Informational Interviews: The "Hidden Gem" of a Successful Job Search
Informational interviews are the “hidden gem” of job searching. Informational interviews can help you meet people, learn the ins and outs of a position, organization, or industry, and even get better at interviewing. Yet, many job seekers do not even think to add informational interviews as part of their job search strategy.
When I was thinking about being a Career Coach, one of the first actions I took was to find successful Career Coaches and speak with them about the work and what I could expect should I decide to go down this path. These Career Coaches graciously answered my questions and, after talking with me, even encouraged me to pursue this career switch. Had I not spoken to them, I am not sure I would have made the leap. After talking to them, I was confident I could successfully make this career shift.
I was able to experience all that in a short 15-30 minute call. So what’s not to like?
So What Are “Informational Interviews?”
The first word is “informational,” meaning to gather information. The second word is likely not the best descriptor to use. I prefer “conversation.” Because these are less like a standard interview and more of a conversation between two people.
The idea behind them is to have conversations with people with the knowledge or expertise that can help you reach your goal(s). You will ask questions to elicit the information you need to decide whether a company is a good fit, how to present yourself so that hiring teams will be impressed with you, or, in my case, understand if what you think you want to do will be a good fit.
It Is Important To Start With the End In Mind
Before looking up names of people to contact, first, figure out your goal for the conversation. Many people skip this part, but it is crucial. Your goal(s) will dictate the right people to contact. Then you will be able to see if anyone in your present network can help or whether you will need to make a cold approach.
Here are some potential goals for informational interviews.
Learning about an open position. With this information, you may be able to tailor a resume or your interview answers to appeal to the hiring team.
Understanding the ins and outs of an organization or industry of interest. Maybe there is a new business in your area, and you would like to know more about it to see if the work environment would be a good fit. Or maybe you are thinking about moving from healthcare into technology, and you want to understand better the industry prospects and what you might expect working in that industry.
If you are thinking about a career switch (job and industry), you should be talking with many people who are doing what you want to do to see if the reality of doing the work equals what you imagine. You can also get advice on how to make the switch.
It is a way to build your network.
Who Should You Be Talking To?
Well, anyone that can help you reach your goal. When it comes to getting someone to agree to an informational interview, your easiest group of people are the people you already know and have an ongoing relationship with. The second easiest group is those you are acquainted with but don’t know well (weak connections) or with whom you have a common connection. More difficult, but certainly not impossible, are strangers whom you will need to make a cold approach.
Ideas for people that you might want to speak with include:
Friends, relatives, or neighbors
People you have contact with in your everyday life, such as medical providers, home service professionals, or even your massage therapist or hair stylist
Past or present coworkers, supervisors, or direct reports
Alumni from your school
Individuals that belong to professional or industry organizations of interest
Individuals you know from volunteering or hobbies
Recruiters
People who work or have worked at the organization of interest
People in the role you want
People who are new to the industry or have been in the industry for many years
What Should You Do Before Reaching Out to Anyone
Ensure you thoroughly have researched the industry, field, or organization you are targeting BEFORE setting up informational interviews. You do not want to waste the individual's time by reaching out to the wrong person. The more you learn in advance, the more targeted your list can be of individuals who potentially can provide the right information. You will also want to understand better the person you want to talk with, so you know the right questions to ask them and how you can pique their interest in speaking with you.
How Do You Set One Up?
Once you have identified the person you wish to speak with, then you need to make the ask (or have someone, like a mutual connection, do it for you). You may need to find the contact information for the person. That can be an email address (check this article for email finder tools https://beamery.com/resources/blogs/the-15-best-email-finding-tools-how-to-find-anyones-email), phone number, or social media. Often people think of LinkedIn’s direct messaging or InMail, but if the individual is not on LinkedIn often, they may not see it.
Once you’ve identified the contact information, you will compose your email or message. Always make the message short and succinct. No one is interested in reading or listening to a long message. Here are elements you should have in your message.
A subject line that states the purpose of the reach out if it is through email. If someone referred you, state that clearly in the subject line. If you are reaching out to someone through social media messaging or a phone call, let the person know in your first sentence that you are a referral and the individual’s name.
If you have a commonality with the individual, state it at the beginning of the message. You can repeat the name of the mutual acquaintance you have, or if you belong to the same organization, school, or even volunteer group, mention it.
Discuss what you want to learn from the meeting in a sentence or two. It is best to be as specific as possible. Instead of saying I want to learn about your career path, say you want to know how the person transitioned from oil and gas industry sales to tech sales. Or, if you are interested in being a Scrum Master, is it better to have a Certified Scrum Master or Professional Scrum Master certification? You will likely get more people to agree to your meeting if you make a specific ask that won’t take much time. Whatever you do, don’t ask someone for time to “pick their brain” or “give you advice,” especially if they do not know you. That is non-specific and can appear as too much of an imposition, especially if you do not know the person.
Add a sentence about the amount of time you are asking of the person. Do not ask for more than 30 minutes. If you have only a few questions, 15-20 minutes may be all you need.
Suggest a timeframe for the meeting (like next week), but leave it to the individual to get back to you with what works best for them.
If you can meet in person, provide this as an option. Offer to pay for lunch or coffee. They may not take you up on this, but it is a nice gesture to show your interest. Otherwise, suggest a format, phone or video, that works for you.
Put all your contact information in your signature line for an email. It is also nice to add a link to your social media so the person can learn more about you.
You should not ask for a job in this email or message. The focus here is to learn more about a subject important to you. Many people find it a turn-off if they are asked for a job without ever speaking with you. If you make this ask, you may find that people just delete your message.
Some people advise sending your resume. I am not in that camp. It is a bit presumptuous. In the message, you can offer to send your resume if the person would find it helpful. Or, you can put together a one-page biography that you can send with your message to introduce yourself.
Prepare Questions
Once you have arranged a time and day, you’ll prepare the questions you want to ask. The questions to ask will depend on what you want to know from the individual.
Here are some sample questions to ask based on your goal.
Knowledge About the Industry
What do you feel are the short and long-term prospects in this industry?
What are some metrics or jargon specific to this industry that I should know?
What do you like about this industry, and what would you change if you could?
What would you have wished you had known about this industry? Would knowing this have changed your mind about pursuing this industry?
Knowledge About the Role
How do you see the type of job I am interested in changing in the near future and long term?
What skills and abilities are important to success in this job?
What has surprised you about working in this role?
What can I do to best prepare for a role like yours?
Is there any special training that you feel would help make someone successful in this role?
What challenges do new people to the role usually experience?
Knowledge About the Organization
I know what is said about the company culture on the website, but how would you describe the company culture?
What would you say are the strengths of this company as compared to the competition. What would you consider weaknesses?
What about the business currently is exciting for you?
What does the company offer for professional development? Is it easy or hard to find a mentor?
What are some of the skills or personal characteristics that you have found to help people succeed here?
What attracted you to this organization? What keeps you here?
Can you talk to me about the organizational structure and team dynamics?
Many more questions can be asked, depending upon your interest area. You can always personalize questions based on the individual’s background and experience. Often it is helpful to ask questions about that person’s career journey, especially if it may mirror some of your experiences.
Advice on How to Conduct Yourself During the Meeting
To get the most out of the meeting and make a positive impression, here are some tips that will help you.
Practice active listening and ask follow-up questions as appropriate. Note what the person is saying but also their body language and tone. Do all three line up, or is something out of alignment that may indicate a possible red flag? You hope that the person will be honest with you, but the person may be shading the truth a bit. Listen and observe.
Always end your discussion on time. If you are having an engaging talk, remind the individual that you promised to end after the allotted time. If the individual wants to continue the discussion, that is up to them, but always be cognizant of the time. Do not overstay your welcome.
The individual may want to know more about you. Try to keep the discussion about yourself short. You are here to learn from this individual, and talking about yourself too much doesn’t help you achieve your goal.
This bears repeating. Never ask for a job. The person may not have any authority to offer one to you; even if they could, the ask would be presumptuous. You want to build a relationship, and if a job opportunity comes from this later, great.
You may want to take notes. In a 30-minute conversation, there may be relevant information that you want to remember, and one of the best ways to do that is to take notes. As a courtesy, you should ask the individual if they have any issues with this. Most likely, they won’t, and it could impress them with the seriousness that you are taking the discussion.
If there is a way that you might be able to help this individual, always offer this up. It could be anything from helping with a project they are working on to making an introduction to someone you know in your network. Always try to give value when you can.
Before finishing the conversation, ask if there is anyone else that you should be speaking with. If the person gives you a name, you can also ask if they will make an introduction for you. This way, you can continue gathering more information and growing your network.
And lastly, always thank the person at the end of your conversation. If there was something especially insightful or valuable that you learned, let them know.
What Should You Be Doing After the Conversation
An informational interview should never be “one and done.” Plan to do the following actions to ensure you provide value to that individual.
Send a thank-you note within 24 hours. An e-note is fine, though a handwritten note is always appreciated. Thank the person for their time and if they provided a valuable tip or information, mention it in the note.
If the person gave you advice, put the advice into action and follow up with the individual on how it worked. Even if it was ineffective, it is nice to let the person know. Maybe the individual will have a suggestion on how to change your approach so it will work.
Even if you were not given any advice, it is good to follow up in a few weeks. People often miss this step. You have established a relationship, but now you need to nurture it. Provide an update about what is going on. If you have had success, share it. If you have additional questions, ask if it would be alright to send them or set up another meeting. And if you can provide something of value, such as a link to an article of possible interest, even better.
Always keep track of your informational interviews. It doesn’t have to be fancy. A notebook or spreadsheet will work. But you want to record who you spoke with, the date, their contact information, organization, and a bit about the discussion. You can even put calendar reminders to prompt you to write a follow-up note. That way, you won’t forget.
Conclusion
Informational interviews are an often overlooked part of your job search strategy. It can take some effort to do the research and make the outreach, but the information you can receive will be invaluable for your job search. It can help clarify the right career path, provide you with insider information that can be invaluable, giving you a leg up over your competition, and help grow your network. All this from a conversation. Isn’t that worth your time and effort?
Shelley Piedmont is a job search coach. She wants to help job seekers put their best foot forward by providing the tools for a successful job search. If you need career coaching, resume preparation, interview skills assessment, or LinkedIn profile assistance, she can help. Schedule a 15-minute no-obligation consultation.