Getting the Most from an Informational Interview
Experts agree that an important and often overlooked tool is the informational interview. This is an informal meeting in person or by phone between you and someone who is in an interesting job or company that you would like to learn more about.
These people have first-hand experience in the industry and with the company. You are looking for insights on the intangibles that aren’t always available from other sources.
Mastering the Informational Interview
Preparation is key for successful informational interviews.
Review Mastering the Informational Interview for ideas on what sorts of information you should be looking to gather and what questions you can ask to get it.
Moving Beyond Informational Interviews
After your informational interviews, you might feel energized, confused, or overwhelmed with new information. You might have just interviewed someone with your dream job and now know what you need to do to get there. However, remember, people may give you conflicting information. That company you thought was your dream company? You might have learned that employees aren’t happy there. Overall, you have to consider all the information and then chart your own direction.
- Add to your Dashboard. Jot down pertinent information to review later.
- Review what you need to do. Did you find out you will need specific skills or education you don’t currently have? Make a plan on how you will get these.
- Review your priorities. Did this person say something to make you rethink your goals? Why?
- Continue to research. Get in touch with other people in similar jobs in different industries. Do they have different opinions and insights?
- SWOT it. Lay out all your information in a SWOT analysis. Consider the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that you’ve been presented with. This will help you think about your plan in a rational way. Sure, robots might replace us all, but that threat is certainly outweighed by the opportunity to join the marketing division of the tech startup that is leading in their field.