What’s involved?
Want to learn more about taking action and making a difference? Interested in certain issues and want to know how to get involved? Find someone who's done it and ask them about it! Here are a few ideas on getting the story from the horse's mouth:
Finding Someone To Talk To
It's easier than it looks to find people to talk to about their experiences with social change.
- Ask your friends, family and anyone else you know. You'll be surprised at the stories they will come up with (my mother had fascinating stories about being in the midst of Bangladesh's Independence war!). If they don't have any personal tales, ask them to recommend people they know who could help you out. This is one of the best ways to get people interested in talking with you - people tend to trust their friends over strangers, and tend to be friendlier to people that have mutual acquaintances.
- Use your online social networks. If you have an account on Myspace, Facebook, Friendster, Livejournal, or any other online community, post a note or bulletin asking for leads. Browse groups of topics you're interested in, and find some interesting people to interview.
- Read the press. Besides the typical big names, there often also are human interest stories on people making a difference in some way. There are also plenty of magazines, books, and websites for any topic or interest. It shouldn't be too hard to track them down - a Google search would take you a long way.
- If you're in school, university, TAFE, or any other type of education center, you have plenty of resources at your disposal. Ask your tutors, lecturers, or teachers for advice - either directly about your interest, or for recommendations. Check out the library for resources. Keep an eye out for events and opportunities to meet other likeminded people. Even the non-teaching staff (such as the Student Support staff and the counselors) can be of some help.
- Speaking of opportunities - take part in events, festivals, and conferences related to your interests, or even to young people and social change. You are guaranteed to find someone interesting there to talk to.
- Don't discount people who aren't necessarily famous in their field, or even be working directly in your field of interest. Everybody has a story, and sometimes asking the most unlikely people can wield the biggest surprises.
Making Contact
So you have a few leads that sound promising. Great! Now how do you get in touch? It's not that scary, really.
Make a plan of what you would like to talk about beforehand. This does not need to be elaborate - some one-liners about potential conversational topics would be enough. This helps guide your conversation and helps you not forget about things you really want to know or ask. It's especially handy if you're feeling nervous - it's easier to refer to notes than to refer to memory sometimes!
However you decide to contact them - email, phone, letter, whatever - be friendly and polite. You don't have to be super polite ("May I request the pleasure of having a discourse with you...") but being too casual ("hey dudez, let's chat y/n?") probably wouldn't work too well, especially if you're contacting them for the first time. If you are contacting someone in official capacity, for instance someone working in Government or a corporation, follow appropriate protocol.
Introduce yourself, and also mention how you got to know of your contact (who recommended you, where you read the article, etc). This helps make a personal connection between you and your contact.
Ask if they could spare some time for an informational interview. This is a structured interview whose purpose is to gain more information about something - a job, a field, anything. If you're lucky, you'll get to conduct the interview immediately, but often (especially with very busy people) you will need to make an appointment. Make sure to honour this appointment - be on time!
If you happen to be near your chosen contact (such as someone in a party that you found interesting, or a speaker at a conference), ask them if they have some time to talk. Usually they should be able to spare at least a few minutes, or at least let you know when they are more available. Again, be polite, friendly, and respectful. Don't worry about coming off too "dorky" or being nervous - it's natural, and you won't be judged for it.
The Interview
The conversation/interview part can be quite casual or quite formal depending on who your contact is. If it's someone you haven't talked to before, and if it's a prearranged meeting, you may need to make things a little more business-like or formal; if it's a friend or family member then feel free to take things easily.
A good way to start a conversation with a stranger is through ice-breakers. They can be simple - asking about their day, what they like, their life in general. Get to know your contact and let your contact get to know you. It relaxes both of you and helps build personal connections, instead of just launching straight into the questions.
When asking questions, be clear and succinct - try not to ramble. You can give some background if you need to. After asking, listen to your contact's answers - respect them by not interrupting and by giving your full attention. They are giving you the great gifts of time and knowledge, after all. Do ask for clarification, and don't be afraid to talk about a certain point if it captures you, even if you have a plan. You don't have to follow the script (if you have one), and sometimes a tangent may prove to be really useful. Do remember your other points though. If there are things your contact does not want to talk about, or is telling you in confidence, respect that - you're not a gossip magazine.
Be aware of time. You may not have a lot of time to talk, and it's really easy to get caught up in a big conversation without remember other appointments or commitments. Even if you're in a casual environment, talking to someone you know quite well, your contact may have other things to do and may not have enough time for a full interview.
When the interview ends, thank them for their time and information. If you are interested in knowing more, try to arrange another meeting, or ask if you can keep in touch and how. Give them your contact details and get theirs, if they're willing.
When you return home, send them a thank-you note. Post is best, but email should be fine too. It really makes a strong impression, especially since thank-yous are so rare!
Notes
You may be considering doing informational interviews or chats because you're hoping to get connected to an opportunity or job. That's normal, and indeed some contacts may be able to lead you to what you want. However, try not to hound your contact for such an opportunity.
Your interview/chat is about them first and foremost. If they ask you why you want to talk to them, mention that you're interested in their field and what they do. You could say that you're looking for ways to get involved, and you could get a lot of interesting ideas, but try not to make it look like you want them to give you something. Let them make that decision.
If they do offer you something - an opportunity, a job, things, contacts, whatever - thank them, then take time to consider them. You don't always have to take up anything given to you; it may be unsuitable, or you may not be able to use it. If that's the case, politely refuse but thank them again for thinking of you. If you know of someone that could use the opportunity, pass it on to them and let your contact know - it's another great way to build networks!
After doing some informational interviews, think of helping out other friends who would benefit from the same information. You could refer them to your contacts, pass information on, or build a network - more chat opportunities!
After all, have fun. Don't get too stressed about it. Even one person could lead you to a wealth of possibility and wisdom - so take that chance and strike that conversation!
