Informational Interviews and How to go about them?

An informational or exploratory interview is an opportunity for the job seeker to explore about interested job roles, career fields or industries by seeking information from an expert individual who is experienced or currently working in the respective job role, career field or industry. The information obtained during this process enables the jobseeker to align their expertise and interests with the goals and responsibilities of a job, career field and company or organization. Therefore, an informational interview is considered as a career-planning tool. An effective interview also facilitates in building valuable relationships with the interviewee.

The information in this blog has been compiled from multiple websites to provide a precise picture about the etiquette and procedure for conducting an effective informational interview. This is created with the intent to provide an instant resource for the members of Career Support Group (CSG) that will aid them in conducting effective informational interviews.

Steps to follow for an effective informational interview:

1. Analyze your skills, experience, your interests, job market and identify your employment opportunities.
2. Identify and select a person for the interview based on his/her job title/role, industry/company in which they work or unusual career path taken etc. which interests you (LinkedIn is a good source/through friends/neighbors/networking events etc.)
3. Contact the person for interview (use a polite script) – It can be either telephonic/ e-mail/in person (*chose a public place for the interview). Set the time & date for the interview.
4. Prepare for the interview – Read about the person, his/her job & the company he/she works for. Decide what information you require. Prepare a list of questions that you need answer for (refer to example questions given below).
5. Conduct the interview – Introduce yourself. Try to keep the interview short 15 – 20 minutes. If the interview is in person make sure to dress professionally. Be honest, polite & professional. Do not directly ask for jobs instead ask for advice. Refer to the questions & try to stay on track (*be ready for spontaneous discussions as well). Before ending the interview, request him/her to let you know of future job opportunities in the company he/she works. Exchange your business cards.
6. Record the information obtained after the interview.
7. Follow up with a ‘thank you’ note with in 1-2 days. Keep them informed about your progress.

Informational interview question examples:

1. What is your academic background or work experience, and how did it help to lead to the present job? What is your experience in this career field?
2. What is your job title or role? What are the duties or functions or responsibilities of your job? To what extent do you interact with customers or clients? What part of this job do you personally find most satisfying and most challenging?
3. What are the educational requirements for this job? Are there specific credentials or licenses required for this role? Is graduate school or an MBA recommended? Does companies offer training to persons entering this field?
4. What are the most important skills that are essential for succeeding in this position or field? How did you obtain these skills: through work experience or a formal training program?
5. What personal attributes do you think would contribute most to being successful in this job or career field?
6. How would you describe a typical day in your job role? Does this vary? Are there busy and slow times or is the workflow fairly constant? If you had to break it up into percentages, how do you spend your day? Are the time demands of your job specific to this company?
7. Can you tell me about the various kinds of decisions you perform in your present/past role?
8. Whom do you report to in this job: department head or supervisor or both? Where do you identify yourself and your supervisor in the organizational structure? What is your regular level of interaction with other departments, functional units, or levels of hierarchy?
9. Do you have any flexibility in determining how you perform your job? Do you work at individual level or in? How do you organize your work teams or groups?
10. What made you decide to work for this company? What is the most likeable aspect of this company for you? How different is your company from its competitors?
11. How long have you worked with X company? How did you get started? Why did you change or not change jobs since the first role? How have you handled the changes – layoffs, reorganization etc.?
12. How would you describe the working atmosphere and the co-workers? Is there flexibility in work hours, or working offsite?
13. How is work-life balance?
14. Does the company or organization have a basic philosophy? Is it a people-, service- or product-oriented business?
15. Can you describe the corporate culture in your company?
16. How is the occupational landscape reshaping in the current scenario? What is your take on the best way to enter this occupation? What are the career development opportunities? What are the major qualifications to succeed in this occupation?
17. Does the company encourage and/pay for employees to pursue graduate degrees?
18. What do you like most about the company?
19. On what criteria does the company evaluate your job performance? How are performances assessed for promotions? Does the company recognize and reward outstanding accomplishments of its employees?
20. How much flexibility does your role have in establishing innovation/creativity? How does the company encourage or promote this?
21. Is the company expanding? If so which areas are they expanding and what opportunities do you foresee for job seekers?
22. In your opinion what are the factors that affect the company’s growth? How is the current economy affecting this industry?
23. In your opinion, how can employees prepare for any planned changes at the company?
24. What would be the next step in your career if your job progresses as you expect?
25. What are the different job opportunities in your career field? How do you describe the demand for this career field? How fast is the field growing? What are the possibilities for future job openings?
26. In this job role, are you obligated to work outside the ordinary working hours: travel or evening meetings?
27. What are the social obligations with your job?
28. Apart from things like money, fringe benefits, or travel, what would you describe as the major reward of this position?
29. What are the positions in your field or organization? How do they differ?
30. What are the common entry-level job titles and their functions? Which entry-level jobs are the most suited for learning the skills required for this career?
31. Which other job roles require similar kinds of work or skills? Which other organizations have similar job roles and functions as yours? Can you please suggest a contact who performs similar job role and whom I might talk to?
32. What would be your best advice to someone who is interested in this field? Is there any literature that you can suggest me to read? Which trade or professional journals and organizations should I follow to learn more about this field?
33. What are the most effective strategies to seek a position in this field?
34. What is your advice for a jobseeker to qualify for this position? What are the different kinds of paid/unpaid experiences that you would suggest for anybody pursuing a career in this field?
35. Do you have any special words of warning or encouragement as a result of your experience?
36. What is the typical job-interview process at the company? How many rounds of interview do the candidates generally go through before being offered a position?
37. What skills/experience do you look for in the resume of candidates applying for this job role?
38. What suggestions/advise would you provide to a student to prepare you for this job? What is the best education/course to prepare for this job? Are grades and or college’s reputation considered important for hiring?
39. What journals, magazines or professional associations would you recommend for professional development?
40. A, B and C are my strongest assets (A, B & C are skills, areas of knowledge, personality traits, and values). In which job roles would these expertise/skills be applicable in this company? What are the other fields that these skills will be of use/help?
41. How would you rank my experience in terms of entering this field? What are your suggestions to prepare myself better qualified for this field?

Infographically Speaking….

References:

1. https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/informational-interview-questions
2. https://career.berkeley.edu/Info/InfoQuestions
3. https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/information-interview
4. https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-steps-to-a-perfect-informational-interview
5. http://hrweb.mit.edu/system/files/Sample+Informational+Interview+Questions.pdf
6. http://fortune.com/2013/04/04/what-to-ask-in-an-informational-interview/
7. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/12/11/how-to-land-and-ace-an-informational-interview/3/#3d0590f7211e

About the author:

Riya (Raghupathy) Binil is an aspiring Scientist. She completed MSc in Applied Chemistry from Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT, Kochi) followed by a PhD (National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India) and Postdoctoral Research (Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada) in Cell Biology. Riya currently works as a Biotech Analyst with SGS Canada. Apart from being a science enthusiast, Riya enjoys travelling, dancing and cooking.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of PhD Career Support Group or ClubSciWri.

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