informational interviewing part i

Lisa Mauri Thomas, M.S.

An interview designed to collect valuable and immediately useable information about a job, career field, industry or company. An informational interview is NOT a job interview.

Rather, it's an interview YOU CONDUCT with an individual working in a career of which

you would like to learn more about.

Source: About.com; http://jobsearch.about.com/od/infointerviews/g/infointerview.htm , retrieved Aug 2, 2010

To go beyond generally available, printed information and gain specific, first-hand perspective about:• Nature of the work in a particular environment• Career pathway of an influential professional• Insight, advice, and career navigation tips• Referrals: identify others to speak to further

This is a WEEKLY NETWORKING activity!

Source: About.com; http://jobsearch.about.com/od/infointerviews/g/infointerview.htm , retrieved Aug 2, 2010

Find People to Talk To:

Professional Networking Groups Linked In: People Search, Groups Professional Organizations HR Professionals & Hiring Managers Recruiters Authors of Specific Career Path Books

Dear Contact,I was referred to you by (first & last name) from XYZ company. She recommended you as an excellent source of information within the healthcare industry. (You might also indicate you found their Linked In profile and was intrigued to learn more about them and their career journey or area of expertise).

My goal is to secure a mid-level Quality Assurance position within a hospital setting. I would appreciate hearing your advice on career opportunities in this area, on determining current and critical industry keywords and qualifications, and on how best to navigate the current healthcare hiring landscape. Thanks so much, in advance, for any insight and advice you would be willing to share. I look forward to contacting you early next week to set up a brief telephone informational interview. Thank you for your consideration.

Source: About.com; http://jobsearch.about.com/od/infointerviews/g/infointerview.htm , retrieved Aug 2, 2010

Make your request by:PhoneEmailStandard MailIn PersonThrough an Introduction

Conduct the Interview by:PhoneEmailIn Person

Informational interviews can be as short as 5 minutes or as long as 1 hour or more

Don’t:

Ask for a job or say you need one soon

Complain about lack of success so far Indicate you’ve encountered age or

gender discrimination Vent negatively about being laid off Discuss your salary requirements

Remain positive, curious, and open to new ideas and constructive

criticism.

GOAL:Start and maintain an effective,

professional dialogue that leads to new contacts, mentors, and other people of

influence within the hiring process.

Commonly-used job titles and levels across different yet related settings that align with your career goals

Day-to-day duties and projects Status types: FT, PT, contract, freelance Notable challenges Desirable versus required qualifications Employment prospects in this area Names of influential persons in the field

Types of technology used Typical chain of command Career pathways, traditional and other Industry and career field growth rate Where best job listings are found, best

recruiters for the industry, etc Best professional organizations to join

and persons of interest with whom to connect and network

Ask OPEN versus CLOSED questions

Closed questions require a simple yes or no answer and once answered the dialogue can end abruptly, i.e. “are there”, “do you”, etc.

Open questions keeps the dialogue moving forward and focuses on “who, what, why, where, when and how” items.

Gain perspective and insight Strengthen your decision Determine a specific niche-area Choose an alternate path Make professional contacts among

management-level personnel Gain confidence Improve your presentation skills Improve your professional visibility

1. Determine a career focus of interest, including job titles, level or rank, and preferred environments

2. Create a 15-20 item “question bank” that hones in on “need-to-know” information – must be OPEN-ENDED Q’s

The next segment on Informational Interviewing will involve testing your open-ended question bank with a partner prior to formal use.

We will also discuss specific ways to reach out to the potential strategic allies you’re able to identify.