Expand Your Network / Mentor

Dear Dr. Vazquez,

My name is Elijah Sandhurst and I’m a junior studying Kinesiology at the University of Central Florida. I was searching for alumni via LinkedIn and came across your profile. I see that you currently work with Orlando Health Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Center as a Physical Therapist and I would love to hear about your experiences. My goal after graduation is to apply to a Physical Therapy doctoral program with the hopes of working in Sports Medicine.

Would you be available for a 30-minute informational interview? I would appreciate hearing about your experiences in your doctoral program and with Orlando Health. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Elijah Sandhurst

• How did you get started in this field?
• What does a typical work day look like?
• What skills do you feel are necessary to succeed in this career?
• What are the greatest rewards of your work? What are some of the biggest frustrations?
• What do you wish you had known about this field when you were starting out?
• If you were at the same point I am in my career, what would you recommend I do now as a part of my exploration?
• What are opportunities for advancement in this field? What does that path look like?

• Google yourself – what will you find?
• Review current and past postings and tags on social media accounts
• Consider your tone, personal brand, and overall image when communicating online
• Use appropriate and professional usernames and email addresses
• Share articles, events, resources, etc. with your network to stay present in their feed
• Keep your profile up to date with new accomplishments, opportunities, and positions
• Check your privacy settings and know your audience

• Post negative or inappropriate things that could potentially be seen by employers/recruiters
• Fail to follow up with contacts
• Share too much information
• Forget to proofread before hitting submit
• Update daily activity too often
• Inundate potential contacts with questions, requests for meetings, etc.
• Be inconsistent (multiple profiles should have same histories)

• Research information about specific companies attending the event.
• Focus your job search; identify what you want in a job and company.
• Update and target your resume. Dress for success! Professional attire is always encouraged at Career Events!
• Anticipate and practice possible questions.
• Prepare a one-minute script about yourself, like this example:
  “Hello, my name is Jane. I am a senior majoring in Advertising/Public Relations. Last summer I completed an internship in the advertising division of Frito Lay. I am interested in broadening my experience and I read that your company is embarking on a new advertising campaign for the next quarter.”

• Arrive early
• Bring plenty of updated resumes
• Register at Career Services table for an event map and a name-tag
• Collect a business card from potential employers

• Send thank you letters within 24 hours of the event
• Sample Thank you letter