What are the best strategies for making the most of informational interviews?

1 Identify your goals

Before you reach out to someone for an informational interview, you should have a clear idea of what you want to learn from them. Do you want to know more about their career path, their current projects, their challenges, or their advice? Do you want to explore a potential opportunity, or just get a general sense of the field? Having specific goals will help you craft a concise and polite request, as well as tailor your questions to the person and the topic.

3 Prepare your questions

You should prepare a list of questions that reflect your goals and your research. You can use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) framework to structure your questions and elicit concrete examples from the person. For example, you can ask them to describe a situation where they applied a certain engineering design method, what task they had to accomplish, what actions they took, and what results they achieved. You can also ask open-ended questions that invite them to share their opinions, perspectives, or recommendations. For example, you can ask them what they enjoy most about engineering design, what skills or tools they find most useful, or what trends or challenges they see in the field.

4 Be respectful and professional

During the informational interview, you should be respectful and professional. You should confirm the date, time, and mode of the interview beforehand, and show up on time and prepared. You should thank the person for their time and interest, and introduce yourself briefly. You should follow their lead and respect their pace and style of communication. You should listen attentively and actively, and avoid interrupting or dominating the conversation. You should also avoid asking for a job or a referral, unless they offer it first. Your goal is to learn from them, not to sell yourself.

5 Follow up and stay in touch

After the informational interview, you should follow up with a thank-you note within 24 hours. You should express your appreciation and gratitude, and highlight what you learned or enjoyed from the conversation. You should also mention any action items or next steps that you agreed on, such as sending your resume, sharing some resources, or introducing you to someone else. You should also stay in touch with the person, and update them on your progress or achievements. You can also share relevant articles, events, or opportunities that might interest them. This will help you build a lasting and mutually beneficial relationship.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?