The following is a guest post by Kyra Kuik.
An informational interview is a meeting that allows a job-seeker to gain information about a specific career or particular industry, and it’s a great way to gather information, find employment opportunities, and generally increase your professional network.
Initiated by the job-seeker, informational interviews allow you to ask questions relevant to gaining employment in the field you are interested in.
In the current economic climate, arranging an informational interview can really help improve your employment prospects, arming you with the knowledge that you need to be selected for, and succeed in a job interview.
The important thing to remember when organizing an informational interview is that as the professional you will be speaking to will be giving up their time to help you in your time of need, you should respect traditional job interview etiquette. You will be most successful in an informational interview if you treat it as you would a job interview.
To make the most out of informational interviews, you should:
•Prepare yourself with research about the industry and the individual. Visit the company’s website and pay attention to the “about” section and the company’s latest press releases. Remember, even though it’s not a traditional interview, and informational interview is a great place to practice your interview techniques.
•Arrange a time and place that are convenient for the person you are interviewing. Make sure you arrive promptly and do not take up too much of their time. Around thirty minutes is usually plenty to glean the information that you need.
•Dress appropriately. As previously mentioned, the interview should respect traditional etiquette.
•Make sure that you prepare questions before you go into the interview. Ideally these should be open-ended questions, things like “how did you get started?” and “what is the most difficult part of your job?” Again, do your homework. Ask questions that are relevant to the individual and don’t be too concerned if they seem to be going off on a tangent.
•You are likely to be a little nervous when conducting an informational interview, and this means that you may forget some of the finer points of your conversation. Ask your interviewee if they mind you documenting the conversation. If they’re agreeable to this, take a tape recorder or a tablet to quickly jot down information that you think may be particularly useful. However, it’s important to maintain a good amount of eye contact whilst you speak to the professional. You are hoping to build a rapport with them, so listening carefully is essential.
•Keep an eye on the time. If you’ve come to the end of your allotted time slot, let your interviewee know. It is better to let them know and have them tell you that they are willing to continue, as they may have lost track of time and have prior engagements.
•Any professional that allows you to interview them is giving up their own time and allowing you unique insight into their field. It is absolutely essential to thank them for this. Immediately after the interview send them a short thank you email. You should follow this up a little later with a hand-written note detailing your gratitude and what you feel you gained from the interview. Don’t forget, you are fostering a relationship with this professional and you want them to remember you for future opportunities.
About the Author:
Kyra Kuik works for a creative internet marketing company in Seattle, WA. You can connect with Kyra on Twitter.
