The Art Of The Informational Interview

When you don’t know what you want to do next, your best bet is to do Informational Interview. An Informational Interview is a casual conversation between someone in a position of presumed power and someone who is not. It’s based on the concept that most people like to hear themselves talk. It’s human nature. Once they speak about themselves to someone who is interested, they feel Seen, Heard and Understood- the 3 main goals of human beings. This results in wanting to help the person who made them feel this way – You!

Here’s a step-by-step guide to Informational Interviews:

1. Make a list of people you know, respect, and have access to. You may like them, but that’s not required.

2. Reach out to each person with an email or phone call requesting an Informational Interview. Here’s a starter script: It’s been a while since we last connected; I hope you’re well. I’m writing because I’m at a cross roads in my career and believe a quick conversation with you would be helpful. I’ve always respected your leadership style and smart ideas. I’m writing to ask for an informational interview; just a casual conversation to learn more about you and how you ended up where you are. Would you be so kind as to squeeze me in for 30-minute phone call or in-person meeting?

3. Google “informational interview questions.” Copy and paste the first 40 you see into a Word doc and then narrow it down to 10 maximum questions that make sense to you. There are dozens of sites and hundreds of questions to choose from. The focus is on the person with whom you’re meeting, not on you or on the company. Those can come after you establish that you’re interested in this person as a person, not as a connection to a job. Here are 5 starter questions, but please do research and find the questions that resonate for you. Note the tone is consistently inquiring about the person who is taking time out of their life to talk with you: Read more