You now have a list of job leads and several tips on how best to follow up on them.

Pick a lead to work on. It may be best to start with a lead that you feel is either a weak lead or one that is less desirable to you. This will allow you to practice before you move on to the more desirable and reliable leads.

Once you have done your background research and preparation, role play how you will contact a job lead. Find a friend or relative who is willing to work with you on several scenarios and practice what you might say and how you might say it. Practice several times over several days if you can.

Once you feel that you’ve practiced enough, contact your lead and have a conversation with them.

Submit the following to your portfolio:

1. The job lead you are following up on for the assignment
2. A description of how you will contact that job lead
3. A script of what you will say when contacting this job lead
4. After contacting the job lead and initiating a conversation, create a description of your experience

Once you complete the contact, think about the areas you’d like to improve. What went well? What didn’t?