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14 April 2011 I

itth

tID

Informational Interviews:
The Trojan Horse of Meetings

The no-harm, no-foul way of getting your foot in the door
could put you in the right-place/right-time vortex.

By Jackie Headapohl

of surprisingly, most people are un-
comfortable calling up strangers and
asking if they would give some of their
time to a complete unknown and answer
questions (except for journalists, of course);
however, if you're looking for a job in
today's competitive market, the willingness
to put yourself out there and do it could be
the key to a new job.
It's the sub rosa way into a decision mak-
er's office — the informational interview. It
is a classic networking strategy that allows
you to meet with people in an interested
field and gain a better understanding of
an occupation, company or industry. An
ancillary benefit is expanding your network
of contacts.
Informational interviews are most often
employed by people who are starting
out in a field and those looking to make a
career transition, but they're beneficial for
almost anyone, according to Huntington
Woods resident Dave Phillips, co-founder
of DetroitNet.org, a networking group for
IT professionals.
"It gets you out in front of people,"
Phillips said. "People are more likely to
remember your name and your face when
an opportunity arises."
Whether you are an IT pro, interested in
the different kinds of software used in a
particular industry or a salesperson looking
to understand the growth strategy of a par-
ticular company, meeting with an insider is
often limited only by inhibition.
Phillips recommends tapping contacts
on professional networking sites like Linke-
din to get an introduction to the person
you want to talk to. To that end, Linkedln
has created a "get introduced" option for
contacting people who you don't person-
ally know but may have a connection with
through a friend or a colleague. And, as
Phillips wryly concluded,"It never hurts to
ask!'
Informational interviews, while poten-
tially flattering to those asked, are never a
sure thing though.
"Time is money, and people are busy,"
said Matthew Karrandja, executive director
for the Career Ministries of Michigan as
well as a technical staffing account man-
ager for Troy based Trialon Corporation.

-

Karrandja suggests asking for short
meetings after working hours. He often
meets with people after hours who want to
learn more about Trialon, which currently
has opportunities for engineers, skilled
trades and unigraphics designers in the
auto industry.
"Meeting people face-to-face is how you
eventually find a job," Karrandja said. He
suggests people do their homework and
see if they can find a common bond with
the person they want to talk with, such as a
shared alma mater, before they reach out.
"People tend to like to talk about what they
know — and they like to help, so don't be
afraid to ask," he said.
Both Karrandja and Phillips say it's im-
portant to keep these meetings conversa-
tional."Use them for what they're intended
to do. Don't try to weasel your way into a
job interview," Phillips said. "Informational
interviews are a leap of faith for those who
grant them. You don't want to poison the
well."
Karrandja recommends that you use the
interview to find out what kind of talent
the company might be looking for."If an
opportunity comes up to ask for a referral
to a hiring manager, take advantage of it,"
he added. RT

HOME BREW

JOSHUA GOLD FROM PAGE 12

Bespoke Clothier, was born. From the
beginning, he says, his vision was one of
"upscale service and exceptional quality."
"I don't carry inventory; when I see a cli-
ent, I will take about 30 different measure-
ments," Breshgold explains. "From there,
I design the suits and have them made
at my factory in Maryland. Everything
that's not custom, like shoes, comes from
companies around the world — with val-
ues similar to my own — that I have built
relationships with on behalf of my clients."
Bruce Tucker, associate vice president
for academic affairs at the University of
Windsor, and a family friend, was an early
client.
"He pays so much attention to detail,
and he's got a nice sense of style about
what suits a particular person,"Tucker ex-
plains, liking the pun, too. "Most of what's
in a men's store doesn't fit me without
expensive alterations; using Joshua saves
me a lot of time wandering in and out of
stores, not finding what I need:'
Because Breshgold doesn't advertise,
he says the majority of clients discover his
service through word-of-mouth. Most of
them, he says, are busy professionals —
attorneys, wealth managers and business
owners — who don't have the time to
spend going from store to store.
And, while not discounting the expense

a custom clothier charges, Breshgold says
he doesn't have a minimum purchase
requirement nor does he charge a consul-
tation fee.
"If I did a head-to-toe ensemble (suit,
shirt, belt, tie, shoes), it would run ap-
proximately $1,500. But I've had clients
purchase one shirt at a time, too;' he says.
"Building a wardrobe takes time, and I will
work at the pace my clients set. The goal is
to help them get their wardrobe to where
it needs to be:'
Breshgold adds that he likes offer-
ing the intimacy that most stores can't
provide. However, he also knows he's
a businessman, and summed up this
interview succinctly:"To learn more about
Joshua Gold's made-to-measure mens-
wear, readers can visit his website at www.
joshua-gold.coreny

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