Conduct an Informational Interview

Informational interviews are when you interview current employees in fields and/or companies in which you would like to work. These are a great way to learn about career paths, as well as to introduce yourself as a potential candidate for future positions in a more relaxed setting than a formal job interview. First, you need to decide what areas you’re interested in working in, both career-wise and geographically. Once you identify possible contacts in those areas, you can tactfully ask them for the favor of meeting with you. After that, a little more research into the company and interviewee will help you make the most of your time together and learn as much as possible.

Steps

Deciding Who to Interview

  1. Determine your interest(s). Decide on what sort of business you hope to work for. Then determine what positions within that business you are most suited for. Also consider how long you intend to work for them, and how far you would like to advance within the company. For example, say you have a law degree. Ask yourself:[1]
    • What do I hope to do with it? Work for a private law firm? Or for the government, in either the courts or district attorney’s office?
    • What type of law do I want to focus on? Criminal? Corporate? Environmental?
    • What specific positions do I want to fill? Trial lawyer? Research? Something else?
    • Do I plan to stay with them long-term? If so, how far up the ladder do I intend to climb?
  2. Decide on a location(s). Think about where you intend to live, or how flexible you are in terms of relocating. Narrow your search down as much as possible. Give yourself the opportunity to conduct several interviews with different people and/or businesses in the same area.[2]
    • The logistics of trying to conduct informational interviews in several different locations is ineffective. The more travel you do, the more time and money you will spend.
    • If you are undecided about location, but have a particular business in mind that has several locations, an alternative could be to contact the nearest one.
  3. Search for contacts. Use your list of interests and your prefered location to conduct an online search for related businesses in that area. Search their website for ideal candidates to interview. If the website includes personal bios, read those to match things they have in common with yourself so you can establish a personal connection more easily. If not, search for their background through other means, like career-related sites like LinkedIn, or even social media, such as Facebook or Twitter.[3]
    • Widen your search even further by sending feelers through every network you have. Tell friends, families, teachers, coworkers, anyone and everyone you know, about your intentions. Utilize their networks in case they know the perfect person to set you up with.
    • Be specific about your interests. For example, say something like, "Do you know any speech therapists who work with kids?" or "I'm thinking about teaching in Oregon when I graduate. Do you know any teachers out there?"
    • If you’re in school, visit their career center for possible contacts with alumni.

Asking to Meet

  1. Start with a letter or email. Announce your interest in interviewing your contact by writing them first. Remember: they have nothing immediate to gain by granting you one, and their work and/or personal lives may keep them pretty busy. So send a letter or email to let them know that you would like them to take time out so you can talk. This way they don’t have to answer you right away, which lowers the risk of them saying no right off the bat in case they’re swamped.[4]
    • Keep a professional tone. Start by introducing yourself and stating that you would like to interview them: "Hello. I'm Dan Smith. I am currently a student at Pratt University and was hoping to interview you in order to gain more insight about pursuing a career as a librarian after I graduate."
    • Follow with a more detailed paragraph about why you are interested in the field and/or company and why your contact seems like an ideal person to talk to: "I have always had a passion for information and am greatly excited about integrating new platforms of learning into the library's traditional role as a resource of printed materials. We have studied your library program's initiatives in class and I would love the opportunity to learn more in depth."
    • Close by thanking them for their consideration and suggesting a window of time in which you would like to meet. "I will be in the Baltimore area between October 10th and 15th. If you think you could spare the time to meet with me, I would greatly appreciate it."
    • Mention any info that you share in common so you stand out more. For instance, if you went to the same school or have a mutual acquaintance, mention it in your intro: "Liz Darnell recommended reaching out to you about an informational interview." However, if they were suggested by someone you both know, ask that person first if it’s okay to cite them.
    • Keep your letter brief, no longer than a page, so they’re more likely to read it in full. Include your resume so they have more info about you if they would like to know more.
  2. Call them on the phone. Wait a week or two after sending your letter so they don’t feel badgered. Give the idea some time to settle in so they are more likely to plan for it and accommodate you. Then follow up by calling them directly and reintroducing yourself.[5]
    • Briefly restate who you are, why you’re excited to find out more about the company, and why your contact seems like a good person to talk to: "Hi, this is Dan Smith. I wrote about setting up an information interview. I'm really impressed by the steps your library has taken to revitalize itself and would love to talk more about it in person."
    • Ask if they would mind meeting with you sometime soon. If they say yes, let them pick the time and place: "I'll be in town between the 10th and 15th. Are you free to talk anytime then? Great! When? That's up to you. I'll work around your schedule."
    • If they say no, ask if you could interview them over the phone at their convenience. "That's okay, I understand you're busy. Do you think you'd be free at any point to do it over the phone?"
    • If they still say no, politely thank them for thinking about it anyway. Ask if they would be willing to reconsider in the future, or if they know of anyone who may be willing now: "Thanks for considering it regardless. If you think you'll have more time in the future, please let me know. In the meantime, could you recommend anyone else that I should try?"
    • Always maintain a positive impression, even if rejected, since you may be conducting other interviews with people they know.
  3. Make a log. Start a detailed list of each contact and your progress with them. For each one, include all of their contact info (email, phone number, extension, work address) for easy referral later on. Mark the date that you send your letter so you know when to follow up with a call. Do the same for your initial phone call and any others that follow.[6]
    • Make a note of when you are unable to reach your contact directly as well. Keep track of when you had to leave a voicemail or a message with another person.
    • Also keep track of snafus, such as emails that may not have been opened because they didn’t recognize the sender. This will help you avoid making the same mistake again if you reach out to the same person later on.
    • Use this log to track the success of your efforts. In addition to what you learn from interviews later on, referring back to your log when you apply for a job can help you identify which companies were the most eager to talk with you the first time around.

Conducting the Interview

  1. Do your research. Familiarize yourself further with both the company and your interviewee before you meet them. Go through their professional website and read any other company literature that you can get your hands on. Search online for any outside news stories or mentions on other websites about their work.
    • Showing an in-depth knowledge about the company from the get-go will demonstrate how serious you are about possibly joining them.
    • Citing the interviewee’s personal achievements will further indicate how interested you are, as well as flatter them.
    • Learning as many personal details about the interviewee can help forge a more immediate connection if you’ve gone to the same schools, lived in the same cities, or shared other experiences.
  2. Decide on which questions to ask. You’ve exhausted what you can read about them online and elsewhere. Now identify what information you’re lacking about the company or field, the interviewee, and your own chances at employment. Write down what questions you wish to ask about all three subjects. For example:
    • About the company or field: How much growth does it expect in the future? How many positions are currently or typically available at present? How much room for advancement is there in-house?
    • For the interviewee: What led them to this company and/or field? What is a normal workweek like for them? What steps would they repeat if they had to do it all over, and what do they wish they had done differently?
    • About your chances: How much prior experience is preferred? What qualifications do you need (such as degrees, licenses, and certification)? If education or training is required, which programs are the most ideal and respected? How well would my current education and background prepare me for this type of work?
  3. Prepare your “elevator speech.” Rehearse a short intro to start the interview. Plan to reintroduce yourself, explain what sort of work you hope to do and why you want to do it, and what you hope to learn from this conversation. This is referred to as an “elevator speech” because it’s supposed to be short (only 30 to 45 seconds), so tailor it to address the key points you want to make.
    • When you introduce yourself, indicate where you’re at in terms of your job search. Are you looking for work right away? Are you graduating in the near future? Are you just starting school with the goal of joining this field a few years from now?
    • When talking about why you want to join this field, frame yourself to appeal to the company’s main mission. For example, if it’s a non-profit focused on the environment, stress your concern for the environment. If it’s a publisher, focus on your interest in the types of material that they publish.
    • When laying out what you hope to learn, consider your lists of questions. If you have far more questions about the company’s inner workings, stress that. Of if you have a fairly good idea about how they work, but would like a more personal take, say that you are keen to find out an insider’s view.
  4. Come prepared. First, plan to arrive early by at least five or ten minutes, or even earlier, to avoid any snafus that might delay you. If you’re looking to apply in the near future, bring a copy of your resume, even if you already sent one with your letter, as well as business cards if you have them. Bring a notebook and pen or pencil, or a device to write notes. Additionally:
    • Have a watch or other timepiece. If the interviewee only has a limited amount of time to offer, this will help you prioritize questions as you run out of the time.
    • Dress for the occasion. If you are meeting at their workplace, dress professionally, as you would for a Dress-for-an-Interview. If you are meeting outside of work, like at a cafe, you can tone it down to Dress-Business-Casual.
    • If you are meeting at a cafe, restaurant, bar, or similar establishment, plan to pay for your drinks or meal as a thank-you for their time.
  5. Plan to be interviewed, too. You’re technically the interviewer here, but remember that your contact is also sizing you up as a possible employee. Expect them to ask questions of their own. Think of this as an initial Impress-an-Interviewer, even though no specific opening is being offered. Prepare answers to likely questions regarding:[7]
    • Your education and field of study.
    • Your prior experience in this field and/or related fields.
    • Your goals overall as well as your goals within the company, should you be hired.
    • Your working knowledge of the aims and workings of their business.
  6. Keep it natural. Write your questions down so you can refer to them if needed, but memorize them beforehand as best you can. Frame the conversation as a casual chitchat, rather than a point-by-point quiz. Know exactly what you want to learn beforehand so you can:
    • Allow the conversation to unroll naturally by recognizing when your contact’s stream-of-conscious ends up answering questions you have yet to ask.
    • Casually redirect the conversation back to specific points when it veers off into areas you’re already well versed in so you can make the most of your time.
  7. Wind it down. Keep an eye on the time. As it runs out, review the questions you have yet to ask. Decide which need answering the most so you can address them. If you can’t include all of these, ask your contact if they would mind answering one or two more via email or the phone some time later. Aim to wrap up discussing your prepared questions with a few minutes to spare so you can then:
    • Ask the interviewee what questions you should have asked, but didn’t.
    • Ask what other positions or fields would also be a good fit, if not better, for someone with your education, interests, and qualifications.
    • Ask if they know of anyone specific that you should also talk to.
    • Relax with friendly chitchat for the last couple of minutes so you can part with a more personal farewell, rather than a rushed goodbye.
  8. Follow up. First, send a thank-you letter for their time no later than the next day. Show them how helpful they were by mentioning points raised that hadn’t occurred to you before. Next, update your log by transcribing your notes so you have a record of what you learned from whom. Then:
    • Send your contact periodic updates. Refer to your log to remember what specific advice they gave. Inform them of how you’ve applied that advice to your own career plan, even if you ended up finding work with another employer. Then thank them again for setting you on the right path.
    • Keeping a running dialogue with your past interviewees about your progress can benefit you. By showing your attentiveness during the interview and your initiative afterward, you are more likely to be remembered as a potential candidate should they have any future openings.

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References

  1. ↑ http://law2.wlu.edu/career/page.asp?pageid=182
  2. ↑ http://law2.wlu.edu/career/page.asp?pageid=182
  3. ↑ https://www.workitdaily.com/how-conduct-informational-interview/
  4. ↑ http://law2.wlu.edu/career/page.asp?pageid=182
  5. ↑ http://law2.wlu.edu/career/page.asp?pageid=182
  6. ↑ http://law2.wlu.edu/career/page.asp?pageid=182
  7. ↑ http://law2.wlu.edu/career/page.asp?pageid=182
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