Informational interviewing

Make a list of people you know who are doing interesting things—or who can suggest people for you to talk to. Faculty, academic advisors, TAs, residence hall directors, people you’ve worked with, friends or family, work supervisors, high school mentors, acquaintances, guest speakers from a class or student organization, and career fair recruiters are all good resources. You can also find alumni on LinkedIn or IlliniLink. It can be helpful to practice informational interviewing with someone familiar (even if they don’t work in a field that you see in your future) to prepare for talking to a stranger. 

Here are some tips for your first outreach:

• Introduce yourself and your purpose in reaching out
• If you were referred by another person, mention who referred you (or share how you found the person)
• Ask for a specific amount of time (e.g., 20 minutes)
• “Informational interview” is a well-known term in the working world, so it’s fine to ask for one, but if the language of getting coffee or chatting on the phone feels more comfortable, that’s okay, too.
• Make it easy – suggest talking on the phone or Zoom, or offer to meet close to their office. Propose a few specific times rather than expecting the person you reach out to take responsibility for setting the meeting.
• Prepare to hear “no,” and don’t take it personally. People’s lives are busy, and some people get a lot of requests for these conversations. You can ask if they know anyone else who may be willing to chat with you.

Learn about the person and the organization they work for prior to the interview. Google them, review their LinkedIn page, and read the website for their organization. This research will help you ask better questions, and the person you talk to will appreciate your interest. Some questions you might consider include:

• What is a typical day like in your job (role / organization)?
• What experiences led you to your current role?
• What college classes or experiences have been most helpful in preparing you for this work?
• What do you wish you had known about your role or career field that you had to learn on the job?
• What part of your job is most satisfying? Most challenging?
• What specific skills or experiences would make someone particularly competitive for this kind of role?
• What do you like most about the company/organization that you work for? Is there anything you would like to see change?
• What do you see as some of the key developments or growth areas in the next 3 – 5 years in this field (your organization)?
• What advice would you give to current college students who want to enter this field?

During the informational interview, demonstrate respect for the time and attention that the individual is sharing with you by dressing appropriately, arriving on-time (or 10 minutes early), showing interest and enthusiasm, and being prepared to take notes as they share resources and ideas. Plan your questions, but also be flexible: the goal is a conversation, not a tightly scripted Q&A. Some of your questions may get answered before you have a chance to ask them, or the answers you hear may prompt follow-up questions that you didn’t prepare in advance. Be prepared to honor the length of time you asked for, but be ready to adjust if the conversation runs long. Also, recognize that they may demonstrate interest in you, and ask you questions as well!

As the conversation winds down, be sure to ask “Who else should I talk to?” This is a great a way to continue to grow your contacts.

After the informational interview, follow up with your contact to thank them. If you took their advice or used a resource they told you about, share your progress and how helpful their recommendation was. Or, if you want to stay in touch, you might connect with them on LinkedIn. Essentially, you want to express how valuable the connection was to you, and how much you appreciate their time and insights.