The Informational Interview

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

Why … l 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

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

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

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

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

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