Peer Career Consultant Blogs

Informational interviews can seem intimidating if you have never done one before. However, they are quite common in the business world, and almost any professional you reach out to will understand your request and have prior experience with them. For those who do not know, an informational interview is a casual conversation with a professional in a field or industry that interests you. It is very different from a job interview because you are the one asking questions about their experiences and building your professional network. Overall, it should not be a stressful situation, and as long as you prepare correctly ahead of time, it should go smoothly.

Once you have decided whom you are going to interview, the first thing you should do to prepare is to research them ahead of time. You can do this by looking at their LinkedIn profile to see their work experience and other interests and activities. Additionally, research the company they are currently working for so you can ask questions related to their experience there. You can also do more research on the industry they are working in to ask broader questions about similar jobs and companies, gaining a better understanding from someone already in the field.

When you have a good understanding of the person you are interviewing, make sure to write down all of the questions you have. I recommend separating the questions into different sections so you can easily find them depending on the topic of conversation you fall into. As an accounting major, I had many informational interviews with people who worked at the Big Four accounting firms. When I prepared my questions ahead of time, I grouped them into different sections, such as their career path/journey, day-to-day responsibilities, current advice, future plans, and miscellaneous. This helped the conversation flow better because when we transitioned into a new topic, I could easily check my notes for questions related to that.

In addition to your prepared questions, you should also prepare a quick elevator pitch to present to the professional when your meeting begins, so they can get a better idea of who you are. Be sure to mention both your professional and personal interests so they can have a more well-rounded view of you as a person. If you notice something in common with them during your research, feel free to mention that early on to establish common ground.

Finally, when communicating with the professional and planning a time to meet, make sure to share as much availability as possible, as they are the ones taking time out of their busy schedules to meet with you. Be very respectful in your emails and in person. You should plan on meeting for only half an hour so as not to waste their time, but if you reach the end and they still seem interested, you can continue your conversation. Once the meeting is over, make sure to send a follow-up thank-you email and connect with them on LinkedIn. This is important because it is a professional courtesy, and it gives you the option to follow up in the future to either ask for a referral or utilize their network.