Preparing for an Informational Interview
One of the best ways to investigate a specific job or career is to ask questions of a professional in that field. This is called informational interviewing. It can be an effective tool in your career planning process giving you a first hand view of a specific career field; broadening your network of contacts; enabling you to learn the current trends in the field; and assisting you in narrowing your career direction. You will find that most people are more than willing to talk about the subject at hand – their career. Informational interviewing requires planning, patience and focus on your part. Below are some guidelines that will help you succeed.
How do I set up an informational interview?
You must take the initiative and personally contact the individuals in your network. Think you don’t have a network? Well you do. They include family, friends, faculty, administrators, career services and your Falcon Network. (see FalconNet one pager for more on this). Typically an informational interview would last approximately 30 minutes. Face-to-face interviewing is ideal; however, phone conversations are common due to geographical and time constraints. See the sample below for an idea on what to say.
Hello. My name is Caitlin Haughey and I’m a sophomore majoring in marketing at Bentley University. I was referred to you by Professor Smith. I am interested in learning more about the marketing industry and specifically the role of a Market Researcher. I am hoping to schedule 30 minutes of your time in which we might discuss this further.
Preparing for an informational interview:
Once you have scheduled the interview, you need to focus on preparing for it. Remember this is your interview,
therefore, you must be ready to run the discussion. Here are some tips to help you prepare:
- Learn all that you can about the company: read its mission statement, understand its business philosophy, and identify its market share. Find out what role the company plays in the industry and who are its key competitors.
- Learn all that you can about the position of the person with whom you are meeting.
- Understand yourself. You should be able to recite your experience, skills, strengths and weaknesses easily.
- Develop a list of questions that you wish to ask (see the “What to Ask” section of this handout for examples).
- Dress professionally – dress as if it were an actual job interview. First impressions are always important. (For more information, see our Dress for Success handouts).
- Bring copies of your resume as well as a portfolio with a pen and paper to jot down notes.
- Arrive 5 - 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment. Be friendly to everyone you meet – secretary, receptionist, etc.
Conducting the informational interview:
- Thank the interviewee for meeting with you and restate the purpose of the interview.
- Initiate the conversation since you are the interviewer, “I would like to begin by asking you….”
- Keep to the time limit you requested. The person may have another appointment directly after your meeting.
- Always be at your best. Even though this is not a job interview, it could lead to something later if you make a good impression.
- Once inside the organization, look around. What kind of working environment is there - dress style, communication patterns, sense of humor, etc? Is this a place you would want to work?
After the interview:
- Send a thank you note within 24 hours of the interview. Ideally this would be handwritten, however, e-mail is another option. (For more information, see our Thank You Note Writing Tips handout).
- Review your notes and set goals for your next course of action.
- Follow up with your contact and inform him/her of any positive progress.
What to ask:
In order for you to obtain the most relevant information from your interviewee, it is important to develop a list of well thought out questions. Use open-ended questions in order to engage your contact in conversation. Here are some sample informational interview questions.
Questions about the career field:
- What kind of entry-level positions did you consider/pursue upon graduation?
- Take me through a typical day as a _______________.
- What are the skills needed to perform your job successfully?
- What are the negative aspects of the job? Positive aspects?
- What advice do you have for a person seeking to go into this field?
- Describe the career path you took to get you where you are today. Would you do anything differently?
- What are some current trends in the field? What is the future outlook?
- Who else should I be talking to? May I use your name in contacting them?
- Is there travel involved in your position?
- On average, how many hours per week do you work?
Questions about the organization:
- What are the short and long term goals of the organization?
- What is the company culture and philosophy?
- Are there formal training programs for entry-level positions?
- Describe a typical career path from entry-level to top management.
- How is performance measured?
- What is your retention rate?
Additional suggestions and resources
Informational interviewing is one of many ways to gain valuable career information. Additional resources include job shadowing, attending career networking events and panels, exploring Bentley’s Center for Career Services website and researching job profiles on www.wetfeet.com.
Good luck!
