An Informational Interview Can Help You Boost Your Career

Informational interviews provide unparalleled knowledge of an occupation, rather than any other source you could find. An informational interview is conducted to learn about a certain job or industry. Rather than being a job interview, it is a chance for you to talk to someone who works at a position that you want to explore as a career option.

Informational interviews provide you the opportunity to inquire about details of a specific job, the career path of a person, or insider information on a certain company or industry. One of these interviews can help you uncover a heap of knowledge about someone’s occupation, the responsibilities that come along with it, and what the work experience is like in a particular work setting.

First of all, find someone that you can talk with

Reaching out to your network is always the best idea when you want to find someone to interview. Ask around your family, friends, colleagues, or teachers about their connections with an industry in which you are interested. Or else, you can simply set up an informational interview by cold contacting a worker from one of the companies in which you are interested. Career fairs and networking events may have given you the chance to meet different professionals. If you still have contact with them, you may have a chance to arrange an informational interview with them, or with someone from their network.

Informational interviews have many benefits

It is a chance for you to inquire about someone’s firsthand experiences in the field that you are interested in. Informational interviews give you the chance to:

Help you face a job interview with more confidence and less stress

An informational interview is not a stressful occasion for either party involved. It is more casual than a job interview, and you get to lead the conversation. In most cases, you will be asking questions from the employers about the day-to-day tasks of a particular position, and they’d be answering your inquiries. Other than helping you gather valuable knowledge on the job, you also get to get over your fear of job interviews. This allows you to face job interviews with better self-confidence.

Get to learn cool insider info about the job and the industry

There are no restrictions about the questions you can ask at an informational interview as long as they are professional, and not personal. Employers are more at ease answering questions about salary, benefits, and hours during an informational interview than during an actual job interview. You will get to know the bitter truths about the industry, which will otherwise be hidden from you till you join the field. Who knows, you might even get to learn some tips and advice to up your job application game from the pros.

Form new connections with people from the industry

You get to expand your network when you set up informational interviews with someone new. We all know that a successful job search is almost always centered around whom you know. This way, you get to add more people to your network who can let you know when a great opportunity opens up in a sector that you love.

Here’s how you can conduct an informational interview

• Be professional throughout the interview process, from contacting the person to the thank you letter after
• Communicate the reason and purpose behind your interview with the person you selected beforehand so they can prepare
• Be punctual for the interview and respect their time. Don’t let the meeting drag too long
• Dress appropriately for the occasion, don’t underdress or overdress
• Research the person and the company before you visit them to make a favorable impression on the interviewee
• Prepare a clear set of questions and take a notebook along with you to jot down the important stuff
• You will probably be asked to describe yourself, prepare with a suitable elevator pitch