An informational interview is not the same as a job interview. It is characterized as a short meeting held with someone that is very much like a mentor, or an individual who may have connections or influence with other people in your field or industry.
Related: How To Conduct An Effective Informational Interview
Anyone willing to offer you an informational interview is there to help address your questions, provide advice on how to enter or advance in a particular field of work, and offer opinions on companies in the industry. They may even help direct you to the right contacts for job opportunities.
5 Rules To Remember For An Informational Interview
As you are the one asking for help, there are rules to remember when you request and conduct an informational interview.
1. Make it clear you are not asking them for a job.
People are more willing to take time to speak with you if you make it clear upfront that you want to meet for advice and not to ask for a job. Remember to approach the meeting with that in mind, and not turn around directly asking them for a job.
2. Limit the meeting to less than 30 minutes.
Everyone’s time is valuable. The interviewer is taking time out of their busy schedule to help you, so make good use of the time.
3. Ask for advice.
The interviewer doesn’t know exactly what he/she can help you with unless you ask. Seek out advice to any questions you have.
For example:
“What do employers look for in a job candidate in the field of XYZ?”
“Where are the best places to find job opportunities in XYZ?"
“What are some of the challenged to working in….?”
“What type of training or education is needed to continue to advance in this profession?”
“How did you get into….?”
“What do you like about working in….?”
4. Let the interviewer do most of the talking.
Your mission in this meeting is to gather as much information and insight as possible to help you with your job search and career. Seek for the interviewer’s experience and thoughts opposed to focusing most of the talk about yourself.
5. Get introduced.
If you have established a comfortable and ongoing relationship with this contact, ask if they know of any contacts they can introduce you to. Referrals can help get you in front of the right contacts for job opportunities more quickly.
Don’t be surprised if a contact from an informational interview becomes a life-long mentor. These people can be there to help you throughout your career, so express appreciation and thanks at the interview and also follow up with a note afterwards.
Don Goodman’s firm was rated as the #1 Resume Writing Service in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Don is a triple-certified, nationally recognized Expert Resume Writer, Career Management Coach and Job Search Strategist who has helped thousands of people secure their next job. Check out his Resume Writing Service. Get a Free Resume Evaluation or call him at 800.909.0109 for more information.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.Photo Credit: Shutterstock
The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
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Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
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In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
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You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.