Information interviews and agency tours

In a couple of weeks, I am heading to San Jose, California to present research I have been developing with a professor. We have spent over six months on this project and I am so excited for my opportunity to present it at a conference.

In preparation to go to California, I am trying to set up some agency tours for PR firms in the area. I want to get my foot in the door and just talk to some people outside of Ohio. Let me tell you, this is not an easy task. My first step was to contact the PRSA chapter in Silicon Valley. PRSA members love helping out PRSSA members, but they are not the easiest to get ahold of. My next step was to contact the firms themselves to try and get a meeting with them. Again, they are not easy to contact either. So what do I do? I want to spend my time in California wisely.

My mentor gave me some great advice on the art of follow-up.

1. Don't over do it - You've made contact once. Be patient and give them a chance to respond. This could be a big time of year!

2. If you don't get a response within a week, get on the top of their inbox again - Sending another email will remind them of your initial contact. Just get on the top of their inbox with a simple reminder and patiently wait another reply.

3. If you never hear from them just do your research - Best thing you can do is just get do some research on who works there, what they do, who they work with. Even if you don't get to meet someone in their agency, it gives you a better understanding of the organization.

My mentor gave me some great advice. It is very tough to set up agency tours on your own. Always ask for help from mentors or professors. They are awesome and they are always willing to help out.