Nicole introduces Rachel to a contact that could make or break her job search. Write in and let us know how you think Rachel can make the most of this new connection.

Nicole Williams' Feedback

It was an interesting process inviting Rachel in to meet my contact for an informational interview. Jennifer is the best of the best and I knew that she'd have a lot of insight to offer Rachel, but the truth is I never would have set it up unless I believed that Rachel could hold her own. My role in this was to facilitate the introduction, but it was up to Rachel to shine ... which she did. Rachel arrived early, dressed to kill and was armed with not only the requisite research, but smart questions. She engaged Jenn and encouraged her to share her perspective on the most important aspect of the job, but also asked some relevant personal (but not too personal) questions. I'm asked this a lot - how personal is too personal? It really does depend upon the person you're talking with. You start with some general safe "Are you from NY?" kind of questions and let them lead - how much detail do they offer and do they engage back? Building a personal rapport and level of comfort is critical in landing an opportunity. Of course the bottom line is: Can you do the job? But when you have a number of equally qualified candidates and consider the number of hours a day you're at the office, most employers hire the one who they envision will be the most pleasurable to spend their 70 hours a week with. Rachel was really good at building rapport with Jenn.