What makes an informational interview a success? Two-words: “Good Questions” and one word: “Curiosity.”
If you look up “Informational Interview” in Wikipedia, here’s what you get: “a meeting in which a job seeker asks for career and industry advice rather than employment. The job seeker uses the interview to (ask the questions), gather information on the field, and expand their professional network. This differs from a job interview because the job seeker asks the questions.”
Okay, so what questions should you ask when you do an informational interview well? Here are my top ten:
1. What is the job like day to day? What do you do in a typical day? What have you done over this past week or couple of days?
2. Hone in on expected talents. What are the key skills that are expected to possess in their job? For example a nurse needs to be able to assess patients, record what you observe in a document, etc.
3. How did you learn those skills? On-the-job? In a classroom? Internship? From an informal mentor(s) when they started? How did they get the experience needed? Do you enjoy what you do? What drew you to this work? A paycheck? A friend? A relative? A teacher? What challenges do they face day-to-day and how do they tackle them?
4. How would you describe working for this company? One like? One dislike? How does the company compare with competitors in the industry?
5. What is your role in this job? How does your role play out in this company? Are you a revenue generator, one of the doers, part of an infrastructure support team, a strategic implementer? How do you fit in to the picture?
6. How do you view the work in this industry? Is it cutting edge? Could we do a quick mini- SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of the industry, employment opportunities, education required.
For example: an intervention specialist in the field of education is a relatively new position. They develop independent action plans for at-risk students. Ten years ago this position did not exist, and now it is one of the fastest growing areas.
7. Where are the job opportunities in your area? They will be different given the career opportunity you are considering: sales professional, accountant, IT professional, teacher, CNC operator, manufacturing engineer. Knowing what kinds of companies or organizations are hiring may help you target positions based on company size, and whether you should look for employment in a large metro area, or a medium-to-smaller community.
8. What are your personal job experiences and how did you get hired?
People like to talk about themselves, once they know you really care what they have to say. Put them on a bit of a pedestal, and feel the love.
9. What else do I need to do to land a position in your industry? Many times they will be able to tell you what training is needed,and what can be learned on the job.
10. And remember to ask follow-up questions. Preparation gives your curiosity an edge. Be as prepared as you can about what they do. Link your curiosity to asking follow up questions as they say things about which you want to know more. When something peaks your interest it will help steer the conversation. It’s meant to be a dialogue or interaction.
One last point, especially when you want to ask them something that may require an explanation? For example; teaching is a great profession, yet teachers often get beat up in the media for not getting the job done. Ask the hard questions. Aren’t kids kind of crazy some times? Or parents? Or administrators?
Knowledge is power, and the more you know about a potential job option, the more powerful your perspective will be, all from good questions, and then listening to them talk.
If you do this right – guaranteed – it will help you determine if this type of job, this type of work is something you would want to do.