What is really important to you? One of the biggest intellectual hang-ups in networking for any purpose (job, admission into a college, finding investors, etc.) is to put the relationship and the other person in front of your need for something.  Aren’t we using people? Would I be looking to build this relationship if I […]

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Those who have read my blog or have heard me speak know that I tend to rant against the “apply online and hope” approach to a job search. Along those lines, my wife forwarded me this article from Fast Company where the author describes how he created a robot to blast his resume and cover […]

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Dress guidelines for informational interviewers: Choosing what to wear to informational interviews can be perplexing. You need to walk a delicate line between looking professional and looking relaxed; being respectful and being independent; and most importantly between being a researcher and being a job seeker.  It’s always best to err on the side of looking […]

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I was giving a presentation at Purdue Krannert earlier this week and met a student who is studying entrepreneurship.  He approached me at the end of my presentation and claimed that the job search system I had just described was more than just for finding a job – it was a system to do “almost […]

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“Let’s stay in touch!” But does it happen? In informational interviews, you’re not supposed to ask for a job. A primary purpose of the informational interview is, in fact, to help you shed the role of job seeker so that you don’t have to follow the rules for job seekers. But if you’re not talking […]

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Companies don’t hire an international student because they want to be nice… Companies hire an international student for one reason only: They are intrigued by that candidate’s potential value as an employee. Unfortunately, companies aren’t much impressed by the marketing pitch delivered by America’s universities on why international students make great hires (global perspective,  language […]

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What to do if you don’t hear back… Let’s say that you’ve been reaching out to people for informational interviews and you don’t hear back as often as you’d like.  What should you do?  As any good salesperson will tell you, there’s a fine line between being persistent and being a pest. But reaching the limit […]

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Are you making any of these bad follow up mistakes? There are lots of good ways to follow up with your contacts to deepen your relationships with them, and spark further interest in you.  I thought it would be useful and amusing to review a list of bad follow up practices and messages that I’ve […]

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Following up: How? I’ve been meaning to create this blog article for years.  My apologies to any international student whose graduation has come and gone in the meantime, and may have been waiting for this.  I’ve often said in my presentations that following up after an informational interview is both the most important part of […]

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The visible and unhidden job markets don’t mix! International students get themselves into trouble when they adopt tactics for penetrating the hidden job market and try to use them to get an edge in the traditional recruitment process. The two systems of hiring are like oil and water. Let me explain. The traditional recruitment process (the visible job […]

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