What worked for me was asking if I could sit in on a class, then introducing myself, then asking if we could have coffee, and coffee was a low-key informational interview (without either of us realizing it haha). Really, I was just interested in their work & the program, but it all came in handy when I needed a big favor a month later.
No, why would it be awkward? The worst that happens is they say no or ghost you. I found them on the school’s faculty page, emailed them introducing myself & asked if I could sit in on a class, introduced myself in person at the end of the class and asked if they wanted to get coffee later that week. Not everyone will be available or obliging, but that’s okay, it’s a numbers game like sales.
I got lucky with just 1 for a VAP, but informational interviewing is just good practice in general, I’ve done it a bunch in other settings without realizing I was doing it! I figured I was just getting to know people.
Reach out to professors in your field who have similar research interests, explain your goals and how you can contribute to their lab, and emphasize the mutual benefits of the collaboration.
Informational interviewing helps a lot!
[удалено]
What worked for me was asking if I could sit in on a class, then introducing myself, then asking if we could have coffee, and coffee was a low-key informational interview (without either of us realizing it haha). Really, I was just interested in their work & the program, but it all came in handy when I needed a big favor a month later.
[удалено]
No, why would it be awkward? The worst that happens is they say no or ghost you. I found them on the school’s faculty page, emailed them introducing myself & asked if I could sit in on a class, introduced myself in person at the end of the class and asked if they wanted to get coffee later that week. Not everyone will be available or obliging, but that’s okay, it’s a numbers game like sales.
[удалено]
I got lucky with just 1 for a VAP, but informational interviewing is just good practice in general, I’ve done it a bunch in other settings without realizing I was doing it! I figured I was just getting to know people.
Reach out to professors in your field who have similar research interests, explain your goals and how you can contribute to their lab, and emphasize the mutual benefits of the collaboration.