each meeting into another one. For instance, if you ask a question in the informational that someone in another department might have a better answer to, ask for an introduction when you send your thank you email. Or, if you really hit it off with the person, you can ask if he knows anyone else you should be meeting with. You’ll build a long list of contacts if you can keep up this pattern. But be cautious not to ask for the next meeting until you've built a solid rapport -- no one wants to feel used or mined for their Rolodex.

What if you don't know anyone with a connection to someone at your dream company? There's no harm in sending a cold email -- the worst thing that could happen is that you get ignored and never have the meeting, which is the exact same outcome as if you had not reached out at all. See if there's anyone you can email that you have an organic connection to, even if it's thin -- maybe you share an alma mater or are both members of a certain professional organization. If that’s a challenge, you can always email someone blindly and hope that they write back. As long as you're professional and courteous, there's nothing to be afraid of!

One final thing to remember -- put the other person's priorities ahead of your own. Shift your schedule so you’ll be able to meet them at their preferred location and time. The last thing you want to do in setting up an informational interview is to pose any inconvenience to the other person – after all, they’re doing you a favor.

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