Effective Tips for Informational Interviewing
Effective job searching requires a combination of strategies that will lead to a new role. Search strategies include the use of job postings found through on line resources or newspapers and referral opportunities provided by friends and acquaintances. An often-overlooked strategy for job seeking is an informational interview. This type of networking can provide insider knowledge about company and employment requirements to work there. Through this activity, information can be found about the business in general, corporate culture within the organization, types of roles that are hired and the skills or qualifications needed to work there. Informational interviews are an excellent source of information that allows you the opportunity to discover if they are the right fit for the business or industry. It also allows you to try the company on before you commit to employment within the occupation or business.
Getting Started – How to Prepare For an Informational Interview
1. Prepare a target list of occupations and companies that are of interest to you and create a list of opportunity for your job search.
2. Research the organizations that are your intended target list of opportunity. Find the key people in place that hire for roles from the list or currently occupy those positions. Using a website like LinkedIn may be very useful for discovering managers and organizations on your target list.
3. Prepare a letter or email requesting an informational interview from contacts on the list.
4. Create a list of questions that you will use as the guide for the interview.
5. Dress professionally for this interview as this is a networking opportunity that could lead to a successful hire. Leave a good first impression.
6. Do not ask for a job during the interview, this interview is for research purposes only.
7. Always thank the person for their time. It is appropriate to follow up with a card or email
Informational Interview Questions
In order to gather the information from the interview it is acceptable to bring a notepad, pen and a list of questions to the meeting. A list of prepared questions allows both parties to stay on topic with the process and adhere to time constraints. Some sample questions to consider may be:
1. What does a typical workweek look like for you?
2. How did you enter into this field?
3. What type of training or formal education did you require?
4. Tell me about the pace of the job, is it typically fast, slow or moderate for this role?
5. Do you work alone or in a team most often?
6. Can you tell me a little about your work life balance?
7. Does this job require much over time or travel?
8. What do you like most about your job?
9. What do you find challenging?
10. What do you feel are the most important skills and traits needed for success in this role?
11. What are the typical working conditions like?
12. What types of changes are coming in this field either with technology or within organizations like this?
13. How long have you held this role or been with this company? What does retention look like in this field?
14. What are the biggest issues or new trends in this field?
15. Are there associations or publications I should be reading or connecting with to enter into this field?
16. What types of career backgrounds find the best success in this organization?
17. What are career advancement opportunities like in this field?
18. Are there entry-level roles for this industry and where can they be found?
19. Can you tell me about the corporate culture or environment of this company or industry?
20. Is there any other advice or information that you can share with me that we have not discussed?
During the interview process, pay close attention to the workplace surroundings you are visiting. What does the office look like? Are employees in cubicles or separate spaces? Is the workspace modern and updated or old and worn looking? Observing other employees if possible, do they seem engaged in work appearing happy or do they look stressed. The opportunity to experience an informational interview also allows job seekers a brief glimpse of corporate culture within an organization.
Next Steps – Following Up
After completing an informational interview with a company or group of companies, it is important to follow up with a thank you in the form of a card or an email to the person you met with. This person may become part of a network for future searches or referrals.
The second part of follow up for the interview is to review all of the information you gathered during your meeting. A thorough review of notes may highlight organizations that would be beneficial to join. Other pieces of information may be to find technical publications or reading lists for the role to keep you up to date with industry standards or changes. Follow up with any contacts or further suggestions are also important as this may lead to more connections within the industry or a future job offer. Where possible, maintain a connection to the person you met with for further information or possible employment opportunities.
Job searching requires careful planning and strategies that utilize many different approaches. Informational interviews are a very good way to source information about roles, organizations and corporate culture. These interviews provide details about employer’s needs or possible future vacancies. Through this process, exploration of different organizations, industry trends, corporate culture as well as job roles may be discovered.
