Whether you need more information about jobs for which you are applying, more information about what other jobs/careers might be better for you, or you want to explore different University departments and "cultures" that better fit your workstyle and values, connecting with other employees is what you need to do. Commonly known as "networking," talking with other employees will give you the most up-to-date, personal, and in-depth information about jobs, careers, and departments.
Networking provides you with some facts about day-to-day job responsibilities, educational and experiential requirements, and essential qualifications for different careers. It can also provide you with "insider information" about the inner workings of a department. This kind of information is gleaned from personal perspectives of employees who work in jobs/careers you are considering or departments where you'd like to work. Insider information allows you to discover the multiple perspectives that exist regarding realistic salary expectations, management priorities, supervisory styles, relationship cultures that exist between employees and the leadership, support for career growth, etc. Knowing these perspectives allows you both to prepare a better application and be primed for an interview. And, most of all, it hopefully allows you to gain information that will allow you to predict before you take a job if it is a likely match for you.
Finding out more about departments
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