Informational interviews are invaluable experiences that aid you in the direction of your desired professional career. As a student, I have learned some of the most useful advice in my undergraduate
career during an informational interview. I would like to take you through a total of fifteen informational interview questions that I have personally asked and received solid and worthwhile feedback, along with some helpful advice and commentary regarding my
experiences. The key to the informational interview is to not waste your interviewee’s time, while simultaneously making them most of
yours.
Sometimes the hardest part is finding someone to interview. Reach out to your professors, supervisors, or your school’s alumni office to find someone in the field you are interested in. When contact information is obtained, email said person in a short and succinct email expressing your interest in an informational interview.
Your contact will decide if the interview will take place in person or over the phone. Personally, I believe it is best to conduct an informational interview in person, but if they can only do it
over the phone, accept it! This week I enjoyed some espresso at a lovely little coffee shop, as shown in my picture. Conducting an informational interview over coffee can create a comfortable and conversational environment.
When conducting your interview Start with the technical questions, Note. Do not ask what the title is for your
interview if that information is readily available. Do your research! Think of it like stalking someone on Facebook, but this time it is actually worth your time and more socially acceptable. You want to come off as knowledgeable, if you have no idea who this person is; you are both wasting each other’s time.
Your first questions should sound something like these:
1. How did this job come to your attention, and why did you wish to pursue it?
2. What precisely do you do? What are the duties/functions/responsibilities of your job?
3.What is a typical day like? What are your normal hours?
4. How does your time use vary? Are there busy and slow times?
5. What are the educational requirements for this job?
6. What kind of work/internship experience would employers look for in a job applicant?
These first questions will give you a very solid foundation of knowledge surrounding the person you are interviewing. From here slightly more detailed and personal can be asked. The subsequent questions are where the really memorable moments of your interview will l stem from. They include:
7. What do you like the most/least about your job?
8. What do you wish you'd known before you entered this field?
9. Could you call your most rewarding or favorite memory in your career?
10. Where do you see yourself professionally in the future?
11. What advice do you have for a student aiming for a career in this field?
These questions will make your interviewee think a little harder. In my experience the individuals start reflecting the more they answer the question. You may have asked a question that even your interview didn’t know the answer to. It is a natural tendency to want to talk about yourself, and these questions really
encourage that. I have had some really memorable experience with questions number nine and ten. When I asked question nine to the Directorof Special Events at American Cancer Society, she answered back with such a heartfelt, personal story, that I started tearing up, over the phone. It was a heartfelt interview. Question number ten, I asked to a congressional staffer. She hesitated a moment before she answered, then went on to state how a career instantly popped into her mind of working with a Political Action Committee. She had been thinking about it for a while but, when she talked about that possibility a new awoken passion was in her eyes. (I think I inspired her next career move) But actually, these questions are sometimes a learning experience for both partiesinvolved.
The final round of questions I like to put a mix of both practical and fun questions to wrap things up. They
are:
12. What entry level positions are there in this field that a recent graduate might consider?
13. What do you wish you had known before you entered this career?
14. What is your favorite way of networking?
15. Do you know of other people whom I might talk to in this area of interest?
Some of the questions you may want to ask I have not listed. Listen attentively to your interviewee,
the best questions you will come up with will be a product of the answers you receive. Consider these bonus
questions!
Another note that I would like to make about informational interviews is that they do not always have to be
formal. Most of the informational interviews I have conducted have been spontaneous. You naturally will come across people that you find interesting and want to learn more about.
When you wrap things up with your interview be super and genuinely thankful. This person gave up precious moments of their life to talk to you. What you will hopefully find is that these people are more than
not, willing to help you. You have nothing to lose, only to gain.
career during an informational interview. I would like to take you through a total of fifteen informational interview questions that I have personally asked and received solid and worthwhile feedback, along with some helpful advice and commentary regarding my
experiences. The key to the informational interview is to not waste your interviewee’s time, while simultaneously making them most of
yours.
Sometimes the hardest part is finding someone to interview. Reach out to your professors, supervisors, or your school’s alumni office to find someone in the field you are interested in. When contact information is obtained, email said person in a short and succinct email expressing your interest in an informational interview.
Your contact will decide if the interview will take place in person or over the phone. Personally, I believe it is best to conduct an informational interview in person, but if they can only do it
over the phone, accept it! This week I enjoyed some espresso at a lovely little coffee shop, as shown in my picture. Conducting an informational interview over coffee can create a comfortable and conversational environment.
When conducting your interview Start with the technical questions, Note. Do not ask what the title is for your
interview if that information is readily available. Do your research! Think of it like stalking someone on Facebook, but this time it is actually worth your time and more socially acceptable. You want to come off as knowledgeable, if you have no idea who this person is; you are both wasting each other’s time.
Your first questions should sound something like these:
1. How did this job come to your attention, and why did you wish to pursue it?
2. What precisely do you do? What are the duties/functions/responsibilities of your job?
3.What is a typical day like? What are your normal hours?
4. How does your time use vary? Are there busy and slow times?
5. What are the educational requirements for this job?
6. What kind of work/internship experience would employers look for in a job applicant?
These first questions will give you a very solid foundation of knowledge surrounding the person you are interviewing. From here slightly more detailed and personal can be asked. The subsequent questions are where the really memorable moments of your interview will l stem from. They include:
7. What do you like the most/least about your job?
8. What do you wish you'd known before you entered this field?
9. Could you call your most rewarding or favorite memory in your career?
10. Where do you see yourself professionally in the future?
11. What advice do you have for a student aiming for a career in this field?
These questions will make your interviewee think a little harder. In my experience the individuals start reflecting the more they answer the question. You may have asked a question that even your interview didn’t know the answer to. It is a natural tendency to want to talk about yourself, and these questions really
encourage that. I have had some really memorable experience with questions number nine and ten. When I asked question nine to the Directorof Special Events at American Cancer Society, she answered back with such a heartfelt, personal story, that I started tearing up, over the phone. It was a heartfelt interview. Question number ten, I asked to a congressional staffer. She hesitated a moment before she answered, then went on to state how a career instantly popped into her mind of working with a Political Action Committee. She had been thinking about it for a while but, when she talked about that possibility a new awoken passion was in her eyes. (I think I inspired her next career move) But actually, these questions are sometimes a learning experience for both partiesinvolved.
The final round of questions I like to put a mix of both practical and fun questions to wrap things up. They
are:
12. What entry level positions are there in this field that a recent graduate might consider?
13. What do you wish you had known before you entered this career?
14. What is your favorite way of networking?
15. Do you know of other people whom I might talk to in this area of interest?
Some of the questions you may want to ask I have not listed. Listen attentively to your interviewee,
the best questions you will come up with will be a product of the answers you receive. Consider these bonus
questions!
Another note that I would like to make about informational interviews is that they do not always have to be
formal. Most of the informational interviews I have conducted have been spontaneous. You naturally will come across people that you find interesting and want to learn more about.
When you wrap things up with your interview be super and genuinely thankful. This person gave up precious moments of their life to talk to you. What you will hopefully find is that these people are more than
not, willing to help you. You have nothing to lose, only to gain.
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