How an Informational Interview Can Help Your Career

Talk to a professional for advice when you’re thinking about a change.

By Kathleen Walder, Monster Contributor

An informational interview is one of the best tools you can use when thinking about a complete career makeover or change of direction in your current field. It’s also helpful for college students who are considering changing majors or are about to graduate.

As the name implies, your objective for an informational interview is to gather information. It’s not a job interview, but it can be a way to familiarize yourself with the atmosphere of your next potential job. It's a bit of a twist because you'll be doing the interviewing.

If an informational interview sounds interesting, read on to learn how to set one up, what questions to ask, and what to expect.

What Is an Informational Interview?

Think about the last time you bought a car or TV or made another major purchase. Chances are, you asked someone who has purchased that item what they think. That’s the general concept of an informational interview. It’s helpful to talk to someone in the know when you’re thinking about making a career change, focusing on a new area of your current industry, or choosing a grad school major.

You can glean valuable information during a 15- to 30-minute conversation on the phone, in person, or over coffee. First, you need to find the right person to talk with, decide what information you’re after, and make sure you’re organized.

What Is the Main Purpose of an Informational Interview?

This may sound simplistic, but an informational interview aims to gather information to help you make a career decision. What are your concerns about a new career? Are you interested in the day-to-day responsibilities and specifics of the job? Maybe you need help deciding if you have the skills and knowledge to make a change or if you might benefit from taking classes. You might be curious about how the salaries and benefits of a new industry compare to your current position.

You may get a bonus beyond answers to your questions, like an invitation to apply for a job or an actual job offer, but don’t expect or ask for those. If your informational interview goes well, you’ve made a contact in the industry who may tip you off to a future job before it’s advertised.

Meeting for information is also great practice for an actual job interview and can boost your confidence. You can test run your interview etiquette, put together an appropriate outfit to wear, and get familiar with an office atmosphere.

How to Ask for an Informational Interview

Once you decide you’d like to talk to a professional about your career, the ball’s in your court. It’s time to find the right person(s) to speak with and see if they’re willing and available.

Your first level of search can be family and friends. Ask if they know anyone who fits your criteria. Next, do a search on LinkedIn for members in your target industry. If the business segment has a professional organization, search their membership ranks to see who’s in your area.

Once you’ve identified the person you’d like to meet, send an informational interview email to set up an appointment. Keep it simple. A successful informational interview request includes three parts. Here’s an example:

  1. Why do you want to meet with them? (“I’m considering a career change into your field.”)
  2. Why did you choose them in particular to interview? (“After reading your article about XYZ, I think you would have the insight I’m seeking.”)
  3. The ask (“Would you be available to meet or talk with me on the phone for 15 to 30 minutes at your convenience this month?”)

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a response. Business people are busy. It’s a good idea to have two or three people in mind if your first choice isn’t available. It’s also helpful to talk to more than one person.

How Should You Prepare for an Informational Interview?

You’re asking a busy person for time out of their day, so you need to be focused, informed, and organized. Here’s how to prepare for your chat.

Focus on Your Goals

If you’re considering a job or career change, you probably have many questions to ask in an informational interview. But what’s your primary reason for meeting?

For example, is your most important question about what additional training or education you might need to start out in that career? Or are you interested in the potential for earning and career advancement compared to your current position? What is an informational interview goal that you can state at the beginning, so the interviewee knows how to frame their answers?

Conduct Informed Research

To get the most from your informational interview and help it go smoothly, you need some basic information before you meet. Make sure the interviewer knows you’re vested in your research so they feel the meeting is worthwhile.

1. Research the Interviewer

Absolutely know the person’s name, how to spell and pronounce it, and their current job title. Look at LinkedIn or a company bio page to find where they’ve worked and their titles before their current job. Find papers they’ve written, speeches they’ve given, and awards they’ve won. Try to make a personal connection between the two of you. This can be a mutual acquaintance, a volunteering experience, or the schools you attended.

2. Know the Industry Jargon

If you’re looking at a future career or job, research the basics to start your journey toward becoming an insider. For example, if you’re looking into a public relations career, know the difference between a news release and a press briefing. You can get this information by looking at industry websites and blogs.

3. Identify the Major Players, News, and Trends

Be in the know about the current state of the industry. For example, when preparing for a career in investments and stocks, you should know the names of the top financial analysts and most significant investors. If you want to go into healthcare administration, read up on recent HIPAA laws and find out the dates of major healthcare conferences.

Organize Your Agenda and Informational Interview Questions

Professionalism is the best way to impress the person you’re interviewing and help them open up to you. Always keep their time at the top of the list. When you set up the informational interview appointment, confirm the start and end times. Then show up on time or a few minutes early. They may get an important phone call at the last minute, so don’t stress if you’re waiting for a few minutes.

1. Open the Meeting Professionally

After you introduce yourself, thank the person for meeting with you and verify the end time of the meeting. Make sure that it still fits the person’s schedule. Wear a watch! Looking at your phone to check the time is distracting and can be seen as rude. Instead, you can surreptitiously glance at your watch as you talk. Mention how you connected, whether it was through a mutual friend, you found them on LinkedIn, etc.

Briefly set the agenda by saying something like, “I’d like to start by telling you a little about myself and what I’m hoping to find out today. And then I have some specific questions I’d like to ask about your experience.”

2. Prepare to Talk Briefly About Yourself

Keep it brief. The person you’re talking to wants to hear more about your questions and less about you. Prepare a three-sentence “elevator pitch.” Include:

  • What job or course of study you’re currently in. State your title/major and employer/school. If they want to know more, they’ll ask.
  • What you’re thinking about doing with your career. Again, state the industry, job, or title you’re thinking of.
  • Why you’re considering a change. Keep it to one or two sentences. You’ve always been interested in it, a colleague thought it might suit you, etc.
  • What is your primary goal for the meeting? Narrow it down so you can come away from the meeting with usable information. Do you want to know if it offers more advancement than your current position? Do you need more education or experience to transition to it?

3. Write Down Your Informational Interview Questions

Do not ask questions that a Google search could answer. That can frustrate your interviewee. Instead, focus on their personal experience and advice they might have for you.

The other taboo is asking directly about money, especially their salary. Instead, do some research using Monster’s Salary Tools. That way, you’re just verifying public information. You can say something like, “My online research shows a typical salary range for this job is $40,000-45,000. Does that sound accurate?”

Here is a list of questions to ask in an informational interview. Think of your own, more specific questions based on the goal you set for your informational interview.

  • How did you get into this line of work?
  • What do you enjoy about it?
  • What are some things you would like to have known before you began your career?
  • What’s the most significant change that has affected how you do your job?
  • What sort of people do well in this industry?
  • Do you have any suggestions for how I could break into the industry?

4. Wrap It Up

When you glance at your watch (not your phone) and see you have about 10 minutes until the end of your scheduled time, say you want to be mindful of your interviewee’s time. This gives them an out if they need to move along or an opportunity to extend the meeting. They’ll appreciate being in charge of the time and will be impressed with your professionalism.

When the meeting ends, you have two tasks. The first is to thank them for their time and willingness to share information. The second is to mention one particular thing they said that stuck with you. They’ll know you respected their time and you listened to them.

How Should You Follow Up After Your Informational Interview?

Immediately follow up with an email thanking them for their time. Again, mention something they said that you’ll be able to use in your job hunt or career search right away.

Also, send a handwritten note to their office. This may sound old-fashioned, but it will make a lasting impression because taking the time to write a note is so uncommon. It also allows you to find and enclose an article from a journal or online that pertains to what you discussed. You also might find a small item to include, like a bookmark pertaining to the industry or one with a relevant quotation.

If you do transition into the career or industry the two of you discussed, be sure to send another follow-up to let them know about your move and thank them again for how much their time and advice helped you to grab the opportunity.

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