Information Interviews

Information interviews can be a great job hunting resource. They are like job interviews except you ask all the questions and they're about an occupation, not a specific job. You have two goals during the interview. First, learn about the occupation to see if it might suit you. Second, establish a connection with the person you're interviewing. If handled properly, information interviews can lead to job search suggestions or contacts — even offers!

Benefits

Information interviews provide many benefits. You:

• make a contact — a connection with someone;
  
  
• learn more about the company, industry and job;
  
  
• gain confidence as you practice your interviewing skills;
  
  
• learn, possibly, about "hidden" (unadvertised) jobs.

Who to Ask

Interviews take time, so target only individuals who have occupations that you really want to pursue. You might ask:

• friends, family, neighbors, supervisors, coworkers and anyone these people know;
  
  
• people listed in the yellow pages or association directories.

Guidelines

Here are some general guidelines for the interview:

• Interview three people for each occupation of interest.
  
  
• When you call, say how you got that person's name.
  
  
• Explain that you're seeking advice and experience.
  
  
• Ask to meet for twenty minutes and stick to it!
  
  
• Bring paper and pen with you and take notes.
  
  
• Research beforehand as you would for a job interview (see Research, Research, Research).
  
  
• Dress and act as you would at a job interview.
  
  
• DON'T ask the person for a job in any way!!
  

Questions to Ask

Since you probably don't have much time, pick only a few important questions to ask. Here are some ideas:

• How did you get into this type of work? This job?
  
  
• What type of preparation / education / training did you have? What is required?
  
  
• What do you enjoy the most? The least?
  
  
• What three skills do you use most often?
  
  
• Describe a typical day or week.
  
  
• What motivates you?
  
  
• Describe difficulties you regularly face on the job.
  
  
• What are the advancement opportunities and limits?
  
  
• How does a person usually progress in this field?
  
  
• What must a person know to stay competitive?
  
  
• What's the economic outlook for this career?
  
  
• How does your job affect your home life?
  
  
• What are typical entry-level job titles and duties?
  
  
• How do you suggest I learn more about this field?
  
  
• Here are my strengths. How do they fit in this field?

Afterwards

When your scheduled time is almost up, end the interview.

• Before you leave, tell the person that you would like to be of service any time he or she needs it.
  
  
• Ask for referrals to others who might be available for an information interview.
  
  
• Get his / her business card.
  
  
• Immediately send a thank you note.
  
  
• Evaluate how well you conducted the interview.
  
  
• Decide how to weigh what the interviewee said. Take what you heard with a grain of salt and trust your own judgment.
  
  
• Review the notes you took and decide your next step.
  
  
• When you eventually do get a job, tell your interviewees about it — they'll want to know how your search ended!