The 15 ingredients to a stellar informational interview
Whether you’re trying to move up the ladder or considering jumping ship and beginning a completely new career, informational interviews can be one of the most fruitful ways to find your next job.
Informational interviews are brief meetings (typically 15 to 30 minutes) in which you meet with an individual who’s in the job, field or organization you’re considering. These interviews can equip you with: * an insider’s perspective on strategies for entering the field, emerging opportunities and how to tap into the network; * advice on refining your job search; * a chance to polish your interview and networking skills; * a lead on jobs before they are posted – or ones that won’t ever get posted; * referrals to other people.
These 15 steps will ensure you get the most out of your interviews:
Before you go:
1. Identify the occupation or field you want to learn more about.
2. Ask people in your network if they know anyone in that job/field who you can approach for an interview.
3. Set up the interview: introduce yourself, how you came to contact them and why you want to talk with them. Be clear about how much of their time you would like to take and be sure to make the location and time convenient for them.
4. Prepare questions. Choose five to 10 and rank them in the order of importance in case you run out of time, for example: * How did you get to this position? What contacts, strategies, timing, advice and decisions were involved? * What education/training have you had? What do others in this field have? * Based on my skills and experience, what do you think I need to do in order to transition into this role/field? * What do you like most/least about the work? * What kind of person do you find excels in this field/role? * What is a typical day on the job like?
At the interview: 5. Never ask for a job! And don’t expect a job offer. Focus on getting information and advice.
6. Start the interview by sharing your background, skills and why you are interested in their occupation/field/company.
7. Listen rather than worrying about what you’re going to say next. (That’s what your list of questions is for!)
8. Take notes. You will want to refer back to things they told you and it shows you value what the person is saying.
9. Keep an eye on the time and don’t go over the duration you’d set for the meeting.
10. Close by asking if there might be one or two other people they would suggest you speak with for advice and information.
11. Leave open the possibility for a follow-up visit or call by asking if it is OK to keep in touch with him/her; be sure to ask how they prefer to keep in touch (phone or e-mail).
12. If you’ve met over coffee or a meal, pay for the bill. And of course, thank them for their time.
A little follow-up goes a long way:
13. As soon as possible after you meet, write to thank them for their time and guidance.
14. Your contact would probably appreciate hearing updates from you on any suggestions of theirs that you implemented and on your progress in general.
15. Reflect on what you learned. Ask yourself things like: * What did I like best about what I did? * Did I find out what I wanted to know? * Is there anything I’d change for the next time? * How does what I learned fit with my previous research? * Are the work environments in this occupation appealing to me? * What should my next steps be? * How could I use this information in my job search?