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Informational Interviews

1. What is an “informational interview,” and why is it beneficial to you? An informational interview is an arranged meeting with someone who works in a job, career field, or organization that interests you.
Benefits:

Very effective technique for researching and screening careers, jobs, or employers.
Answers questions about what it’s like to work in a particular career field, or job, or for a specific organization.
Increases your network of contacts (80 percent of jobs are obtained through networking).
Talking to industry professionals is a good way of finding out if a field really is a good fit for you.
Helps prepare you for the job search.

2. How do I find people who will talk to me? This may be easier than you think. People are generally willing to give advice to future generations. Start with your own network:

Faculty
ICC and UC Davis staff
The Aggie Job Link Professional Network
Friends and family members (and your roommate’s/classmate’s friends and family members)
Directories, other print resources, or through Web site links.
The Cal Aggie Alumni Association Career Resource Network

3. How do I initiate contact? Be clear about your objective before you initiate contact. Set clear goals about what you want to gain from the informational interview. Once you have a contact name or names, you may contact this person by letter, e-mail or telephone. Let this person know how you found out about him or her. When you call, explain why you are calling and be polite, positive, and businesslike. Request a mutually convenient, thirty-minute face-to-face meeting. It’s best to prepare a “telephone script.” Following is a sample telephone script, but of course you can develop your own.

“Hello, my name is Max Mustang. Alex Aggie suggested I call you .I am a senior majoring in English at UC Davis, and am interested in learning more about careers in technical writing. Alex recommended you as someone who is well respected in this field. I’m wondering if I might make a half-hour appointment with you sometime soon to seek your advice. Thank you! I look forward to meeting you, and will see you next Thursday at 3:00 p.m.”

4. How do I prepare for the informational interview? Do initial research on the career field or employer using the Internet or the print resources in the Career and Graduate Study Resource Center, Room 215 South Hall. Once you’ve done the research, develop a 30-second overview of yourself, including your reasons for contacting this person. Plan open-ended questions to keep the conversation flowing, instead of questions that require a “Yes” or “No” answer (see sample question section). Dress neatly and appropriately, just as you would for a job interview. Take multiple copies of your resume and a notepad and pen, along with a list of prioritized questions to ask.

5. How should I conduct the informational interview? Start by thanking your contact for taking the time to meet with you, then establish rapport by engaging in a bit of small talk. After that, start with your prioritized questions. As a rule, you should not take more than a half hour of this person’s time, so you may not be able to ask all your questions. Remember, this is a conversation, not an interrogation, so let it flow. Following are sample questions you can ask (again, you won’t have time to ask all of them).

Questions about the career:

How did you become interested in this career?
What is a typical workday like? What are your job responsibilities?
What are the rewards, challenges, and frustrations of working in this career?
What entry-level jobs are available in this field?
What experience is necessary to enter this career?
What advice do you have for someone preparing to enter this career

Questions about the organization/industry:

How does your position fit within the organization/industry/career field?
What is your work environment like?
What is the economic forecast for this industry?
What is unique to your organization? Who are your competitors?

Questions about future growth/salary information?

What are the employment prospects for someone entering this field?
What are some of the current issues and trends in this field?
What is a typical starting salary or salary range in this field?

Follow-up questions:

Would you mind taking a quick look at my resume? How should I target my resume for your industry?
Are there professional publications I should read or associations I should join?
What other professionals in this field would you recommend I speak with for additional information? May I use your name when I contact them?
May I have your business card?

Don’t be afraid to ask your own questions. This is your chance to get the information you need from an industry professional.

Shortly after your informational interview, send a thank-you note or e-mail. This will let the person you spoke to know how much you appreciated their time and advice. That person might think about alerting you in the future when a job opportunity arises in that organization....or he or she might refer your resume to colleagues in other organizations. Also, keep that contact active, you may use it in the future.

Difference between Informational Interviews and Job Interviews

Informational Interview	Job Interview
You contact them	They contact you
Easier to get meeting	Difficult to get meeting
More relaxed atmosphere	More formal agenda
Limited time for interview	Extended time for interview
You ask the questions	They ask the questions
Promote your strengths gently	Promote your strengths heavily
Large chance for referrals	Small chance for referrals
You never ask for a job	You are asking for a job
Talk much less of the time	Talk about 50% of the time
Always send a thank you note	Always send a thank you note
Wear professional attire	Wear professional attire

Recipe for Success

Below is a list of tips compiled from industry professionals. These are tips to act on now in order to significantly help you get a job later.

Conduct Informational interviews: Interviewing industry professionals gives you much more knowledge – knowledge that can be used in interviews or for networking.
Network often: It’s not just what you know, it’s who you know – or who knows you.
Read and investigate your chosen industry/field.
Do as many internships as possible – experience will take you places!
Have confidence in your abilities.
Initiative and Flexibility: go beyond your job description. People notice, and the experience can and will take you further in your career.
Be passionate about anything you do.
Smile and be pleasant. A good attitude will take you very far.
Don’t settle for a job – plan a lifelong career (and don’t be afraid of changing those plans)
Study foreign languages. If you know one, keep up on it. The world is much smaller now and the use of a foreign language (or multiple languages) can take you far.

Contributed by George Tastard of the U.S. Commercial Service

Maintained by Ken Barnes of Liberal Arts & Business,
Room 211, South Hall. 530.752.2011.