February 1, 2007

Samantha Johnson, Recruiting Manager
Smith Consulting
666 Avenue of the Americas, 13th Floor
New York, NY

Dear Ms. Johnson,

I am a first-year MBA student at State Business School. I was very impressed with and intrigued by Smith Consulting's approach to management consulting after attending the presentation that your firm made at my school earlier this spring. I also learned more about your firm by talking with Tom Williams and several other summer interns. My discussions with them about their internship experiences confirmed my interest in Smith Consulting, and I am now writing to request an invitation to interview with you for a summer associate consulting position.

After graduating from Northern College with a degree in accounting, I worked as an associate in the Finance department of Ford, the well-known automotive manufacturer. In this position, I gained solid analytical and problem solving skills. I fine-tuned my communication and consensus building skills, as I often needed to present and market my work to middle and upper-level management. I also was responsible for identifying and resolving financial reporting issues, as well as generating innovative methods to improve our processes. Finally, during my last year of employment, I took on a team leadership role, managing the daily work of five junior team members and taking an active role in our training for new hires.

I am excited by the strong potential fit I see with Smith Consulting. I feel that the analytical, leadership and teamwork abilities gained through my corporate and academic experience have provided me with the tools and skills necessary to perform effectively in a consulting career, and will allow me to make a significant contribution at your firm. I am particularly intrigued by the shareholder value focus of Smith Consulting's methodology, since it fits well with my experience in finance.

I have enclosed my resume for your review. I welcome the opportunity to meet with you when you recruit at SBS for summer internships later this month, and I would truly value the opportunity to be included on your invitational list.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,
Lauren MacArthur
314 Broadway, Apt. 15
New York, NY 10007
lmacarthur@business.state.edu

If you're planning to attend a career fair, we suggest reading the article, Making the Most out of Your Career Fair Experience.

As with any situation where you find yourself with a potential employer, job-seekers and internship-seekers must be prepared to ask insightful questions of recruiters at job and career fairs.

There are four categories of questions you can ask recruiters at career and job fairs.

Each category of questions has a specific strategy. Which questions should you ask? It depends on the recruiter, on your interest and knowledge of the company, and how much time you have with the recruiter.

Strategic Comeback Questions

These questions are designed to give job-seekers the chance to respond to the recruiter's answer with a positive spin on how you perfectly fit (and ideally exceed) what the company is looking for in an intern or an employee.

• What kinds of skills and experience do you look for in the employees you hire?
• What are the characteristics of your most successful employees?
• Are graduate degrees important to advancing within your organization? Which ones?
• Which courses or experiences do you suggest to be a successful candidate?

Strategic Planning Questions

These questions are designed to give the job-seeker more information and knowledge about the hiring process for each particular employer.

• What kind of entry-level positions (or internships) exist within your organization?
• Does your company hire on a continual basis or just at certain times of the year?
• How long does the hiring process take? What does it consist of?
• What percent of applicants are eventually hired? What is the retention rate?

Key Company Information

These questions are designed to provide you with critical inside information you need to know when making a decision about the attractiveness of each potential employer. Remember, a job fair is a two-way street and you should be evaluating these companies as much as they are evaluating you.

• Are there specific career tracks within the organization? In other words, what can a typical employee (for the position I am seeking) hired in your division expect to be doing 2, 5, or 10 years after hiring?
• What is your organization's culture like?
• For how many years does the typical employee stay with the company?
• Are there opportunities for ongoing training through your organization?
• Do you expect your employees to relocate? How much travel is involved?

Recruiter Information

Some experts advise not asking the recruiter personal questions relating to his or her job, but especially if the recruiter is an alum of your university -- or you have some other personal connection -- these questions are fine. Even if there is no connection, these questions can be asked -- and their answers can provide you with some critical insights.

• What made you choose this company and why do you stay?
• How long have you been with the company?
• What's the one thing that most surprised you about this company?

For more information, visit http://www.quintcareers.com/career_fair_questions.html.

Mr. John Smith
Global Communications, Inc.
3407 W. MLK Jr. Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33607

Dear Mr. John Smith,

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me at the NAWMBA Fair this past weekend. I certainly appreciate your time and attention in the midst of so many students seeking career opportunities.

You were extremely thorough in explaining Global Communications' customer service and marketing trainee program. Now that I have a better idea of what the position entails, I am interested in contributing my skills and efforts as a member of your team to Global Communications.

My solid graduate education to date at Graduate University, as well as my previous work experience at Max Corporation demonstrate a strong work ethic and determination, two qualities that you said were important to success at Global Communications.

I look forward to an opportunity to visit your company's Tampa office and speak to you further about the trainee program. I will contact you next week to arrange an appointment.

Thank you again for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Leddyfern
MBA Class of 2010
Graduate School of Business
Graduate University

HOW CAN AN INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW HELP ME?

• They give you an opportunity to gather first-hand information (research) about career fields you are considering
• They provide an opportunity to expand you network of professional contacts
• You will get frank advice about a profession or industry and subtle signals about work environmentsthat you will never read in a book
• Get valuable advice about entering and advancing in a field, as well as ideas for locating contacts or job leads within the profession

INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW STEPS

1. Locate someone to interview within your organization. Get correct spelling and pronunciation of contact’s name and be sure of contact’s job title and salutation (Dr., Mr., Mrs., etc). **If you are currently interning, you may want to ask your supervisor for permission to conduct an informational interview. Once settled in as an intern, ask your supervisor for potential interviewees for your informational interviews. After you
   have started forging your own personal relationships within the organization, you will also acquire a sense of the individuals you would like to interview.
2. Contact: Call for appointment or write a letter to request an appointment. Be sure to state the reason you are contacting them, how much time you are asking of them (20-30 minutes), why you would like to speak with them in particular (your interest in his or her career field), and how you may have come about their name. You can also request a telephone interview (if the person does not live nearby) or an observational visit that lasts a few hours or a full day.
3. Scheduling: Be prepared to adjust your schedule. Suggest lunch, coffee break, etc. (When is it convenient for your contact to meet with you?)
4. Confirm: Be sure you have agreed on the date and place of your meeting. A brief note of
   confirmation can serve as a helpful reminder to you both.
5. Research: Research and read about the career field before the informational interview.
   Informational Interviews should not be a starting point for your career research – they should supplement what you have already learned. Also research your contact’s place of
   work/company/organization.
6. Preparation: Prepare a list of relevant questions (see following page). Prepare your resume and take a copy with you in case you are asked for it - but be aware that it may be inappropriate to offer it during your meeting. NOTE: Let the interviewee determine the formality of the conversation.
7. Appearance & Arrival: Plan what you will wear, and how long it will take you to get there. Arrive 10-15 minutes early. This may give you a little extra interview time.
8. Thank You: Ask for a business card before you leave and send a short note thanking the person for his/her time. Remember, these contacts can continue to serve as resources throughout your career.

For more information, visit http://www.yale.edu/visvi/students/intern/success.html.

Sometimes, even with the best of planning, problems and issues can arise during an internship: conflicts with coworkers or supervisors, not enough on which to work, lack of supervision, or incessant administrative tasks after the promise of a substantial project.

If you are faced with such challenges, we suggest the following action plan:

• Discuss your situation with an individual who does not work for the organization - Career Services counselor, a friend, family member - to obtain a new and objective viewpoint. Try to pinpoint where the problem lies.
• Brainstorm ways to improve the situation, including ways you can be flexible.
• Meet with your supervisor (or other individuals with whom a problem exists) and explain the situation from your point of view. Avoid accusations and ask the individual for his or her perception of the situation.
• If possible, try to achieve a consensus and resolve the issues. Do not share your concern with others in the organization who were not involved in this meeting.
• Make sure to include all of this in your internship journal. It can help you and your company down the line.

If you fail to resolve your issues, contact a representative from your Career Services office to help guide you through the next step.

For more information, visit http://www.yale.edu/visvi/students/intern/success.html.

After leaving the organization, send a handwritten (if possible) thank you letter to your direct supervisor and any other supervisors or employees who served as mentors to you over the summer.

Your letter should convey your appreciation for the experience, a sense of what you learned, gratitude for any references written on your behalf, and your school contact information.

Here is a sample follow-up Thank You letter written from a student to her supervisor after her summer internship:

Sample Post-Internship Thank You Letter

For more information, please visit http://www.yale.edu/visvi/students/intern/success.html.

Your journal entries do not have to be lengthy, but should capture your general thoughts and reactions to your work.

Ideally, you should maintain your journal on a daily or weekly basis to ensure that you capture details as well as your feelings and reactions to the day-to-day events and your responsibilities while interning.

BENEFITS OF KEEPING A JOURNAL
Your journal entries will prove quite useful when updating your resume in the fall.

• It will provide a "record" of your professional growth and development over the course of your internship.
• Writing about your internship will afford you the opportunity to regularly reflect on your experience.
• The journal will be helpful when meeting with a UCS counselor to discuss your experiences.
• It will be helpful as you take on other opportunities and are able to draw parallels between experiences.
• The exercise of journaling will be beneficial during interviews and when you are asked to articulate your experiences.

JOURNAL WRITING TIPS

• Be consistent with your entries. Set aside a regular time each day (or week), even if only for five minutes, to devote to journal writing.
• Find your own journal writing style. Consider keeping your journal on your personal computer or laptop, spiral notebook, traditional journal, etc.
• Keep your journal at home. We recommend you do not keep your journal at your workplace. Since you will be recording your own private thoughts and observations, you do not want co-workers accessing your material, intentionally or accidentally.
• Your journal is a great place to record the names and pertinent information of contacts you make during your internship. Note the contacts you feel may be helpful to you and how they may help in the future.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER IN YOUR JOURNAL

Before you begin your internship:

• What do you expect from this experience? What goals have you set for yourself? What obstacles exist that may prevent you from achieving your goals?
• Speak with a counselor in your Career Services office to help define your skills, interests and values in order to assess whether your internship experience meets your definitions of these integral factors.

During the internship:

• What do I enjoy most about the work I am doing? What do I enjoy least? What am I best at? When I leave work feeling I had a good day, what have I accomplished? When I feel I have had a lousy day, why?
• Analyze the organizational culture. What are the formal and informal power and social structures? Look at communication and friendship patterns, politics, demographics, value systems, and unwritten codes of dress and conduct. Compare these patterns with official power structures and organizational policies and values. What do I enjoy most about this organization's culture? Least?
• What are the intellectual, psychological, and physical requirements of this type of work?
• What are the costs and rewards? Does this work mesh with my interests, values and skills?
• How have my expectations of this work compared with my daily experience?

As your internship ends:

• How has my academic background proved helpful to my work as an intern? Specify which classes, subjects, projects, etc. (if any) have been most beneficial and why.
• How will your internship experience modify your learning process in future courses?
• How has this experience impacted my personal and professional goals?
• Would you want to do this internship again? Why or why not?

For more information, please visit http://www.yale.edu/visvi/students/intern/success.html.