Informational Interviewing: An Effective Career Development Tool

This is one of the most effective, yet underused, career development tools for students and jobseekers. As the term ‘informational interviewing' suggests, it is about getting essential information, and not a job. Through this interviewing process, you actually talk to people who are already in an occupation you have targeted. Considering the multiple benefits of informational interviewing, it should be an essential element of everyone's career toolbox. Whether you want to explore career opportunities in a specific area or establish your professional network of contacts, informational interviews offer you all this and much more.

 

Why should you conduct informational interviews?
The opportunities that this interviewing procedure offers you are as follows -

Find out whether you have selected the right major to achieve your career goals
Know other better career opportunities associated with your chosen career path
Establish a network of professional contacts
Prepare yourself for job interviews in advance
Work out strategies to make yourself saleable to potential employers

 

Asking Questions
While interviewing people for information, you have more freedom to ask questions that may not be appropriate to ask during a job interview. For instance, you can ask people you interview about salary or typical compensation that a particular career offers. Since you are not ‘selling' yourself during these interviews, you can always ask honest questions for getting essential information about a job, industry or an organization.

 

Questions that you can ask during an information interview may include -

 

What's the best part about a particular job or industry? And the worst?
What was your college degree major?
If given a chance, would you like to change your major to something else?
What would you like to recommend to a student aspiring to kick-start this career?
What challenges does this profession bring you?
How do you spend a typical work day?
Does your career allow you to maintain a balance between work and life?
Who else should I talk to for more exploration into this career?

 

Of course, you can ask other related questions, unique to you. The purpose is to get as much essential information about a career as possible. Career tests and self assessment tests can provide you with more ideas about what questions to ask during an informational interview. These tests can make your aware of your skills, aptitude and talents around which you can frame a host of important questions to ask people you interview for information.

 

Selecting People to Interview
Benefits you get from informational interviewing can be enhanced by selecting the right people. Always look out for people who have been successful in a specific career you are interested in. There are a number of resources that students and jobseekers use to find people for interviewing. Some of the most important resources include your career guidance center's alumni network, professional associations, professors, career counselors, employer websites etc.

 

How to Proceed
After you have selected the people who you would like to interview for information, the next steps are contacting them and conducting the interviews. Once you have identified someone, you can send them an introductory mail telling them who you are, the purpose of your writing and requesting them to meet in person for the informational interview.

 

In case you don't have the email address, you should try telephoning the people you have identified for interviewing. Also mention the time limit (30 minutes is advisable) while contacting the person. Asking for more time may turn away people. If you receive no response at all from someone who you have contacted twice, identify someone else for the interview.

 

Never underestimate the value of an informational interview. Prepare yourself in advance to make the most of this effective career development tool and be successful in getting essential career information. Prepare your list of questions beforehand. Dress professionally when you attend the interview. Do not try to extend the interview time. Limit it the time span to what was promised earlier.

 

Most importantly, do not forget to follow up with your interviewee. Do remember to send them a thank-you note within 24 hours after your arrival from the interview. Express your heartfelt thanks for the time the interviewee spent with you and the useful career information they gave you.