How can you use informational interviews to jumpstart your career in sustainability?

Informational interviews will allow you the opportunity to connect with individuals that you would either know or not know. Before setting up an informational interview, you want to be clear on what your objective is for the conversation. Have a clear goals in mind. Be open to listening to the individual that is spending time to share of their knowledge. Ask about connecting with members of that individuals network. This will allow you to continue to grow, gain new information and build a network of experts in your chosen field.

No one likes to be used. No one owes you their time or their intellectual capital. Unless you have built a connection with someone, asking them to pop onto your calendar to arrange a time to give you their time and capital is like asking someone to give you money. Because that is what time and intellectual capital is. Be respectful. Be humble. Ask this: I know you are very busy. I have this background in X and I'm passionate about sustainability. Could I ask for your advice about how to...and then be specific and brief. Then, thank them publicly on Linkedin (if they are on Linkedin ) or send a handwritten thank you note.

Your imagination is not far off from the reality you've experienced. If you've never seen or heard of certain job titles (i.e., meteorologist, prosthodontist, sommelier, astronomer, or underwriter), There is a chance that you will never aim to become one. To be able to set an effective career goal, you need to explore. Be genuinely curious and check several sources: TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, social communities, and your local library. If you see a job title that interests you, add it to your job wishlist. Your first goal is to determine which jobs on that wishlist align with your aspirations. Doing this exercise would help you come up with a lot of questions for your informational interview and whom to ask those questions.

Before reaching out, develop a list of strategic questions tailored to your goals. Inquire about specific experiences or projects that highlight key competencies.

Your goal should always be to add value before asking for career help. Providing career guidance should happen organically. Not because you asked for it explicitly. Establishing mutual understanding and trust first with your target is the ideal approach.

Provide multiple options for the interview timing to accommodate their schedule. This flexibility showcases your consideration for their time and availability, making it more convenient for them to agree to the interview.

Make it easy to schedule. Use a schedule link like Acuity or Calendly in addition to asking for times that work for them. Not everyone loves a scheduler link, but many more people find it easier to just schedule a call with your link or send you their link than go back and forth in email.

A good exercise is to bounce off of someone else, someone close, how they see us and what opinion they have of our daily actions. Obviously, the answer can be very biased, so we must analyze it to obtain our own opinion and that will best suit us for our professional and personal future.

Be mindful of the interviewee's time and stick to the agreed-upon schedule. If they offer additional insights or extend the conversation, welcome it, but always be respectful of their availability.

An informational interview is a very North American concept. The intercultural aspect doesn't receive enough attention when it comes to career planning and career exploration. In some cultures that tend to communicate directly, people can treat those informational interviews as a way to get a job. So they bombard their new connections with messages like "Can you get me a job?" and share their resumes in the first introductory message. Being less direct and sharing career stories highlighting strengths and interests is a more effective strategy for long-term career development.

Always be prepared for questions like: "tell us who you are," or why should we consider you for this position? Here it is not just about speaking well about ourselves, but about how what we already know can contribute to what they are looking for. Previous research on the possible employer is essential to cross it with our preparation for these questions.

?? Useful Information on Informational Interviews: ?Rapport First, Approach Later. ?Prepare Actively, Seek Sincerely. ?Speak Less, Listen More. ?Question Less, Absorb More. ?Specifics Less, General More. ?Smartness Less, Humility More ?Referrals Less, Relationship More. ?Job guidance Less, Career guidance More. ??Tips & Tricks Some, Blessings More??