In a traditional interview the potential employer makes the first contact, however the job seeker is responsible for initiating the Informational Interview. There are many methods a job seeker can use to make contact. Career or social organizations provide a good opportunity to meet people in the desired industry face to face.
Communication can also be made through social networking websites such as Facebook or through career networking websites such as Linked In. Additional sources for getting connected to employers are newspaper want ads, job boards, placement series, company websites, human resources contacts, job search engineers, and professional recruiters.
Various benefits result from the Information Interview. First, although a job position may not be available, the job seeker has made a new contact. If the experience was pleasant, the contact may remember the employee and make a job offer when a position does become available. In addition the contact is likely to have other contacts in the industry and may recommend the person to someone who does have a job available.
Second, the job seeker becomes more informed about the company and the industry. Information is the key to successfully landing a job. If the job seeker carefully notes key phrases the contact uses, they can then use them in their resume. Potential employers tend to scan resumes and are more likely to select someone for an interview who uses those key phrases. Third, for recent graduates or those making a career change, the Informational Interview allows the person the opportunity to find out what the career is really like. The result may be that the person is more enthusiastic about starting a career or a reality check in which the person decides the career isn’t for them and changes plans.
A forth benefit of the interview is that the discussion may open up the job seeker to new opportunities which create new career goals. Additionally, the job seeker may become aware of new ways in which they can prepare for their career. The contact may indicate a type of training that makes the job seeker more marketable.
The basic guidelines of the Informational Interview are similar to traditional interview etiquette. The job seeker should arrive promptly or approximately ten minutes early, dress appropriately, prepare informational questions, and make a good first impression. Typically, the interview should last about 20 to 30 minutes. Following these guidelines, the job seeker can have an informative discussion and discover whether a career suits their needs, focus career goals, determine new career goals, uncover professional strengths and weaknesses, and find alternative ways to prepare for a particular career.
Images courtesy of MiiiSH, bgottsab, dannybirchall, puresolitude, Bytemarks