How to Interview, Informationally

Sara Hendrickson
Jul 23, 2017 · 4 min read
Photo by Olu Eletu on Unsplash

Young Ones,

I’m a copywriter, and I have a good job. But before I was a copywriter with a good job, I was many other things. You could say that, when it came to deciding on a career, I took the scenic route. I was a nanny, a bill collector, a grad student, I sold shoes, I taught high school, I started a blog, I developed recipes, I taught cooking classes and gave nutrition advice, I worked at a magazine, and I completed — if we’re counting — four internships. Not exactly typical. People seem to be interested in how I “made it.” The real answer: With A LOT of help. This help came in many forms, but one of the best and most helpful things I did was ask for informational interviews with anybody who seemed smart, established, and happy in their careers. I highly recommend going a little outside your comfort zone and inviting strangers with interesting-sounding jobs out for coffee or a beer. To help you get started, here are some things to keep in mind.

  • Be brave. Who do you dream of talking to for half an hour? Ask them. If they say yes, awesome! If the say no, who cares? It’s good to practice being rejected. It’s going to happen. A lot.
  • Be respectful. People are busy. They aren’t better than you, but they probably don’t have as much time. Do what works for them, say please and thank you, and be patient if you don’t hear back right away.
  • State your purpose. Also, have a purpose. When you reach out initially, don’t just say you want to talk. Say why. And make it compelling. People want to help you but they don’t want to do your work for you.

Here’s a sample email that you could send to a prospective informational interviewee:

Dear XXXX,

I first learned about your company when I was researching XXXX and immediately became obsessed with your XXXX mission/project/work/etc. I’m studying XXXX at XXXX and pursuing a career in XXXX. If your schedule allows, I’d love to buy you a coffee and pick your brain. Do you have any availability for a quick 30 minute chat sometime during the next couple of weeks? Please let me know.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration. Looking forward to talking soon.

Sincerely yours,

XXXX

Ok. You sent the email. Phew! Good job. Now, don’t panic, but you might hear back. What happens then?

Be flexible and accommodating with scheduling. Do what works for them. If you have to pay for Uber, or get work covered, it’s worth it. Utilize your Outlook or Gmail calendar. (Their assistant will likely set up the meeting but if they don’t have one, be proactive and helpful.) Respond promptly. Read and re-read your emails before sending. Use your goddamn spellcheck machine.

In the time between scheduling and meeting, prepare. Research. Learn everything you can about the person so they feel like you’re serious about learning, and so you can get straight to the interesting stuff without wasting time on introductions. The best case scenario is that they leave your conversation thinking, “I could totally hire that person,” right? Be impressive. Ask good questions. Questions that show you’re thoughtful, curious and sincere. That you’ve done your research, and are here to learn. Here are some examples:

  • How did you get to where you are, as a (job title) at (place they work)?
  • What education or experiences best prepared you for your career?
  • What’s the best advice you received as a young (job title)?
  • What piece of advice do you wish you’d received?
  • What do you love about what you do? What is challenging about what you do? What keeps you doing what you do?
  • How do you find inspiration?
  • What do you look for in a candidate when you’re hiring a (copywriter, designer, etc.)?

When it comes time to meet, arrive prepared. Bring a pen and paper for notes. Bring your laptop, turn it on, pull up your portfolio, then close it and keep it in your bag unless they ask to see your work. Make eye contact, look clean and put-together. Be on time. Better yet, be early. Keep track of the time and start wrapping things up a few minutes before they need to leave. Say thank you when your meeting has ended, and send a follow-up thank you email within a day after your meeting with any information you discussed.

There. Was that so bad? I hope not. I hope it was really great. But in case it wasn’t, do some reflection. Write about what happened, how you felt, what you said. And try to learn how to make it better next time. And if somebody is a jerk to you, don’t take it personally.

Sara Hendrickson

Written by

copywriter, writer-writer

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