BWEL Tips for Introductions, Connections, and Interviews, and Following Up

The following information we feel is useful to students and new attorneys in a variety of communication scenarios including for cold calls, following up after networking events, informational interviews, and job interviews.

General Tips:
• Be assertive and pro-active!! Professional, prompt, and repeated follow-up is the best approach!

• When you register to attend a networking event/conference/seminar and add the appointment to your calendar, add an appointment the following day for one hour where you will email, call or write a handwritten note to follow-up on contacts.

• Don't overly worry about being a nuisance. Many business people, especially attorneys, are always busy and they understand that following up is a part of the business. Usually, their failure to respond is due more to lack of time than lack of interest in you.

• When initially contacting people (whether by phone or email), make sure and identify yourself and reference where you met or what organization you are a member of so they know who you are. Your first sentence should state your name, identify who you are, and clearly, but briefly, state what you want (i.e., I'd like to set a time to speak with you, I'd like to discuss [blank] with you, I'd like to schedule a brief meeting to discuss what you do, etc.)

Informational Interviews:
• Your first interaction with potential contacts should always be to introduce yourself and ask if they have time to speak with you. From that point, your goal is to establish a relationship and ask for information, not a job. You can reach out to your contacts via email or telephone.

• E-mail: E-mail is a great way to reach out to potential contacts; it is NOT a great way to conduct a networking and informational interview. You will get more information through an in-person or phone conversation. However, given busy schedules, you may not have a choice. When using e-mail follow these simple guidelines:

• Pay attention to proper etiquette, grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your e-mail — it is a formal business correspondence.

• Address your contacts by appropriate titles such as "Ms.", "Mr.", and "Dr."

• Do not use informal instant messaging language or slang in your email.

• Close your email with a professional closing such as "Sincerely," "Regards," or "Best," followed by your name.

• Do not send mass emails. Send a unique and separate email to each of your contacts. You'll be more likely to get responses.

• Telephone: Calling is also an appropriate way to schedule networking and informational interviews. Do not call expecting a contact to have time to speak to you right then (although be prepared just in case), but ask if they would be willing to set up a meeting to talk about their career.

• Ask for a set period of time to talk such as a 20 minute coffee meeting, 15 minute telephone call, or 20 minute meeting at their office.

• At the meeting dress and conduct yourself professionally, be prepared with a set of relevant questions, and be courteous of the contact's time and schedule. You should also inquire with the contact if it would be ok to keep in touch with them and/or keep them abreast of your progress.

• Following an informational interview, promptly (within 2 business days) send a thank you note and reiterate your appreciation for them taking the time to meet with you.

Job Interviews:
• Always dress and conduct yourself professionally for a job interview.

• Always be on time!

• Be prepared and bring a copy of your resume to the interview.

• Following an interview, promptly (within 2 business days) write the interviewer a letter expressing appreciation and thanks for the interview. The purpose of this letter is to:
• Show appreciation for the employer's interest in you.

• Reiterate your interest in the position and in the organization.

• Review or remind the employer about your qualifications for the position. If you thought of something you forgot to mention in the interview, mention it in your follow-up / thank-you letter.

• Demonstrate that you have good manners and know to write a thank-you letter.

• Follow up with any information the employer may have asked you to provide after the interview.

• If more than a week has passed beyond the date when you were told you would hear something from the employer (and barring some major event in the news like a merger or acquisition or other event that would be taking employees' attention), call or e-mail to politely inquire about the status of the organization's decision-making process. Someone (or something) or an unexpected circumstance may be holding up the process. A polite inquiry shows that you are still interested in the organization and may prompt the employer to get on schedule with a response. In your inquiry, mention the following: name of the person who interviewed you, time and place of the interview, position for which you are applying (if known), and ask the status of your application.