I recently had a colleague who approached me for advice on transitioning her career to a particular industry. She had done a considerable amount of research on the Internet to learn whatever she could about the trade, but she still had many lingering questions. After discussing the possibility of this career shift for some time, I asked her if she had talked to anyone who actually worked in the industry to get a firsthand take on what it was like. She had not, and it hadn’t even crossed her mind as a possibility. I then spent the best five minutes of the entire conversation introducing her to informational interviews.
What exactly is an informational interview? In short, it is an interview conducted by a job seeker with the aim to gather knowledge or information about a particular industry or career path without directly asking for a job or employment. From an expanded view, an informational interview is an opportunity to network by making a great impression, which in turn can lead to introductions to others in the industry or career field. Not only can you enlarge your network, but also your future opportunities of securing employment at some point within the industry. You may even learn about the industry and decide it is not for you. The approach you take though is of the utmost importance. The following steps can serve as a guide for conducting informational interviews in a manner that will lead to success.
First, and above everything else, place this at the forefront of your mind: the number one rule for any informational interview is to ask for advice, NOT for a job, internship or favor. Informational interviews are not about asking for job leads; the point is to learn something of value.
The initial question is who to contact to interview? The answer is essentially anyone who has expertise or knowledge in the field you are interested in pursuing. One of the best groups I have found to work with are alumni networks and associations, and I am increasingly seeing colleges and universities around the country taking steps to better coordinate opportunities for young alumni to connect with established alumni for this purpose. Check with your career services department and ask if they have any type of alumni program in place. Other avenues can include friends, family members and colleagues either in the target industry or with connections to people in the industry. Don’t forget the power of social networking sites like LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook either. For example, LinkedIn is stocked with a plethora of different groups for every career and industry out there. Spend some time on the forums for groups of interest and make connections. I have always found that there are people out there who are eager and willing to mentor or impart advice.
Next is the question of how to approach these people about conducting an informational interview. Keep in mind that there will be a number of people who are not aware of what an informational interview is. This is where you need to clearly explain your intent so there is no confusion. For me, I know when I approach people for advice in a complimentary or flattering fashion, it is much easier to get them to assist. If you approach them as an expert in their industry, I guarantee that 9 times out of 10 you will have no problem getting them to oblige. I must admit, it works on me too. The exact query depends on largely on the level you know each. If it is a friend or family member, it’s as easy as just asking. If it is a connection of someone else, perhaps a warm intro from them would be appropriate either followed up by a phone call or email from you. If it is someone you don’t have any connection with at all, a short and concise email is probably the best approach. Remember, these are busy professionals and should be showed respect for their time. It would not be a good idea to blindly call a company receptionist and start cold-calling people by asking for persons with specific job titles. Make the initial contact personal without being intrusive. The whole point is to contact them to see if they are interested in having a brief meeting or phone call. If someone declines move on to other contacts. If the person is receptive, set up a meeting that works with their schedule; after all this is to benefit you, not them.
Once the meeting is set, the rest is entirely up to you. What you take away from an informational interview depends almost entirely on how thoroughly you prepare for the meeting. An informational interview should ideally not take more than 10 or 15 minutes since you are asking for someone’s time, so BE PREPARED! Research beforehand about the industry or the company where the person works. Dress professionally, as you would with a job interview, and err on the side of arriving early versus barely on time or late. First impressions count! And lastly, have a set of questions ready to ask so that you can make the most of the get-together. I am a firm believer in personalizing questions based on what you want to know, but here are some examples of questions to give a guide:
• What about this industry made you want to pursue it?
• How did you break into this field?
• What do you like most about what you do, and what would you change if you could?
• What are the types of jobs that exist where you work and in the industry in general?
• What does a typical career path in your industry look like?
• What are some of the biggest challenges facing your company and your industry today? How about in the next 5 years?
• Are there any professional groups or associations that you suggest I should connect with?
• What’s a typical day of work like for you?
• What’s unique or differentiating about your company?
Whatever you do, don’t overstay your welcome. This is the quickest way to burn the bridge you are trying to build, so if you say 15 minutes, cut it off at 15 minutes. Unless they specifically give an approval to go longer, the interview needs to be ended by you. I’m not suggesting you set an alarm, clock watch the entire time, or cut the interviewee off mid sentence. However you do need to be respectful of their time.
Lastly, follow up! Please, please, PLEASE be sure to personally thank him/her not only at the end of the interview, but also with an email, handwritten note or thank you card. Gratitude goes a long way, so be sincere and thankful. If he/she brought up the possibility of connecting you with others in the industry, ask them about it later in a follow up email. If additional reading material was offered up, follow up about it. In essence, if the door was opened for further action, don’t slam the door shut. Otherwise you negate the entire point of conducting the interview.
Informational interviews are also a great way to practice for a real interview, and I have encouraged this especially among college students or new grads as a way to get their “feet wet” before diving in to a targeted job search head first. You could end up wasting a lot of time and energy in obtaining a job that you figure out in the first week is not for you.
I am a big proponent of informational interviews, because I have seen them work. The common threads among those who I have seen experience success with informational interviews include being proactive, professional, and grateful. Remember, it is up to you how much you derive from an informational interview, and it is your career that can be the beneficiary if conducted correctly.
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