Viking Score: Identify & Contact Professionals for Informational Interviews

Connect with Augustana Alumni by conducting Informational Interviews | 6 pts

Conduct one or more Informational Interviews with alumni or professionals in your field of interest. Often, the most current and best information about a specific field of interest, organization, or geographic location comes from the people who are working in that field.

Viking Connections: Viking Connections is Augustana College’s Career Alumni Connector Network to bring together accomplished alumni, current students and fellow alumni.  Alumni Connectors are available to share advice on careers, industries, employment trends, and organizations within their areas of expertise. These mentoring relationships support and guide students and young alumni as they navigate their careers or consider graduate school.
Access Viking Connections

LinkedIn Alumni Tool
The Alumni section of the Augustana College LinkedIn Page provides high-level insights about Augie alumni. It also allows access to the more detailed professional profiles alumni have shared.

  • Visit the Augustana College Alumni LinkedIn Page
    • Click the Alumni tab
    • Common searches include:
      • Range of graduation years
      • Where they live
      • Where they work
      • What they do
      • What they studied
      • What are their skills
      • Learn more about connecting with professionals using LinkedIn

Pursue your own contacts
People you already know, even if they aren’t in the specific field of interest, can lead you to people who are. Think about your family, friends, teachers, professors, and former employers.

Initiate contact

  • Learn about each the person you would like to interview by viewing their LinkedIn profile
  • Reach out to the professional through email or LinkedIn. Remember, the purpose of this connection is to get acquainted, not to ask for a job.
  • Create an introduction message.  An engaging message is your first – and perhaps only – first impression!

For consistency and simplicity reasons, consider customizing the message below with one or two things you are interested in learning more about this alumnus. This could be their career field, their job title, their location, and their major, or really anything they listed on their profile.

Subject: Hello! A quick question from Augustana Student

Dear <first name>,

I am currently a <year in college> pursuing a degree in <your degree/major>. I saw you are a Connector in Viking Connections. I would like to connect with you because I am interested in learning more about ______________.

I would love to hear more about what you do and any insights or advice you might have on _________________.

Any help would be extremely appreciated!

Thanks,

Name, email, mobile phone