Informational Interviews
I believe that the most important step to determine if you will have a fulfilling career is by conducting informational interviews. An informational interview is when you ask question to a professional that has a unique perspective and experience in their career, industry, company and understand their experiences. This will better inform you in the decisions you make in your career. It is a great way to network and create meaningful relationship with people that have similar interests.
1
Find someone to interview.
2
Prepare
3
Conversation
4
Give Thanks
1
Find Someone To Interview
People love to talk about themselves, based from my experience, I had more professionals accept informational interviews than reject them. Don’t get intimidated by rejection, the more people you reach out to then the higher the probability of getting a yes is higher.
The quickest way to find a professional is LinkedIn and Google. Search for job titles, college degrees, industries.
See attached cold email template at the bottom of this page.
2
Prepare
Do your research ahead of time. For example, look up the company and read about the person on LinkedIn – understand their current trajectory. This will build credibility and they will feel appreciated that their time was worthwhile for the interview.
Prepare your questions ahead of time. You will take lead on the conversation.
3
Conversation
Tell them about yourself; talk about your interests, where you are standing on your career, and what you hope to accomplish in 5, 10, 15 years… Be concise, remember the interview is about them.
Have these three objectives in mind:
1. Understand their role.
2.Understand the path they took to get there.
3. Ask for advice.
4
Give Thanks
Give your pure, genuine gratitude. Many people love to help and by them giving an informational interview, you are robbing them of that pleasure. Follow up with a ‘Thank-you’ note for thanking them for a valuable conversation and their time. Update them with your career every 6-months or year.
Email Template
Dear Mr. _____,
My name is _____ and I am currently a ____ student at _____ concentrating in ____. I found you through ____ and noticed that we share a similar passion for the
_____ field and wanted to ask if you might have some time to share with me information about your background
and current role at ____ Company.
I am really interested in learning more about working in ____ versus ____ and see from
your profile that you have experience in both. I would love to hear your insights and advice. May I have 15-20 minutes
of your time over the next few weeks to ask you a few questions? I recognize this may be a busy time of year for you
and appreciate any time you can spare.
Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
______