Interested in a particular career path or a specific occupation? The information interview is a research tool for finding out more by talking to people in an occupation or career area.
Information interviews are often done by telephone, but some people may prefer to meet you face to face.
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An information interview should never be used to sell yourself in order to get a job. All you want is information, so you can relax and enjoy the conversation.
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Why should I do an information interview?
The information interview allows you to collect information tailor-made to your specific needs.
- You get first-hand, real information about a career/occupation/industry.
- You can find out facts about earnings, work conditions and opportunities.
- You can see if the career/occupation matches your needs, interests and skills.
- You build your network, making contacts with people who may be able to help you in the future.
- You get to practice your communications skills and gain confidence for job interviews.
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People who do information interviews say that they can often result in unexpected job information and opportunities down the road.
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Who should I interview?
You probably have an idea what career or occupation you want to research. If you don't know anyone working in these areas:
- Ask family members and friends if they know someone you can interview.
- Check the Yellow Pages of your phone book for companies working in your area of interest.
- Once you get an interview with one person, ask for names of other people you could call.
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Try to get as much background information on the career/occupation before you start interviewing. Check out your local library or do a Web search.
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What do I say? How do I get started?
- Starting a conversation to get an information interview with a stranger is a challenge. You may feel shy, or afraid to impose, or worried that the person may not want to talk to you.
- Write out a "script" that you would be comfortable saying.
- Practice your "script" ahead of time. Think of it as a rehearsal and say the "script" until it feels natural. Try it out on a family member or friend.
- Make sure you identify yourself and why you're calling.
- Let the person know that you need only 10 or 15 minutes of his/her time.
- Make sure it's convenient for your interview. If not, ask if you can schedule another time.
- Start-off suggestions:
Approach A: "Hello, my name is____________, and I understand that you are a (or work as a) __________________. I'm currently exploring this career/occupation as a possibility for the future. I wonder if I could take about 10 minutes of your time to find out more about what you do (your career field)."
Approach B: "Hello, my name is____________. A mutual acquaintance, __________________, suggested I give you a call. He/she said you would be the right person to talk to about working in your career field (occupation). Would you be able to talk to me now? I only need about 15 minutes of your time."
Approach C: "Hello, my name is____________ and I understand that you are a (or work as a) ______________. I'm looking for advice about entering your career field (occupation). Could I take a few minutes of your time to find out what you would say to someone who wanted to get into your line of work?"
- If you get a negative response:
Chances are, not everyone will be willing to help you, but that doesn't mean it's time to quit. Try these responses:
Worker: "I'm too busy right now to talk to you."
You: "Thank you for your time. Could you recommend anyone else to speak to?"
Worker: "I'd like to help you, but I have too much work to do right now."
You: "I really appreciate your interest and I understand you're busy. Is there a more convenient time that we could talk?"
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Remember--most people enjoy talking about their work to someone who is genuinely interested in what they do.
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What questions should I ask?
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- Write down your questions before you start.
- When the interview starts, tell the person briefly about your interests and skills so he/she can offer you relevant information.
- Take notes if you can.
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Choose any of the following questions that would best suit your purposes.
- Occupation-specific questions:
- On a typical day in this position, what do you do?
- What training or education is required for this type of work?
- What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful in this job?
- What are the ideal qualifications for someone in this job?
- What kind of education/training is needed for this position?
- What part of this job do you find most satisfying? Most challenging?
- How did you get your job?
- How do you see jobs in this field changing in the future?
- Is there a demand for people in this occupation?
- With the information you have about my education, skills, and experience, what other fields or jobs would you suggest I research further before I make a final decision?
- Career questions:
- What opportunities for advancement are there in this field?
- What are the salary ranges for various levels in this field?
- What are the basic education/training/experience prerequisites for jobs in this field?
- What special advice would you give a person entering this field?
- What types of training do companies offer persons entering this field?
- Which professional journals and organizations would help me learn more about this field?
- What do you think of the experience I've had so far in terms of entering this field?
- From your perspective, what are the problems you see working in this field?
- If you could do things all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? Why?
