The Informational Interview
The Informational Interview
An informational interview is not technically an interview as such, rather its more akin to an informal meeting, where a person looking for employment in a certain field seeks advice on a job or organisation within that field from a person who has an in-depth knowledge of it
An informational interview is unique in that instead of the one being interviewed, you are the one who is conducting it. That’s why when it comes to the informational interview itself, one of the biggest problems encountered is finding someone to conduct it with in the first place, because you’ll need to convince that person to take the time to sit down with you to do this, which is typically one of the reasons why this is a method mainly used by people with career or professional backgrounds who have accumulated such contacts over the course of their careers
The informational interview is a great way to get inside information about the organisation you will be interviewing with which can be invaluable when it’s time for the actual interview itself, on top of which, it can also be a great way to network and build up valuable new contacts and acquaintances as you make your way along your chosen career path. You can even note the fact you’ve held an informational interview in the personal statement on your C.V, which is another great way to show your interest and show the initiative you are prepared to take to land the role
An informational interview is the exact opposite of a normal interview in that you are the one who is conducting it. To hold an informational interview, you would simply approach a person within the industry or organisation you’re looking to get into and ask them if they would be willing to take the time to participate in one with you. You could either do this by asking them verbally, or write this out as a formal invitation to them. On it, you’d be looking to express your reason for wanting to hold this interview, which may go something along the lines that you’re looking to gain insight into a certain field or organisation. You would want to explain what working in that particular role would mean to you, and personalize your request by telling them how much taking the time to do so would mean too. When looking to hold an informational interview you’ll need a venue to do this, but the great thing is that nowadays many venues can be facilitated online, providing a quick, convenient, and inexpensive means to host functions like this. You may also want to explain to your participant what the informational interview will entail, including details like where the interview will be held, how long they can expect it to last, and what types of questions they might expect to encounter. As you are responsible for hosting this interview, if you choose to hold it in a physical location, you may wish to consider things like providing refreshments for yourself and your participant too!
Suggested Venues
- Online hosting service
- Local Community Centre
- Conference Room
- Library
- Cafe/ Restaurant
- In house – Living Room/ Study Room area
Hosting an informational interview also means it will be up to you to compose the questions of which it is compromised. Thankfully though, this is a lot simpler than you might think
There are not really any legal guidelines on this, as it is essentially an informal meeting that is not regulated in any way. You may however wish to advise your participant to seek advice from their employer before they meet with you first though, as there may be some things which they are not allowed to divulge. If there are any concerns in this regard, you could also perhaps suggest providing the list of questions you plan to ask to their employer so they can vet them first
A list of 10-15 questions will normally be sufficient. While the length of time your interview might take is subjective and can vary from interview to interview, the general advice is to keep the length to around that of a standard interview, which is between 25 – 30 mins. Your participant has graciously offered to give you their time to conduct this interview. As such, it is a great opportunity to network with them, that’s why you don’t want to be rude and keep the interview going for an excessive amount of time. It’s also why another shrewd tactic is to compose an additional 5 questions on top of your original questions list, that way, if you find the conversation continuing on, you can tacitly introduce a few additional questions into the discourse
Although conducting the informational interview under the auspice of an actual interview gives you a much more professional bearing and will give structure to the questions you ask and help you gather information more efficiently, remember that this is not really an interview in the strictest sense, but can be more adequately described as an informal meeting with someone who has given their time to assist you. As such, you should try and make it as conversational as possible – talk with your participant and do your best to get to know them. Not only is this an opportunity to gain valuable information, but it is also an opportunity to network and gain a new contact in the industry too! Remember that you are there to learn what you can about the company or role in question. That’s why you should always have a pen and notepad to hand and be prepared to take extensive notes, and you should also be ready to get your participant to go back over anything that you are unsure of, taking as much time as you need to clarify a point until you understand it fully. Most important of all though, try to relax. The informational interview is a great opportunity to expand your horizons and gain valuable insight into a particular job or organisation. Enjoy the experience and the rest should take care of itself!