Informational Interviews ~ Still a good idea.

A note about today’s top tips… They are not new. No one - no one - has not heard these tips before. People just think these tips don’t apply to them.

Insider’s secret: they do. Whether you’re exploring careers or looking for work, these informational interviewing tips apply to you.

If you’ve been shortcutting your networking steps, this article will get you back on track. No one wants to be told what to do, but, sometimes, it’s nice to be reminded.

Back in school, an advisor recommended I do a few “Informational Interviews” to explore career options. Sage advice to give an English major whose resume amounted to summer jobs at a pet shop and a bakery. Oh, and I liked reading. And computers. And riding my bike.

I started connecting with friends of my family, and family members of my friends, who had interesting careers. I asked them how they got into radio / cooking / medicine / sales and what they liked about it. I asked them what it takes to succeed. I asked them whether they worked weekends. I asked what training they had to have before starting in their career.

The process took a while, and led me to some key insights that made me think I wanted to work with people, which led me to people who did that, who could help me navigate my early career.

Interestingly, Informational Interviews haven’t changed much over the years.

• It’s still a good idea to start out by talking with people you know, or who know of you. Relatives, neighbors, friends of friends - all good people to reach out to. Most people want to help someone who asks, and they’ll give you 20 minutes of their time if they can.

• It’s still a good idea to plan ahead. Bring some questions that focus on the person you’re interviewing.

Good Questions

…if you’re exploring new careers:

• I’m curious to learn about your career path. How you decide to get into this line of work?

• What is most satisfying to you about your work?

• What’s a typical day-in-the-life?

• What skills or experience are required to get into this type of position?

• What surprised you about this career, once you had some experience?

• What do you wish more people knew about your industry?

• Finally, ask this one: Is there anyone else I should be talking to? This is probably the most important question to ask, and you should save it for the end of the conversation.

…if you’re hoping to get hired:

• I’m curious to learn about your career and your organization. How you decide to get into this line of work?

• What’s a typical day-in-the-life?

• What is most satisfying to you about your work?

• What sets this company apart from other employers?

• What surprised you about this company, once you had been here for a while?

• What do you wish more people knew about your industry?

• Finally, ask this one: Is there anyone else I should be talking to? This is probably the most important question to ask, and you should save it for the end of the conversation.

Best Practices

Now that you know which questions to ask, you’re ready for a few “best practice” tips for Informational Interviewing success:

Top Tip #5. Prepare. Go deeper than the person’s social profile and company website. Do an online search of the company name and the person’s name to see if you can get some extra insight into what makes them who they are.

Top Tip #4. Be on time. If you’re meeting in person or online, on time = 3-5 minutes early. If it’s a phone call, call at the scheduled time.

Top Tip #3. Introduce yourself and explain why you’re here. Even if you think they already know, take a moment to share what your goal is for the conversation.

Top Tip #2. Watch the time. If you asked for 20 minutes, you get 20 minutes. Hard stop. Set your timer for 18. If your person seems to want to continue the conversation, mention that you want to be respectful of their time, and ask if they have a few more minutes.

Top Tip #1. Say Thank You! Amazingly, people “forget” to say thank you. Should you send a text or email follow up thank you? Yes, one or the other. Always find ways to say thank you when someone shares their time, energy and resources. When you are giving informational interviews down the road, you’ll appreciate when someone says thank you to you.

Good luck!