Get the 4-1-1 on Your Future Career

By Teri Bisceglia, GCDF, CPRW

Have you been thinking about changing careers? Are you just starting your career search? You may already have an idea of what you want to do. You may already have expectations about the related job duties from your research on careers or from reviewing employment ads.

This information is useful in providing general career knowledge. But, it only tells a part of the career’s whole story. There is so much more you want to learn about the career - such as the ins and outs and its daily activities - before you make your final career decision.

What is Informational Interviewing?

Regardless of where you are in your career process, one of the best tools you can use to find out firsthand information about a career or job is to talk with someone who is doing the job now - or has recently done so. A person already doing the job can give you insight into the good, bad, and ugly of a job. This conversation is known as an informational interview. You’ll have specific questions you want to be sure to ask, so it may feel more formal to you. However, when you keep in mind that it’s a conversation and your goal is to learn, it sounds less intimidating. So how do you go about getting one?

“Informational interviewing gives you the opportunity to learn about a career and an industry before you invest your time, effort, and perhaps even your money - if further education or training is needed for you to enter the career or be a successful job candidate. ”

How Do I Start the process?  

Asking yourself the question, “who do I know who’s doing the career I’m interested in?” is a good place to start. If you know someone, you can go ahead and reach out. This is usually the easiest informational interview to do because you already have a relationship in place. Your family and friends are also good sources as they may know someone who is doing the job and can help to facilitate a connection. From here, you can expand your outreach to your social media contacts on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram. You can also use social media and the Web to identify potential contacts by looking at the websites and LinkedIn pages of companies in your field of interest.

What’s Next?

You’ve now identified who you want to talk with. What do you do next?

Reach out by email, phone, or LinkedIn.

Ask for about 15-20 minutes of their time; explain that you’re doing career research and interested in finding out more about what they do.

Do your research on the person you’re interviewing, the career, and the industry.

LinkedIn profiles, professional associations, and company websites offer information to create your questions.

Prepare your questions ahead of your scheduled conversation.

You want questions that will give you the answers you’re seeking. Some questions you may want to consider are:

• What experience has been most valuable?

• What are some daily duties expected for this type of work?

• What can I be doing right now to prepare for this career?

Conduct the interview (and be on time.)

They are giving you some of their time so remain aware of their schedule. Regardless of whether the interview went well or not, be sure to thank them for their time.

Consider asking if they know someone else you should talk with about the career and industry.

Often they may refer you to other subject matter experts who can provide even more details and perspectives. Another question to consider is asking if you can stay in touch and follow up with further questions.

Write a thank-you note.

It can go a long way in establishing a relationship that may continue to provide you with insights, etc.

Tip: Syracuse University College of Law’s ‘Dos & Don’ts of Informational Interviews’ video offers a good example of how to and how not to do an informational interview; even if your career goal is not to be an attorney.

What are the Benefits of Informational Interviewing?

I realize that all of this seems like a lot of work. And you may be thinking, I already know about the career so I don’t need to take these extra steps. I understand that feeling. Here are some benefits of informational interviewing for you to consider.

• Informational Interviews give career information directly from the “horse’s mouth.” It’s a ‘Day in the Life’ level of detail provided by someone living the career.

• Informational Interviews offer a realistic picture of the daily ins and outs which may or may not match your expectations or goals. Sometimes knowing what we don't want can be as helpful as knowing what we do.

• Informational Interviews help build your connections and network. You may make connections who will serve as a mentor in your career efforts today and well into the future.

Tip: The free CareerOneStop available through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment & Training Administration also has some helpful information on conducting Informational Interviews.

Closing Thoughts

If possible, interview more than one person so you can get a broad perspective of the career. One person may love their career while another may not. You may catch someone on the best day of their career - or possibly their worst. You can get clarification through the conversations with the questions you ask. Informational interviewing gives you the opportunity to learn about a career and an industry before you invest your time, effort, and perhaps even your money if further education or training is needed for you to enter the career or be a successful job candidate. You may ultimately decide that the career or industry is not what you want and it may lead you onto a different career pathway.

You'll now know what questions to ask to get the answers you need to be informed. You’ll be able to make the best decisions for yourself based on the knowledge you’ve gained. Yes, informational interviews can be intimidating but you won’t know until you try. The knowledge you may gain can open up opportunities that you never considered.