INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS

The purpose of this chapter is to help you: Understand the importance of informational interviews Prepare for and conduct an informational interview Recognize when an information interview turns into a job interview

What is an Informational Interview, and What Are the Benefits of Conducting One? An Informational Interview is simply talking with professionals who are currently in occupations and/or industries you are considering in order to gain information and insights about a career, industry, or company. This information can be used in choosing a major, exploring career options, or preparing for a summer or professional job search. Be clear with yourself and the professional you are interviewing that this is not a job interview or a request for a job. Informational interviews are an important part of career preparation and a good supplement to your academic knowledge because they can provide: "Real World" information about careers Suggestions on how to use your college years to gain experience and prepare for the job search A network of contacts for your job/internship search Insights into what employers look for in candidates An avenue to explore potential job search questions like: "Why did you choose this field?" or "What are your skills for this job?" Preparation and Procedure: Before you request the valuable time of a professional, learn as much information about the career or industry as you can so that you can ask more in-depth questions and make better use of the time you have with that person. If you are just beginning to sort through career options, you may want to speak with your Career Adviser at the Career Center to better define which careers you most want to explore. Schedule an appointment by calling the receptionist at 322-2750 to meet with a Career Adviser. If you clearly know which careers you want to explore and why they interest you, begin to research those careers and their fields. For more information on conducting such research, see Chapter 1. Informational interviews can be conducted with people you already know or with professionals referred to you through informal contactsfaculty, family, friends, alumni, professional associations, and the Career Center staff. You may want to ask the Alumni Relations Office about events of Vanderbilt Alumni organizations and other opportunities for networking. To identify other leads, consider browsing recent and back issues of the Vanderbilt Alumni Magazine, which contains alumni career information. The Career Center website links to the Alumni database, Commodore Career Connection which is made available by Alumni Relations. Some academic departments may also have formal or informal alumni lists. Informational interviews can also be obtained through "cold calls." If you know an organization you want to explore or identify one through the Yellow Pages or Career Search, simply ask for the appropriate department or explain your request to the personnel office, and they may refer you to someone. In arranging for an informational interview, contact individuals at least a week ahead of time, either by telephone or email or through an introductory letter followed up by a call, to arrange an appointment. Two sample request letters are included at the end of this section. The interview can be conducted in person, by phone, or via email, but let the interviewee make that decision. Ask the interviewee for about a half hour of their time, and always clarify your objective that you are seeking information rather than a job. Respect the time you asked for, and end the meeting on time. The Interview Itself: The following questions should give you some ideas of information to seek. After researching information about the particular job and field of the interviewee, you should be able to add more specific questions to the list. 1. What is a typical day like on this job?, or What did you do yesterday? Page 1 of 8

2. What do you like most about your work? Least? 3. How did you come to choose this profession? This particular job? What steps did you take to get where you are? 4. Approximately how many hours do you work per week? 5. What types of people do you deal with? 6. Do you find your job satisfying? What makes it that way? What effects (positive and negative) does this job have on your family and personal life (leisure time)? 7. What personal qualities are necessary to succeed at this type of work? 8. Do you think that the prospects for success for a person entering this field will grow or decline over the next decade? 9. What kind of position could a college graduate anticipate when entering this field? 10. What is the starting salary range for a college graduate? The eventual range? 11. Are there courses that you would advise taking in college to help prepare for this career? 12. What are your career goals for the future? 13. If you could give only one piece of advice to a young person seeking a career such as yours, what would that advice be? 14. What methods would you recommend for doing a job search in this field? Prepare the questions that you want to ask ahead of time. Having them in writing and taking some notes is fine. Preparation, promptness, and staying on target are important, since, after all, the person you are interviewing is doing you a favor. Because you initiated the contact and have some control over how the interview goes, keep your purpose in mind, and get your questions answered. You'll find that people love to talk about themselves and their careers and may likely digress. At the conclusion of your meeting, ask for two or three names of other people to contact for informational interviews so that you can begin building your "network. Confirm permission to use the current interviewees name when contacting the referrals. If the meeting goes particularly well, you may feel comfortable asking the individual if you could spend some time "shadowing" him/her during a typical day's activities. If getting work experience or exposure is your goal, you may consider volunteering your services on a project that needs attentionthis may later lead to a job contact or reference. After the Interview: Immediately following the meeting, go to the nearest relaxation spot, take out paper, and debrief yourself. Analyze the interview. Think about the information that you obtained, and evaluate it objectively. Ask yourself the following: Did I get answers to questions I needed to have clarified? What did I leave out? What new questions do I have? Do I feel caught up in the enthusiasm of this person? Do I need to see more people to obtain a more objective opinion? What characteristics did this person have that I need to or want to develop? What ideas for future career advancement strategies did I obtain?

The most important follow-up to the meeting should be mailing a letter to thank the individual for his/her time and assistance. Keep a record of your people you interview since you may later want to contact them for additional advice. What to do if the Informational Interview Turns into a Job Interview: This may occur if the interviewer likes you and feels you would be an asset to his/her organization. How do you handle that kind of possibility? You have several alternatives: If you are comfortable and prepared, you can accept the job interview on the spot and play it by ear. If you are not prepared for a job interview at the time, you can honestly state that your purpose today is to obtain information. Thank the person, and make an appointment for a later date for a job interview. You can thank the person and state that you will contact him or her at a later date since you are currently considering other job offers. Whatever you choose to do, be definite in your answer, and follow through with what you decide to tell the person. REMEMBER TO SEND A THANK YOU NOTE!! Page 2 of 8

 REMEMBER TO ASK FOR NAMES OF OTHER CONTACTS!! HAVE FUN WITH THE PROCESS!!

The next three entriessample contact record, organization profile, and job lead worksheetare resources that can help you track and organize the information obtained after an information interview or networking encounter.
SAMPLE CONTACT RECORD
Name: __________________________ Title: __________________________ Organization: __________________________ Field: __________________________ Address: __________________________ Phone: __________________________ FAX: __________________________ Email: __________________________ Source of Contact: __________________________ Relationship: __________________________ Date Letter Sent: __________________________ Date Called: __________________________ Date Call 1: __________________________ Date Call 2: __________________________ Thank-you Letter Sent: __________________________ Feedback: __________________________ OR

Also see Chapter 6 on Searching for tracking your search campaign on a sample spreadsheet.

ORGANIZATION PROFILE
Use a separate sheet for each contact. Name of Organization:___________________________________________________________________ Contact Name:___________________________________Position:_______________________________ Company __________________________________________ Address: _ __________________________________________ _ __________________________________________ _ Phone#:___________________________________FAX#:______________________________________ Research notes: description of organization services, size, new activities, etc. (list information sources): _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Conversation notes (including other leads): _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Resume sent: Dates Talked to: ____________________________ _____________________________ : Thank you sent: _______________________ Contact again by: __________________________

Job Lead Worksheet It is important to keep track of your job leads. Follow-up on each lead since each may provide you with other job leads. Do not be afraid to ask for additional contacts or leads. Employer _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 3 of 8

Contact Person/Title _____________________________________________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________________________________ Phone _____________________________________________________________________________________ Fax/Email Address _____________________________________________________________________________________ Position _____________________________________________________________________________________ How did I learn out about this job? _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Response _____________________________________________________________________________________ Date Sent or Faxed Resume _____________________________________________________________________________________ Follow-up Date _____________________________________________________________________________________ Results and Other Information _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________

Below are a couple of sample conversations to review and practice prior to approaching a potential contact for an informational interview: Informational Interview Dialogue 1: Requesting an Interview by Phone Alumna: "Hello, this is Beth in the Media department." You: "Hello. My name is Jessica Miles. I'm a third-year student at Vanderbilt University. I found your name and number in Commodores Career Connection. I hope you don't mind that I have called you, and I was wondering if you would share some of your job experiences with me." Alumna: "Sure, I'd be happy to talk to you. I have to run to a meeting in a few minutes. Why don't we set up a time for next week?" You: "Great! I think all I would need is a half an hour on the phone. What would be convenient for you?" Alumna: "How about Thursday at 2:30?" You: "I have a class at that time, but I could talk at either 1:30 or 4:00." Alumna: "OK. Why don't we try Thursday at 1:30 then? I don't want you to miss your class." You: "Thank you. I'd appreciate that. I will call you at 1:30 next Thursday the 21st. Thank you very muchI really appreciate your taking time to talk to me. I look forward to learning more next week." Alumna: "It's my pleasure. I remember what it was like to try to figure out what to do after graduation. You're smart to start thinking about these things in your third year. I'm always happy to help out Vanderbilt students, and I recognize the value of your education. I'll talk to you next week." You: "Thanks again. Good-bye." Informational Interview Dialogue 2: Following up on Your Introductory Letter Contact: "This is John." You: "Hi, Mr. Jones. My name is Bob Smith. I am following up on a letter I sent you two weeks ago requesting an Page 4 of 8

informational interview with you. I'm a senior at Vanderbilt University and am just starting to explore career options. I am very interested in your organization and your specific role in it." Contact: "Let me look in my mail folderI've been out of town. OK, here it is. I see you included your resume as well." You: "Yes. I was hoping you might critique it. It is my first attempt, and I would really value your professional opinion. I am just seeking information at this stage of my job search." Contact: "Vanderbilt University, you said? I play softball with a woman who went to school there. That school has a very good reputation. I guess I could find some time to talk to you. I'll be out of town again next weekwhy don't we talk now. What would you like to know?" You: "Thank you. Well, first of all...(refer to your list of questions) ...And that was my last question. Thank you so much for your time. You have been very helpful." Contact: "Happy to do it. We all have to start somewhere. You know, I know of someone over at _________ who might be good for you to talk to. I'll give him a call and see if I can pass his name along to you." You: "Thank you! That would be great. Again, I can't thank you enough." Contact: "Why don't you check in with me in a few months after you have done more exploratory work? We might have some things opening up by then." You: "I will certainly give you an update on my progress. Thanks again." Informational Interview Dialogue 3: Conducting a Scheduled Interview over the Phone Introduce yourself: Contact: "HelloBob Smith" You: "Hello. This is Amy Jones. I made an appointment with you last week for an informational interview. Is this still a convenient time for you to speak with me?" Contact: "Yes, hello, Amy. Hang on for one minuteI'm on the other line.... OK, I'm back. How can I help you?" Build a relationship: You: "As I mentioned in my letter, I'm graduating from the Vanderbilt University in May, and I'm exploring different career paths and opportunities in the field of _____________. I'm simply gathering information at this pointnot looking for a job. If you're willing, I'd like to ask you some questions about what you do and get your perspective on the field." Contact: "Surego ahead." Ask questions: At this point, you will engage your contact in a conversation about his or her work, allowing him or her to be the expert. Be friendly, pleasant, and upbeat throughout your conversation. As well as you can, let the conversation flow naturally don't force the interview to follow your script exactly as you've written it. It is always good to "warm up" the conversation by starting out with open-ended questions that ask the interviewer about him or herself. Incorporate some of the questions from section 2. Provide background on yourself: You: "Thank you. This has been so helpful to me. If it's okay with you, I'd like to give you a little background about my interests...." (Provide a brief sketch of your educational background and current interests. Practice this sketch in advance so you'll express yourself comfortably and briefly). Contact: "It sounds like you've thought a lot about what you want to do, which is great." Ask for additional contacts: You: "Yes, I have, although it always helps to talk to people like you who are actually employed in the field. Earlier in our conversation, you mentioned that someone with my background and interests might be interested in pursuing ____________ as a career path. Do you know anyone in __________ at _________ who might be willing, like yourself, to talk with me about these possibilities?" Contact: "Let me think. Two people I used to work with at __________ are now at __________. You should talk to Contact A or Contact BI'll give you their numbers before I hang up, but don't call them until Monday so I can let them know you'll be contacting them." You: "Thank you." Contact: "There's another guy who works at ________ who might be helpfulI met him at a conference. I'm not remembering his name at the moment, but I'll call you back later when I think of it. He's working in the ___________ division and might be able to give you some insight about that side of the business."

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Thank your contact: You: "Thank you so muchyou've been very helpful, and it's been a pleasure to talk to you today. I really appreciate your time." Contact: "You're welcome, Amy. It's really no botherI'm glad to be helpful. It's been a pleasure to talk with you, too. I'll call you with that name later today or tomorrow." You: "Thank you again. Good-bye." Sample dialogues adapted from University of Chicago Career Center

You may be more comfortable emailing or writing a contact to request an informational interview. Below are sample letters for your review:

Request Letter with Contact Name

Your Address City, State, Zip Today's Date

Name Title Organization Address City, State, Zip Dear Ms. Smith: Professor George Helpful, my faculty advisor at Vanderbilt University, suggested I contact you about my interest in the fields of law and politics. He suggested you could be particularly helpful since you previously practiced law and are currently working as a lobbyist. As a sophomore Policy and Management major, I am beginning to explore these fields so that I can plan my electives and work experience to make the most of my time in college. I've been researching career possibilities through Vanderbilts Career Center, and I look forward to your insights about what a typical workday is like. I'd also like to hear what you liked and disliked about each job and about typical kinds of summer jobs that exist to help one gain experience and exposure. I'll be in Washington D.C. on March 23 - 27 for my spring break and would like an opportunity to meet briefly with you then. I will call next week to see if there is a time that is convenient for you. If you would like to speak with me in the meantime, my phone number is (615) 123-4567, and my email address is yourname@vanderbilt.edu. I look forward to our telephone conversation and to meeting you in March. Sincerely, (Your signature) Your name typed

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Request Letter through Independent Research

Your Address City, State, Zip Today's Date

Name Title Organization Address City, State, Zip Dear Mr. :

Your name came to my attention in an Aviation Magazine article while researching the aerospace industry as a place to apply my skills and experiences. At this time I am exploring a variety of professional roles as a way to discover those that would provide the most appropriate focus for my attention in a job search. I will complete my Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering next May at Vanderbilt University and am using these months to plan ahead for that time. My coursework has led me to believe that there are several possible directions my career could take. During the summers between academic years, I have worked at XYZ Auto in the Quality Control area, which I found very interesting. I am also interested in other areas of manufacturing management, as well as design. Based on your knowledge of the industry, you could help me considerably by discussing the typical kinds of jobs that exist for a recent graduate with my background and interests. Within the next week, I will contact your office to arrange a convenient time for our meeting. I know you are busy and will keep our conversation to 30 minutes. If you would like to speak with me in the meantime, I can be reached at (615) 1234567 or by email at yourname@vanderbilt.edu. Thank you for your consideration. Very truly yours, (Your signature) Your name typed

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Thank You after Information Interview

Your Address City, State, Zip Today's Date

Name Title Organization Address City, State, Zip Dear Mr. :

Thank you very much for taking the time to meet with me Thursday to discuss the professional possibilities in the healthcare industry. I was impressed by your knowledge of today's complicated issues and appreciated your insight regarding the ways I can apply my Communications and Economics majors to contribute to hospital administration. You gave me the name of Harriet Health at ABC HMO to contact, and we have an appointment early next month when she returns from a business trip. I will be in contact from time to time to keep you posted on my career research. I will send a copy of my resume to your office as soon as it is ready, and I thank you in advance for your generous offer of a resume critique. Thank you for your help and valuable information. Sincerely yours, (Your signature) Your name typed

Letters adapted from: Information Interviewing, Martha Stoodley, 1990.

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