The Informational Interview What Interview designed to produce

The Informational Interview

What …. . Interview designed to produce information l Information you need to choose, refine or break into a career l Information you need to find out if you have what it takes to succeed l Focused conversation within network l

Why … Explore careers/clarify your career goals l Expand your professional network l Build confidence for your job interviews l Access up-to-date career information l Identify your professional strengths l

Tips … Identify people to interview (professionals in the field, people you’ve read about, people you have worked with, people your parents know) l Consider entry level versus ten years of experience l Never ask for a job l Seek career advice l

More Tips … Do some research so you ask good questions l Prepare questions ahead of time l Take notes l Ask for a business card l Send a thank you note l

Asking for time … l “Hi, my name is _______ and I am a student at Fleming College in the Outdoors Adventure Skills Program. I got your name from ______. You are in a line of work that I am interested in and I was hoping that you could help me gain some insight into the profession. I am sure that my questions could be answered in less than 20 minutes of your time. Please let me know if you have the time to help me. ”

Questions … How did you get started? l What is your job like? l What are your responsibilities? l What is a typical day like? l What kinds of decisions do you make? l When is it busy, when is it slow? l

More questions … How did you get your job? l How did you get interested in this work? l What experience led you to your current job? l What is personally satisfying about your job? What is not satisfying? l

Questions more, more l Do you have any special word of warning or encouragement as a result of your experiences? l Keep the conversation friendly, brief and focused on the contact person’s job and career field.