What every professional needs to know to perform an effective informational interview

It is well known that merely imagining what a job will be like is not enough to make a life-changing decision on a career. This is why so many universities have career exploration courses, why job shadows are becoming more popular, and why informational interviews are very useful in today’s competitive and fast-paced job market. Consider some of the following career advice:

Find out what you like doing best, and get someone to pay you for it.
-Katharine Whitehorn

I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.
-Stephen Covey

The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.
-Steve Jobs

Students and other career seekers may seek advice like this from you in an informational interview setting. The following article will provide you with guidance on how to best provide advice to students so they will not end up working at a job they feel is at best a mediocre fit and end up resenting their career decision.

First off, what is an informational interview?

An informational interview is an informal conversation that allows career seekers to learn about your career path, your specific job responsibilities, and what could be expected of them in the process of seeking that position in a company.

Pre-interview

Get to Know Them

Learn their name and some of their background. Be prepared to use this information in the interview. LinkedIn is a great resource to learn more about a person’s experience and skills. If you cannot find very much information, you will want to spend some time understanding who they are and what they are interested in so that you can tailor your remarks to their specific needs.

It is very plausible that the student will be prepared with questions about you and your career, but whether they are or not, you will want to consider the following section’s questions to know how to direct the conversation effectively.

Be prepared to answer common questions

In order to find a career that will be an excellent fit for them, students and career seekers will most likely be interested in learning about the skills, values, and passions your role requires. Here are some questions that might come up.

Skills

• What are the core responsibilities of your job?
• How do these responsibilities change for entry, mid, and senior level positions?
• What skills and abilities are essential to success in your job?
• How did you learn these skills and abilities?

Values

• What part of this job do you personally find most and least satisfying?
• What kind of problems do you face on a day-to-day basis?
• What helped you decide to pursue this career path?
• To what extent do you interact with customers/clients? How about other departments?
• How many hours does someone who is successful work a week? Is this company specific or does everyone in this career work similar hours?
• What sacrifices may be necessary to be successful?
  What are the typical salary ranges in this profession for entry, mid, and senior levels?

Passions

• What is it that gets you so excited about this career?
• What projects have you worked on that have been particularly interesting?
• What kinds of accomplishments tend to be valued and rewarded in this career?
• How does this career differ from company to company and how is it similar?
• What are some of the long-term trends in this career?
• If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? If not, what would you change?

Below is a student’s response regarding their recent informational interview, which gives the result that you’ll get if you answer the above questions.

“We talked about the pros and cons of the career, and how it can be so flexible. We discussed the education needed, the best way to become certified, and the different ways I could decide to build my own business. We talked about the financial side of things, we talked about numbers of clients. We discussed the beliefs behind what you do, and she told me what really drives her, and what she’s trying to accomplish through her work. She talked to me about sticking to values and having integrity in your work, and even talked about the philanthropy side of things…I only wish I’d had more time to speak with her! We could’ve kept talking for another hour!”

During the Interview

Give them your undivided attention

They understand that you are busy, but silencing your cell phone and refraining from speaking with others will show them respect and they will get the most out of the experience with you. You will get more out of it too!

Have patience with the student and ease the nerves

Remember back to your first encounter with an accomplished professional. That perspective may help you recall all the emotions and worries you felt. You are not interviewing them for a job, yet they may feel nervous, scatter-brained, or may not even be properly prepared for the conversation. They deserve credit for caring about their future enough to contact a professional for help even though they may not act professionally yet. Here is your chance to give thoughtful, kind suggestions. Also, if they seem nervous, help them feel more comfortable by asking them a non-threatening question or reassuring them in some way that you are there to help.

Help them get to know you

If the student is prepared, they will know a little bit about your background, but this is a great opportunity to introduce yourself by giving a short summary of how you chose your career, perhaps you could list several of your past jobs, and add in something interesting about yourself to relax the situation.

Listen to their story

Most of the time spent with the student will consist of you talking, but hearing who they are and what they are looking for will give you valuable information in order to tailor the conversation to their needs and make it more valuable to them.

You might consider asking questions like, “What kind of work are you most interested in doing and why?” or “Are you in school? If so, what are you currently studying?” or “What do you find most fulfilling in a job setting?”

State the facts

Be yourself. You are an individual with distinct likes and dislikes. You might not enjoy every detail of your job, and that’s okay. Let them know how you feel without the sugar coating and without exaggeration. In other words, be real with them. What you say is taken as legitimate, so this needs to be authentic for the student to make an educated decision on their career.

Share key elements of your job

You should talk about the tools you use, the percentage of time you spend doing certain activities, who you work with, the kind of career progression they should expect, the salary they could expect, and what you consider to be the hardest parts of the job as well as the most satisfying parts of the job.

Share examples that demonstrate your work

If you are a social media marketing manager, talk about 2–3 projects that you have worked on. This makes things more tangible.

Share lessons you have learned

It would be great to share 3–5 big lessons you’ve learned about your career and how you gained each lesson.

Feel free to share information specific to your company

It is possible that the student chose you specifically because of the company you work for. Though the purpose of informational interviews is not to recruit but to educate, these conversations can also be a great way to advertise your company. The advice you give tailored to your company may help them be more prepared and valuable in the eyes of your employer if they apply in the future.

Also, It would be useful to tell them what kind of schooling is necessary for the job, whether or not internships are necessary before applying, and any other advice that could pertain to their eligibility to apply. You might want to highlight any differences between your work and another workplace if that applies. An example could be that your company greatly values a master’s degree, but other companies only require a bachelor’s degree.

Mention alternative careers

If you feel it appropriate, give them suggestions on alternative careers that may better fit their passions, skills, and goals. Instead of them walking away feeling like another career should be scratched off their list, they will have gained great insight if you help them in this way.

Post-interview

As any working professional, you are probably quite busy and keeping in touch with all the students who reach out to you for informational interviews would be quite a feat. However, if you feel so inclined, send them an email periodically to follow-up on their progress and answer any questions they may have. It truly will make a difference in their life.

If a man is called to be a streetsweeper,
he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted,
or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry.
He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts
of Heaven and Earth will pause to say,
here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well. — Martin Luther King Jr.

About the author — Aabbee is an intern at Kareerly and is also a student at Brigham Young University. She is studying Business Management and Spanish with the hope to become a Spanish Interpreter for hospitals and clinics. She enjoys writing, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Check out Kareerly.com and join other experienced professionals who are willing to share their career expertise with career seekers looking to find their best career fit!

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