Informational Interviewing Guide

Informational Interviewing allows you to:

Explore careers and gain perspective on skills needed
Develop knowledge of industry trends
Gain exposure to various jobs and different organizational cultures
Create a professional network to support the job search
Develop interviewing skills in a low-risk situation

Locating Contacts

Reach out to people you know and share with them your career interests and desire to connect with professionals in the field:

Advisors, faculty, and staff
Alumni
Career Services
Through experience-based classes and assignments
Colleagues, classmates, friends, parents, parents’ friends, friends’ parents
LinkedIn groups and professional associations

Setting Up the Informational Interview

Initial contact via email or phone should include:

An introduction of yourself including major and class year
Why you are contacting the person and how you got their name
Your interests as it relates to the field/industry
A request to meet with them for a 20-30 minute career conversation via phone, Zoom, or in-person meeting

Preparing for the Informational Interview

Research the organization/company/career field and the person you will be meeting. Preparing for the interview shows respect for the professional you will be talking to. Review the organization/company’s mission statement, new initiatives, long term projects, media attention, and overview.

Prepare a list of 5-7 questions for the conversation. Select questions that will help you gather useful information for your career research. Possible questions include:

General career field

What credentials or degrees are required for entry into this kind of work?
What types of prior experience are absolutely essential? What experiences do you recommend?
What skills or abilities are most essential for success in this job/career field?
Describe a typical workday or work week.
What parts of the job do you find most satisfying/challenging?
What is the job outlook for this field?
What are typical entry-level jobs in this field?
What do you suggest for job search strategies?
What advice would you give to someone starting out in this field?
What professional associations/journals would you recommend?
What are the most important trends/issues in this field?
What haven’t I asked you that I should know?

Specific to company

Could you please provide an overview of your organization/company?
Could you please provide an overview of your office/department/division?
What is rewarding about working at this organization/company?
What types of professional development opportunities are available?

Final and important question

Who else would you recommend I speak with for additional information?

The Meeting

Remember this session is for gathering information, not asking for a job. Therefore, you will be asking most of the questions.
Begin by introducing yourself and reaffirming your purpose (to gather information).
Limit your conversation to 30 minutes. Be respectful of others’ time. The interviewee may extend this time but leave it up to them.

After the Interview

Email or mail a thank-you note expressing your appreciation for the interview and mentioning a couple of pieces of helpful advice from the meeting.
Connect with them on LinkedIn. Join any LinkedIn groups the interviewee recommends.
Stay in touch - this contact might be beneficial in the job search process.