INSPIRE: #Inspire a Husky Informational Interview Service

What is the Inspire a Husky service?

Inspire a Husky provides career coaching and support for building your professional network.  Since networking is the number one method for finding a job, this skill is critical to your success! The Career Design team will coach you through the steps of identifying potential connections including Husky alumni and other employers, setting up and conducting informational interviews and following up with contacts.

100% of students who have completed Inspire Information Interviews and following up with contracts.

What are Informational Interviews?

Informational Interviews allow you to connect one-on-one with Husky alumni and employers to learn more about careers, industries, internships, or majors o interest.  You can ask a variety of questions (except you don’t ask for a job) that will help you gain clarity and provide needed advice, all the while developing your network.

Who can participate?  Do I need to be from a certain college/major/concentration?

This service is open to everyone! You can be from any college, concentration, or major! You only need to be a Northeastern University student who wants advice from a Husky alumnus or employer.

How does it work?

Career Design coaches you through the entire process starting with helping you identify what you want to explore.  We’ll then show you how to connect with alumni and other professionals through LinkedIn, NUSource and other resources.  We’ll even help you create your introduction and possible questions to ask! We support you throughout the process, and if you get stuck, you can receive help to keep moving forward.

After your informational interview, we’ll met with you to reflect on the experience in an individualized meeting.  Inspire a Husky helps you develop the confidence to continue the process during and beyond your experience at Northeastern.

When do the informational interviews occur?  What should I expect? 

Inspire Informational Interviews range from 20-30 minutes, either in person or virtually through Zoom or Teams, usually with an alumnus or employer.  Inspire Informational Interviews take place anytime, typically during business hours.  In-person meetings should take place in a public setting like workplaces or coffee shops.

Will people really take time to talk with me? 

Yes! Many professionals remember what it was like when they were starting or changing directions in their careers and want to help if they can.

How do I get started? 

Come to the Inspire a Husky virtual workshop where you will clarify your goals, learn how to find alumni/employers to conduct information interviews with, create your initial introduction, identify questions to ask, and learn about next steps. Inspire workshops are offered monthly and are posted on NUworks each semester. After the workshop, you’ll have the opportunity to meet with a Career Coach in Career Design for support and to reflect after your information interview as well to talk about how this impacted your goals and create an action plan.

How do I sign up?

To participate in Inspire, you must register in NUworks. The zoom link and details of the workshop are available to you when you register. You can find all of our upcoming Inspire workshops on our events page. 

Here’s what students have said about Inspire and their informational interviews:

“My meeting (with a Husky alum) was a wonderful experience and was so helpful. I’m excited to declare my major.”

“I hope that I’ll be able to pay this forward someday and help someone else like you (my information interviewee) so generously helped me.”

“My information interview was very interesting, and I learned a lot about the roles I will explore”

“I have a good template of questions that I can ask people. I have a better feel to how I should be facilitating the conversation. I know how to word questions so that they do not come off as offending or inappropriate, and I am already caught up in the flow of information interviews!”

“As a result of my INSPIRE Information Interview meetings I have increased my confidence in making connections on my own. “

“I have learned that this is a very real way to move forward towards my goals.”

“By participating in INSPIRE, I have increased my knowledge and skill in networking to expand my professional relationships and community of connections.”

Alumni and Employers:

If you are an alumnus or an employer open to having a student information interview you to learn from your own career journey, contact:

Kate Famulari: [email protected]

Ellen Zold Goldman: [email protected]