Informational Interviews
Informational interviews are a meeting with someone working in your field to learn about their career or company, and to receive advice. These conversations are not a job interview but are instead focused on gaining information from an insider's point of view about a career path or job that interests you.
- Explore a career field you are considering by getting information straight from the source.
- Gain valuable information for job hunting and career planning.
- Learn about an organization's culture and needs, and your potential fit and value.
- Gain experience and self-confidence in interacting with professionals.
- Broaden your network of professional contacts.
- Research individuals who work in fields or positions that interest you. You may get their name through a mutual contact, on a company website, or through LinkedIn.
- Call or email the individual to express your interest in a meeting to learn more about their profession.
- Mention any mutual acquaintances if possible.
- Indicate clearly that you are hoping to learn more about their career field to help you explore this as a future career path.
- Try to schedule a 20-30 minute meeting, to be conducted by phone or in person at their convenience.
- Though you ideally want to schedule the meeting for a later date, be prepared to conduct the interview on the spot over the phone if the contact would rather chat immediately.
- (Background) How did you get started in this field? What educational background or experience might be helpful in entering this industry/career?
- (Work Environment) What is it like to work in this field? What are the daily duties of your job?
- (Rewards) What do you find rewarding about this line of work?
- (Challenges) What are the toughest challenges you face? What challenges does the organization or industry have?
- (Salary) What salary level would a new person start at?
- (Industry) What trends do you see for this industry in the next 3 to 5 years?
- (Advice) What experience, paid or volunteer, would you recommend to make me a competitive candidate for this career? What suggestions do you have to help make my resume stand out? What advice would you have for someone getting started today?
- (Demand) What types of employers hire people in this line of work? Where are they located? What other career areas do you feel are related to your work?
- (Hiring) What are the most important factors used to hire people in this work (education, past experience, personality, special skills)?
- (Job Market) How do people find out about job openings in this field?
- (Referral to Others) Based on our conversation today, who else would you recommend I talk to? May I have permission to use your name when I contact them?
- Do you have any other advice for me?
- Send a thank-you note or email to your contact for their time and information.
- In your note, explain how this interview helped you.
- Record the information obtained including names, comments and new referrals for future reference.
- Reflect on your experience. What do you need to do next?
- Dress as if it were an actual job interview.
- Arrive to your appointment a few minutes early, and be courteous to everyone you meet.
- Take the lead in conducting the interview; be prepared with a list of questions.
- Ask open-ended questions that promote a discussion and cannot be answered with one-word responses. Take notes.
- Observe the work environment — dress style, communication patterns, sense of humor, etc. Is this a place you would want to work?