I’m supposed to graduate in the next year or so and I’ve also been poking around on various job sites trying to find out what I may be interested in, what types of jobs are in demand, what might provide a career instead of a dead-end, ect. I’ve seen a few listings that I'm interested in but clearly not qualified for. I had thought about contacting the company and explaining that I am not applying for the position but I am a future graduate in that field and found an interest the job that was listed. If it would not be an inconvenience to them I would like some additional information on that career path with their company. Ideally, I would like someone to give me a bit more about what that job would entail, what kind of career it could lead to, and if I was interested in obtaining such a job in the future what skills and qualifications would they like to see.

I haven't written to these people because I don’t want to come across as some noob wasting their time. However, I’ve found some of this information hard to come across and don’t really know who to ask. I feel like an idiot. Many of you have careers, advice?

[Edited on June 26, 2008 at 2:58 PM. Reason : damn spellcheck, thanks]

6/26/2008 2:54:23 PM

first

inconvenience not unconvinced

6/26/2008 2:56:01 PM

i bet most HR folks, if you were nice, would be happy to comply

or you could email the person in the position

6/26/2008 2:57:51 PM

Just dont type like you do on here...Maybe get a friend to proofread for you.

[Edited on June 26, 2008 at 3:01 PM. Reason : ]

6/26/2008 3:00:50 PM

you should at the very least email them - make up a fake email if you don't want them to know your real name...

you should have someone proofread your emails because you suck at spelling and grammar

6/26/2008 3:01:40 PM

Lets see, i see capitalization... periods.. commas.. oo even a dash.

I'm pretty sure thats better than 93% of posts on TWW...

6/26/2008 3:18:24 PM

Quote :

"you should have someone proofread your emails because you suck at spelling and grammar"

Agreed.

6/26/2008 3:19:43 PM

Quote :

"Lets see, i see capitalization... periods.. commas.. oo even a dash. I'm pretty sure thats better than 93% of posts on TWW..."

you must have somehow never encountered any of her other posts.

But yea it can't hurt. The worst that happens is that you don't hear anything back from a company you weren't applying to anyways.

6/26/2008 3:29:08 PM

oh i see. nope, i dont think i've read or noticed any. i was wondering why everyone was jumping on this one particular thread when pretty much all of them are as bad or wose.

6/26/2008 3:32:57 PM

well she is trying to get a job [/off topic]

6/26/2008 3:49:04 PM

Quote :

"you should have someone proofread your emails because you suck at spelling and grammar"

6/26/2008 4:00:02 PM

^agreed

6/26/2008 4:00:52 PM

Most employers, from my experience, are happy to take time to answer questions from future college graduates. They appreciate proactivity, just as long as you go about it in the right manner. Emails are more effective than phone calls for something, because they can respond on their own time. Include your email address and phone number in the email - that gives them the option to respond in a way they feel is most appropriate. Just make sure to do some research on the company before you email so you don't waste the person's time, and you'll seem more professional anyway

6/26/2008 4:18:54 PM

Quote :

"well she is trying to get a job"

haha bingo Im not trying to get one immediatly but if i like what i hear about the position and think it has potential then it is something i would like to pursue when i graduate. Plus I am trying to get an internship in fall, and perhaps asking about these jobs could point me in the direction of a potential internship

And yes.... EVERYTHING that goes to an employeer will be looked over by 2 of my grammer nazi friends. I just didn't know if asking was a little too silly

6/26/2008 4:22:26 PM

dont forget a spelling nazi or too

6/26/2008 4:24:07 PM

http://www.ncsu.edu/career/

6/26/2008 4:24:53 PM

As someone already said, I think most places would be happy to work with you on that. Hell, they might even give you a tour or something and then they could put a face to the name which would be beneficial for future reference

6/26/2008 5:22:33 PM

Quote :

"you should have someone proofread your emails because you suck at spelling and grammar"

I was unaware that grammar was a gerund. Maybe you meant to say grammaring, no wait, that's still wrong.

6/26/2008 5:39:16 PM

Quote :

"YOUR"

.

[Edited on June 26, 2008 at 5:53 PM. Reason : x]

6/26/2008 5:53:21 PM

^^ You suck at golf.





wait, is golf a gerund?

6/26/2008 6:09:13 PM

I contacted the local professional society for the field I was interested in and asked them if they could link me with a mentor. This is a great way to get more information about different jobs, and then that individual can use their professional network to help answer your questions. Depending on the company, things that come through HR may or may not ever make it to the person you'd be interested in talking to. Ultimately, you are looking for the entry or mid level people to give you advice on their experiences, not the people high enough to be involved in hiring decisions because they may or may not give you a straight answer.

6/26/2008 6:20:22 PM

^^ golf is something you do, not something you use.

not that that has anything to do with gerunds, but I would've said you suck at using grammar

[Edited on June 26, 2008 at 6:24 PM. Reason : see what had happen wuzz]

6/26/2008 6:22:43 PM

It never hurts to ask and it might open a door for you in the future. Some places will let you set up an information interview and let you find out about hiring practices, what they are looking for in a new hire, etc. You might be able to go through career services and find out which companies in your field typically hire grads from state (or another school). Some companies do on campus interviews where you could pick up some info too. Career services is sometimes helpful. Also hit up the career fairs.

6/26/2008 6:57:22 PM

I think if you make it look like you are genuinely interested in learning about the company, then they will be glad to talk with you. Maybe it would be best to seek out a manager/executive there instead of an HR drone.

Start the conversation such as 'I am interested in working in XYZ-field and I'm contacting you because I know that your company YYY is a leader in the industry ...'

6/26/2008 7:03:58 PM