The concept of an informational interview was founded by Richard Bolles, author of one of the most practical career guidance books, What Colour is Your Parachute. So, what is an informational interview? And why should you care?
Let’s address why you might care about doing one in the first place. Although the goal of an informational interview is not to get a job, it turns out that it’s actually a more effective way of getting a job compared to submitting a resume to a job posting. What?!
Career advice expert Randall Hansen estimates that about 1 in every 200 resume applications will land a person a job offer, whereas 1 in 12 informational interviews will land a person a job offer.
So what exactly is an informational interview? It basically involves you setting up a meeting, and having a conversation with another person with the goal of learning more about their specific job, company, corporate culture, industry, or the market in general.
It might also include you wanting to learn more about that person’s specific career path trajectory, educational experiences or how they made a career change. An informational interview has so many practicalities – many more than are listed here.
In addition to you gaining knowledge, another goal of conducting an informational interview might be to build your connections within the community, and to gain recommendations about other professionals to reach out to for more information interviews.
Usually, you would email the person of interest and request a 15-20 minute meeting, and you would attend the informational interview with a list of specific questions, usually developed from your previous research.
You might even offer to bring the person a coffee or tea in exchange for their time. After all, doesn’t coffee make any meeting so much better?! And, did you know, sipping on a beverage is known to stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system, so it’s possible it might relax your nerves at the same time. If the thought of requesting an informational interview makes you nervous, please read these tips on managing informational interview anxiety.
In general, the golden rule of thumb is to treat the informational interview as if it were a real interview. The goal however, is not for you to get a job, or to even ask for a specific job. Don’t worry though – of course they are aware that you might be seeking an opportunity, but it is not the primary focus of this type of meeting.
Ideally it’s great to meet in-person, but sometimes a phone or video meeting might be more convenient for the other person, especially during COVID-19. In some cases, I’ve found others will prefer to answer questions by email, and that’s okay also.
The overarching goal is for you to learn more information and to expand your professional network so that you can stay well-informed of what is happening in your marketplace, and so you can ultimately make more informed career decisions.
Read here for a list of questions that you might ask during an informational interview. If you feel anxious about the idea of doing an information interview then read this blog post on how to manage informational interview anxiety.
Author: Dr. Allison Foskett, Registered Counselling Psychologist, Edmonton, Alberta
To learn more about my background and training as a registered psychologist, please visit my About Me page
If you’re interested in exploring career counselling services, career assessments, or individual therapy for a range of mental health concerns, please contact me for a free 15-minute phone consultation.
