Overview

Informational interviewing involves learning to identify people who are doing what you want to be doing and asking them questions about their work. Informational interviewing helps you further refine your knowledge of the career area you are exploring. It also helps you develop contacts...contacts that can often be helpful in a future job search. If you practice informational interviewing you will find out the good and bad aspects of a field, job or firm.

In this section, I will provide you some pointers about how to set up and conduct an informational interview with the hope that you will set up some interviews as part of your career exploration process. Please email me if you have questions or comments.


What is informational interviewing?

Informational Interviewing is talking with another person in an informal way about his or her work. The interview generally takes place at the interviewee's place of employment. It is not a job interview and generally lasts about 20 minutes.

What questions do I ask the interviewee?

Your questions would vary according to the type of informational interviewing you are conducting for background information on a career field or for specific information on a job or employer. Some general questions include:


  • How did you decide to get into this field, and what steps did you take to do so?

  • What training would you recommend for someone wanting to enter this field?

  • What are the tasks you do in a typical work day?

  • What do you like best about your career/employer?

  • Do you know anyone else with whom I can talk? Where else I can go for more information?


What questions do I not ask the interviewee?

I would caution you about asking specific questions about a person's salary, "How much do you make?" and suggest you ask, "What is the starting wage for this type of position?".

How do I arrange an informational interview?

Depending on the method you prefer, you can telephone directly using a prepared statement of your intent or you can send a letter stating your intent and make a follow-up call. (See examples below)

  • Always tell the person about yourself." I'm a student seeking career information", for example.
  • Specify that you need no more than 20 minutes of time and will meet at his or her convenience.

What do I do to follow up after the interview?

After the interview, immediately send a thank you note to the interviewee. The note can be handwritten and should express your appreciation of the interviewee's time and insights gained from the interview. Keep a record of the information you learned from the interview.

Additional Suggestions

I would suggest you treat an informational interview like a job interview:

  • Dress appropriately.
  • Arrive on time.
  • Be prepared with questions.
  • Send a follow up thank you.

Sample Letter of Introduction

 

 

Dear Mr. Doe,

I am currently a student at Palomar College in a career planning class, and I have been assigned a project to complete. The project concerns an investigation of an occupation that is of interest to me. Would you be willing to talk with me about a career in _______ in a company such as yours? ________________ is an occupation that interests me most at the present time.

Career inventories indicate that I should seriously consider the field. Right now, I need to talk to someone who is actually working in the field in order to gather information on which to base my career decision . I will contact your office next Monday in the hope that I can set up an interview with you.

Please be assured I am not using this request for an interview as a way to ask you for a job. I need your advise and more education before I start to seek a job. I will be most appreciative of receiving any information I can from you.

Sincerely,



Your Name