Informational Interviewing

Job Search Tip: Strategic Interviewing – Know the Problem They Want to Solve

May 18, 2020 By Katherine Burik

Learn the 3-pronged approach to understanding strategic interviewing and differentiate yourself from other candidates.

Katherine Burik is a Job Search / Career Coach and, in this video, she shares her 3-pronged approach for strategic interviewing. These tips will help you go into your next interview prepared to demonstrate, through your stories, how you can solve their problem and differentiate yourself from other candidates.

Want to learn how to Find a Better Job? Register for this FREE LinkedIn Training from the Interview Doctor – Get instant access here.

Shy Person’s Guide to Information Interviews

May 19, 2017 By Marta Goertzen

You need to do information interviews when you’re seeking a new career.

I wonder what a Process Engineer does? I wonder what is involved in being a Product Manager? What is that “Coding” I keep hearing about?

When you find yourself asking, “I wonder…” you know it is time to get more information.

We call those kinds of discussions “information interviews”. Talking to an expert about something you are interested in. A way to confirm or deny a point of view. Gathering information from others to help you reach a conclusion about your life.

Sometimes asking Google just isn’t enough. Sometimes you just have to talk to an expert. Especially in situations involving your career.

Easy enough to say but hard to put into action.

I have clients right now who balk at the idea of talking to someone about career options.

Laura is killing herself at a project manager job in a consulting firm focused on training and development. She thinks being a Human Resource Business Partner would be a good use of her skills. But she doesn’t have time and is very shy about talking to people she doesn’t know.
Chantel wants out of her data analytics management role but she is not sure how her skills translate to Marketing Product Manager. The thought of talking to someone about what they do makes her quake.

I am pretty knowledgeable about many careers so I can give guidance but I am not a substitute for talking with someone who is actually doing the job.

Why is it so hard for shy people to talk to gather this information? I can speak from my own experience.

I like to tell people I would rather pick up dog poop in the front yard than pick up the phone to talk to someone I don’t know. It feels like an imposition. I am not sure what to say. I am not sure why anyone would want to talk to me anyway.

The answer is just figure out a way to do it in a manner you can handle.

It got easier for me through repetition. I just gutted through and forced myself to do it often enough that, although I still blanch a bit, I can do it.

Here are some tips that might help you:

Email can be a less scary way to talk to people. Use our Networking Guide for Job Search Success to create your own email networking process that turns strangers into friends. You can still ask your questions but you won’t be making cold calls. You will be making warm calls. By the time you get to a coffee meeting you will feel like the other person is almost a friend.
Set realistic goals. Build up your “networking” strength by making one call per day or maybe even one call a week. Set a time every day (or week) that you will force yourself to pick up the phone. Then give yourself a reward for achieving this small but very difficult goal.
Use a script to reach out. You will feel more confident if you feel prepared. Plan out what the other person might say and how you would respond. Know exactly what you want to ask – a meeting or a simple question about the other person’s career.
Avoidance is still an option for extremely shy people. You won’t get as much out of the information but it is better than guessing. Do your research online using Google and LinkedIn. The reference librarian at your local library could be a great source of information.

Here is how it worked out for my clients:

Laura is lucky in that I am very familiar with the Human Resource Business Partner role. I am the expert she can talk to! She plans to avoid networking by using LinkedIn to connect with people associated with HR Business Partner jobs posted online.
Chantel will read many job descriptions then look at LinkedIn profiles of people who hold the job “Product Manager” to see how those folks describe their jobs. Then she will start adding those folks as LinkedIn connections using the Networking Guide as her model.

These three shy folks found unique ways to get the information they need with less stress. Sometimes a workaround is just what is needed!

If you are shy or introverted there is no shame in that but it may be blocking you from getting the career you want. There is help for you! Get your free copy of the “7 Tips for Career Success for the Shy Person” and begin to step out, beyond these barriers, onto a new career path today.

Informational Interviews – How to Make the Appointment

March 15, 2016 By Marta Goertzen

Many people hate informational interviews. It is not that they hate the interviews but they are afraid no one will want to talk to them. They are afraid to reach out to people they don’t know yet and ask them to chat.

This is pretty natural. Most of us hate cold calling and this is as close to cold calling as many of us non-sales people will ever come. It brings me to shudders even now.

Yet informational or networking interviews are a great way to meet people. Meeting people leads to building relationships which is the best way to find a job. So despite our trepidation we must reach out and connect with people we don’t yet know. And we must talk with them one on one to build relationships.

Short of just say, “Get over it”, let’s look at this a little scientifically.

My husband, Kermit, is a great sales person. He appears to be completely fearless about stepping out to meet people he does not yet know. He is methodical about cold calling and relationship building. Here is his approach to getting the courage to talk to people you don’t yet know.

He said there are three outcomes when you call someone for information:

Yes, I would love to talk with you.
Yes, I would love to talk with you but I am really busy right now. Can we schedule a time to talk in a few weeks?
No, I do not have time or I don’t want to talk with you.

Two-thirds of the time you can make an appointment. Those are pretty good odds!

Ah, you counter, what if they don’t answer the phone or respond to the email? Then none of the three options occurred. We might assume that the other person falls into the third option but we really don’t have enough information to make that conclusion.

Chuck had that issue. He reached out to the hiring manager for a position he wanted. The person responded and then they had a nice phone conversation. Yeah! We have outcome #1. And the hiring manager is no longer a stranger. A great start.

Then the hiring manager said let’s connect again in a few weeks after I finish this big project. Yeah! We also have outcome #2. But then nothing happened. The hiring manager did not respond to further emails. Chuck is at a standstill.

No response is not exactly a #3 brushoff. It is just not a response. Chuck needs to create a tickler file to follow up with the hiring manager in a few weeks with another note. Eventually the hiring manager will respond… or he won’t. But in the meantime Chuck needs to move on to another lead. Or ten other leads. Because finding a job is a numbers game.

Don’t dwell on the one lead that turned into a #3 no. Find ten more leads and reach out for informational or networking interviews. Take a chance on building a relationship with some of the thousands of people out there just waiting to talk to you! Your odds are actually very good!!

Job Interview Tools Part 2: Create a Great Impression

December 15, 2015 By Katherine Burik

The tools you bring to a job interview reflect the impression you want to leave. Be sure the tools you carry are right for the job you want.

A kindergarten teacher can have portfolio with cute little apples on it. It is not ok for a vice president to carry a portfolio with cute little apples. I don’t care how nice and friendly you want to appear. It just looks goofy.

An advertising or marketing professional can have a more colorful portfolio, maybe something with an attitude.

TA supply chain specialist should carry a more subtle brown or black portfolio reflecting the more serious nature of the job.

An IT person is given a little more leeway than a finance person who should carry more straight laced props.

The writing instrument is another prop that should reflect the position. An executive should have a really nice pen. It doesn’t have to a Montblanc but avoid that golf pencil. A finance person might use a mechanical pencil. A safe bet for everyone is a nice plain ball point pen.

Remember, you are trying to create an impression. Leave the pens from the dentist or the landscape company at home. Skip the pens with the feathers on them or the glow in the dark fairy wand pens. You think I am kidding? I’ve seen it done!

The bottom line is a prepared candidate always brings paper and a writing instrument to a job interview. You want to take notes. In the hustle and bustle of the job interview you might forget something. Taking notes allows you to go back and refresh your memory later when you write thank you notes.

Here are some important documents to bring with you in your portfolio:

Two or three copies of your resume, printed on nice paper
The questions you want to ask about the company and the job – typed
Your typed responses to frequently asked questions so you can prepare immediately prior to the interview. Tuck these sheets in the back so the interviewer cannot see them.

Do not take this issue lightly! Hiring decisions have been made on seemingly unimportant issues like this. Preparing for a job interview? Sign up for our free download, “30 Most Frequently Asked Job Interview Questions“.

The Guide to Ruining a Job Interview

May 15, 2015 By Marta Goertzen

Today I challenged myself to list at least 10 things candidates do to ruin a job interview. I got out my pencil and started making notes. Before I knew it I came up with 20 things!

Have you ever done any of these things? Be honest.

Not prepared – Don’t know anything about the company – didn’t do research
Dressed improperly (however the company defines that)
Arrive late or too early. Surprising enough it can be very annoying to hiring managers to arrive too early. Waiting in the outside office only reminds the hiring manager that he or she is under too much pressure. You can and should arrive at the building at least 15 to 30 minutes before your interview but don’t go into the office or see the receptionist until 5 to 10 minutes before the interview.
Be sure you know what you want to say. Have any handouts neatly organized and accessible. Once I went to an interview with a handout in my briefcase but at the appropriate moment that sheet of paper blended in with the other papers. I fumbled around to find it but the moment was gone. I just looked disorganized.

Chew gum.
Swear. This should be obvious but evidently it still happens. Don’t do it. Enough said.
Too casual or too formal. Adjust your presentation and responses to the environment. If they are formal, you are formal. If they are casual you should be a little more formal but don’t be a stick in the mud.
Fail to ask questions or ask lame questions. Think about this in advance and have a pre-printed list of questions that show your research about issues that are important to the company or the hiring manager.
Oversell or come on too strong. Hard to believe but it is possible to come on too strong. Be aware of the impression you leave.
Bring a Starbucks coffee to the meeting. It happens but it shouldn’t.
Touch your face or hair – distracting. Stop playing with your hair or cleaning your ears or picking at your fingers. Yuck.
Come with wet hair. We should not have to say this.
Bad breath. Pop a breath mint before entering the building. Better idea, avoid garlic before a big interview.
Don’t know what you want. This is an interview killer. No one can help you if you don’t help yourself. At least start by knowing what you want.
Not creative when asked what websites and publications your read. If someone asks you what you read, site websites and publications related to your industry, profession or personal interests. Choose something that shows you think.
Ask what the hours are. The right answer is “however long it takes to get the job done”. Asking about the hours implies you are not interested in working hard.
Long cover letters. No one reads them anyway. Be short and get directly to the point. You don’t want the hiring manager to infer that you are boring.
Talk bad about other people, candidates or companies. This should be obvious but it happens.
Say your goal is something other than the job you apply for. This is an interview ender.
Haven’t looked at company website. You would be shocked at how many people think they are prepared for an interview but have not even glanced at the website.

And the bonus way to mess up an interview:

Ask too many questions about moving up. You are interviewing for THIS job. It is nice to be interested in development and growth but focus your attention on the job at hand. Land that one and we can talk about promotion.

Informational Interviewing

Learn the 3-pronged approach to understanding strategic interviewing and differentiate yourself from other candidates.

Want to learn how to Find a Better Job? Register for this FREE LinkedIn Training from the Interview Doctor – Get instant access here.

You need to do information interviews when you’re seeking a new career.

If you are shy or introverted there is no shame in that but it may be blocking you from getting the career you want. There is help for you! Get your free copy of the “7 Tips for Career Success for the Shy Person” and begin to step out, beyond these barriers, onto a new career path today.

Many people hate informational interviews. It is not that they hate the interviews but they are afraid no one will want to talk to them. They are afraid to reach out to people they don’t know yet and ask them to chat.

Don’t dwell on the one lead that turned into a #3 no. Find ten more leads and reach out for informational or networking interviews. Take a chance on building a relationship with some of the thousands of people out there just waiting to talk to you! Your odds are actually very good!!

The tools you bring to a job interview reflect the impression you want to leave. Be sure the tools you carry are right for the job you want.

Here are some important documents to bring with you in your portfolio:

Do not take this issue lightly! Hiring decisions have been made on seemingly unimportant issues like this. Preparing for a job interview? Sign up for our free download, “30 Most Frequently Asked Job Interview Questions“.

Today I challenged myself to list at least 10 things candidates do to ruin a job interview. I got out my pencil and started making notes. Before I knew it I came up with 20 things!

Pay attention. Learn from others’ mistakes. Have a great job interview!