Jóvenes Profesionales

Whether you are exploring your career options or have settled into a career path, connecting with experienced professionals can help jumpstart your career. We have been counseled to “prepare every needful thing.” This program is designed to assist young adults jumpstart a career that is goal-oriented, financially rewarding and engaging.

Are you worried about, or have you struggled with, the transition from your formal education to a meaningful career? Do you have a job, but don’t see yourself doing it for the rest of your life? Are you interested in exploring different careers? If so, then our program may be just what you are looking for.

This program is provided free to you through the volunteer efforts of members of your local chapter of the BYU Management Society.

The objective of the Young Professionals Career Engagement Program is to provide you with opportunities to connect with and learn from professionals in your career field of interest. These professionals will share their career experiences and knowledge with you to help you enter the workforce as a confident, committed and ethical professional.

Our program is available to single or married young adults, ages 16-35.

It is available to young adults seeking a blue-collar profession such as a plumber, electrician, chef, or hair stylist or a white-collar profession such as a teacher, lawyer, financial advisor or doctor.

Our program is divided into two options for you:

Your first option is the Introduction to a Professional. This option is open to all individuals that have an interest in exploring one or more career paths. We introduce you to leading professionals in your chosen field of interest so that you can learn from them about the challenges and rewards of that profession, the education necessary to enter that profession, and best practices to be successful in that profession. This option is especially helpful for individuals who are curious about various professions and want to do some preliminary exploring before committing to an education plan.

Your second and more interactive option is the Young Professionals Career Coaching Program. This option is available for those individuals who have completed or nearly completed their formal education and are now ready to begin their career. This option includes a coaching relationship utilizing the assistance of volunteer Career Coaches who are experienced professionals working in a variety of occupations. Your Career Coach will help you (1) settle on a career to pursue, (2) teach you job search skills, (3) review your resume and cover letter, (4) prepare you for job or informational interviews and (5) connect you with professionals in your career field of interest for the purpose of conducting informational interviews.

Please check us out by reading the outline of our program contained on this website. When you are ready to start the enrollment process, please look on the application to see if the program is available in your area. You’ll be directed to select a chapter to register, fill out the application and attach a copy of your resume.

If you have any questions, please contact us. We are available to help you jumpstart your career.

What is the purpose of an informational interview? The informational interview is truly the secret weapon for helping you explore your career interests, learn about what it takes to be successful in a career, and create a network of professionals that can help you to jumpstart a career.

An informational interview helps you to gain a better understanding of a career field, company or industry to determine if it is a good fit for you. For instance, a business student can use his or her education to pursue a career in a variety of industries. How is a student supposed to know if he or she would do well within an industry without being exposed to its virtues and challenges? The informational interview provides you with valuable information concerning the rewards and challenges of a profession, what education is needed to enter that field and best practices for succeeding in that field.

In order to truly be exposed to a variety of interesting career possibilities, you should conduct interviews with professionals in a variety of industries to determine which industry or occupation appeals to you the most. You should conduct a minimum of 8-12 informational interviews that are either industry specific or cover a variety of industries that you are considering for a profession. You will be amazed at how much these interviews will help you.

One of the purposes of your education is to help you to think and to learn to adapt to different environments. You should not be surprised if you decide on a career path that may be different from your formal academic major. For example, a music major became a paralegal. A finance major can decide to pursue a career in commercial construction.

An informational interview can be used to gain exposure to industry leaders in a non-threatening manner. It is a conversation, not a job interview so the stress level is generally lower. You should not inquire about a possible job opening during the interview as this tends to dampen the spirit of the meeting. If the professional is interested in offering you a position, don’t be surprised if he or she asks you to apply for that position. This is not an unlikely scenario if you are well prepared for the interview and present well.

The informational interview is a wonderful opportunity for you to practice your interviewing skills and to prepare for job interviews in a non-threatening environment. Remember that you are asking the professional for his or her help in preparing to jumpstart a career. Most professionals want to “give back” to their professions and help the next generation to succeed. Besides, the informational interview is also a great opportunity for business professionals to get exposure to top notch young adults ready to start their professional careers.

How do you make an informational interview most effective? You should be ready to ask the professional for advice on jumpstarting a career in that field. You should also seek to impress the professional with the level of research you have done to prepare for the interview.

Examples of great questions to ask in an informational interview include:

• Success: “Please tell me about your own career path and what has helped you to be successful in your career.”
• Rewards and Challenges: “What do you consider the most important rewards and challenges of being in this profession?”
• Trends: “What trends are most impacting your business now?”
• Insights: “What interests you most about your profession/your employer?”
• Advice: “What can I be doing right now to prepare myself for a successful career in this field?”
• Resources: “What resources should I explore next?”
• Research: “During the research that I did to prepare for this interview, I noticed that your group works closely with middle market business owners. Can you tell me more about the services that you offer to them?”

You should ask the professional for personal introductions to other professionals that may be able to also help you to prepare for a career in that industry.

You should ask the professional if he or she would be willing to continue to mentor you periodically. It is important to keep the professional in your mentoring network both before and after you have accepted a position.