Career Conversations: A Student's Guide to Productive Informational Interviews

You will often hear that networking is essential if you want to find that dream job after graduation. Although networking is encouraged, you aren't sure who to network with.

How do you begin?

You don't just approach a stranger and ask for a job. Instead, go out and ask for their counsel, expertise, and opinion to build relationships with industry experts. Most people, especially when it comes to an aspirant college student like you, will genuinely want to help by offering their advice.

What is an Informational Interview?

An informational interview is a meeting you arrange with a specialist to get advice on your career and the field.
In an informative interview, you take on the role of the interviewer and seek out information about a particular vocation from the source, asking questions as you go. It's about learning new things and connecting with people in the field so you can ask them for advice.

Setting Up An Informational Interview

To learn more about the potential career you want to pursue after college, set up a meeting with a local specialist. You can obtain an insider's perspective in this information-gathering session. No one else will be able to give you a more accurate picture of a career than someone who has that position right now.

Who to connect with:

How would you like to earn a living? What are you thinking about? Find a specialist in this line of work that you can speak with for an informational interview. Find people who work for organisations that are compatible with your profession and who now hold roles that are comparable to the ones you are looking for. Perhaps you already have in mind a specialist in the area.

Where to look for interview candidates:

Search the alumni database to find a professional contact. Inquire about possible recommendations from the jobcentre. On LinkedIn, click one of your relationships. Ask a friend, coworker, or lecturer to recommend or connect you with a professional in the area. Typically, a phone call, email, or personal recommendation is used to arrange these meetings. If making cold calls or emails doesn't appeal to you, you may arrange this meeting in person at the upcoming career fair.

Don’t be shy. When it comes to your career, have the guts to take the lead. If someone declines, don't take it personally. Feel free to reach out, inquire, and receive guidance whether or not you know someone in the profession you are contemplating. Having a mentor of any kind who can guide you in the correct direction is always beneficial.

Perks Of Doing An Informational Interview

Informational interviews can help you learn more about what it's like to work in your desired field. You learn a great lot about your career field and the abilities required to accomplish the work well. Even more professional opportunities, such as internships and job shadowing, or even a genuine job offer, may result from them.

It is inappropriate to ask for a job during an informative interview. It's interesting to note that one job offer comes from every 12 informative interviews. These encounters also aid in your ability to land interviews for potential positions in the future. You can access the unadvertised employment market (the hidden job market) by conducting informative interviews.Since you won't be doing an actual job interview, the situation will be less stressful for you, allowing you to unwind and concentrate on making the most of the informational session.

It's a teaching moment. It not only gives you a thorough grasp of what many professionals perform on a daily basis, but it also gives you the opportunity to make some excellent business contacts. Your interviewing abilities can be improved by conversing and interacting with professionals; this practice makes you more at ease in those kinds of settings.