What is an Informational Interview?

The informational interview is a great tool to utilize when you want to find out more information about a specific job or industry. The purpose of the informational interview is not to actually find a job but to gather information about a particular job or industry from someone who has been fulfilling the duties of a specific job that you are interested in. Informational interviews are also ways of extending or building your network of contacts. The person you choose to interview can provide you with many details and functions pertaining to the job that you couldn't obtain through a company website or newsletter.

In order to do an informational interview you need to find someone to interview. The best way to do this is to locate some companies that you are interested in and pick up the phone and start making some calls. Try to set up an appointment to meet by phone or in person. You should try to accommodate the wishes of the person you are interviewing because they are helping you out. Sometimes it helps if you already have a list of colleagues or a data base of names that you can seek out for interviews.

You need to understand that the purpose of the informational interview is not to get a job but to learn and gather information. You never want to ask for a job offer. During this interview you are able to tap into the knowledge of someone who has performed the job day in and day out. They will have a wealth of insight and knowledge and you can use later on. This person may be able to provide you with some insight about your own job search as well as some other resources to explore.

You can speak with a variety of people. It can be the Vice President of Marketing, or a CPA, or an insurance sales man. The idea is to get as much information as possible. During the interview you should have a list of questions you want to ask. The good thing about this is you are in the driver's seat. For the most part you called the meeting so you are in control. The questions you ask can vary from the questions you would ask in a normal interview. If you are interested in the salary or benefits you can ask those during the informational interview.

You want your questions to focus primarily on the industry, the company, the position, and the interviewer. One question you might ask is on a day to day basis what is it like to perform these job duties. You may ask the interviewer how he got started with the company or in his position. What's the company culture like. You should have ten or 15 good questions that are going to give you some insight into the industry and the position. Before the interview try to research the company and the industry so you will have as much knowledge as possible. The more knowledge you have the more you will be able to relate to the answers given by the interviewee.

Send a thank you letter to the interviewee and if they provide you with any specific tips or strategies for your job search always complete those tasks. Follow up with the interviewee and let them know you have completed the tasks and how they were beneficial to you. This person can prove to be a valuable contact so keep in touch. Remember never ask for a job because that is not the purpose.

Source: http://shiftingcareers.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/29/mastering-the-informational-interview/

Source: http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2009_03_20/caredit.a0900039

Source: http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/infointerviews/a/infointerview.htm