Are you exploring a new career field or looking for a lucrative job opportunity? When you seek specific and up-to-date information about a career or industry of your interest, the most valuable insights come from insiders. Conducting an informational interview is one of the best ways to find out more about the job role, industry, or company you are interested in.
It is an informal conversation with someone working in that career field or industry, and the objective is to only gather information…not to explore job openings. It isn’t a job interview and therefore, you should prepare well to have the most information you want about the career path, company, or industry. Here’s how to conduct an informational interview and get the most out of it:
Table of Contents
Research about the career path or industry
Before you prepare for an informational interview, do initial research on your preferred career path, potential employer, or industry you are interested in. The internet or print resources can provide good information, but not everything you are looking for.
Find people for the interview
Begin with scouring through your own contacts, i.e., your family, friends, ex-colleagues, former employers, teaching assistants, etc. Even if they are not from the field of your interest, they can help you with good references. Social media is a powerful network where you find most suitable people for the informational interview. Make sure he or she is a person of repute and has experience working in the profession or the industry.
Preparing for the interview
Before you contact the person for an interview, it is important that you prepare for it first. Create a brief yet impressive introduction of yourself and what you expect from the meeting. Develop a list of open-ended questions.
Build Contact and Conduct the Informational Interview
Get in touch with the person via telephone or email and mention from where you got the contact. Most importantly, highlight that you are only looking for valuable information and not the job. For the meeting, dress neatly and arrive on time. Take notes of what the person says, making sure the conversation flows naturally. Limit the session for the determined timeframe.
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