Information Interviewing

One of the best ways to research career fields of interest is by speaking with people who are working in the field. This process is referred to as information interviewing. Information interviewing can be a valuable component of networking; the primary purpose is to gather information, however, and not to get a job.

Information interviews allow you to:

• Explore career fields and industries of interest, to help clarify your goals
• Discover employment opportunities that were not advertised
• Get a sense of the corporate culture of a particular organization
• Expand your network
• Practice the skills utilized during job interviews
• Access first-hand and up-to-date information about various careers

Before you start doing your own information interviews, you can take a look at some online examples at CareerFYI. CareerFYI's mission is to create a large database of information interviews for those seeking insight about careers. They have audio, video, and written information interviews.

Five Steps to Successful Information Interviewing:

1. Define your goals

After doing some self-assessment, you probably have a few tentative ideas about the types of careers that appeal to your interests and growing skills. Spend some time in the career library or on the web reviewing various careers and industries that have caught your eye. Spend time talking to friends, family, and faculty about other careers you might consider exploring. You will likely find, from the people you talk to and the articles you read, a number of specific occupations you want to learn more about.

2. Identify contacts and reach out

Work on developing a list of absolutely everyone who might be in a position to help you in this task. The best place to start is with people you already know. Brainstorm and write down the names of family members, friends, professors, past teachers, and past work supervisors. Contact these individuals to let them know what type of contacts you are looking for. Even if your uncle doesn’t work in marketing, he may have an acquaintance who does.

You should also identify Princeton alumni who meet your criteria and contact them for advice and assistance. More information on how to find appropriate alumni using the Alumni Careers Network and other sources can be found in How to Connect with Alumni.

The most resourceful students will also turn to professional associations as a way to find additional contacts. A professional association is an organization of people who have similar career interests. Many professional associations offer mentoring programs and conferences, both of which provide an opportunity to network. For lists of numerous organizations grouped by field, see the National Trade and Professional Associations handbook, located in our library. In addition, the Online Jobs section of our website lists various networking organizations and professional associations specific to each industry.

Using the list you’ve developed, begin to reach out to your contacts to arrange a time to speak with them. This could mean anything from an informal phone call to a family friend to a formal letter of introduction to an executive found through a professional association. For most contacts, an email or phone call of introduction should be sufficient. Tell the person where you found his or her name, give him or her a brief description of your background and ask for his or her assistance. Emphasize that you are looking for information about career options and not necessarily that you are looking for help with an internship or job placement. Ask if you could have 30 minutes of the person’s time either in-person or on the phone. For sample email and phone call scripts, please read How to Connect with Alumni. These scripts can be modified for use with non-alumni.

3. Prepare for the meeting

Before you speak with anyone, you need to define what you’d like to know. Try to determine what questions or issues are of most concern to you so that you’ll be able to use your time wisely. In addition to preparing questions, you should also do some research on your contact’s place of work so that you don’t waste time asking questions you could have found out on a website. Finally, reflect on your own background and interests. In order for someone to provide you with advice, he or she will most likely want to know about your experiences and goals.

Sample Questions

1. How did you choose this career field?
2. What has been your career path?
3. What was your college major?
4. On a typical day in this position, what do you do?
5. What training, education, licenses are required for this type of work?
6. What kinds of prior experience are absolutely essential?
7. What types of employment or internships would you recommend if I want to pursue _____ as a career?
8. What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful in this job?
9. What are the toughest problems you have to deal with?
10. What is the most rewarding part of your job?
11. What opportunities for advancement are there in this field?
12. If you were to leave this kind of work, what would drive you away?
13. If things develop as you would like, what does the future hold for your career?
14. Does your work become more interesting as you stay longer?
15. What entry-level opportunities offer the most ability to learn a great deal?
16. What is the typical salary range for these positions?
17. How do people find out about these jobs?
18. How do you see this field changing in the future?
19. Is there a demand for people in this occupation?
20. What obligations does your work place on you, outside the regular work week?
21. What special advice would you give a person entering this field?
22. If you were to hire someone to work with you today, which of the following would be most important in your hiring decision and why: Educational credentials? Past work experience? Personality/personal attributes? Specific skills/talents?
23. If you were a college graduate again, and had it to do all over, knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?
24. Which professional journals and organizations would help me learn more about this field?
25. What is the average length of time employees stay with the organization?
26. What type of formal or on-the-job training does the organization provide?
27. How does the organization compare/differ with its competitors?
28. With the information you have about my education, skills, and experience, what other fields would you suggest I research further before making a final decision?
29. What is your opinion of my background/resume? Do you see any problem areas or weaknesses?
30. Who do you know that might be willing to speak with me as well? May I use your name when contacting him/her?

4. Attend the meeting

Try to meet with your contact in person if at all possible. Interviewing people at their place of work allows you to get an inside view of the working environment, to see how people are dressed and act toward one another, and to generally evaluate the pace of the office. Dress appropriately, arrive on time, and be professional. Bring one or two copies of your resume, just to be prepared. Before you leave, be sure you have your contact's business card. If your interview is on the phone, you should call the individual not vice versa.

Be sure to ask your contact to suggest others that might be helpful to your research. Ask permission to use your contact's name when contacting these new people. Be considerate of your contact's time - stay on track and do not overstay your welcome. Refer to your questions, but leave room for spontaneous discussions.

5. Follow-up

Immediately following the interview, take the time to jot down your thoughts, impressions, and information gathered. Send a thank-you note within one week of the meeting. Thanking a person for taking the time to speak with you or email you is very important. You never know when you will run across someone again in the future. Being polite and thankful ensures that you don’t burn any bridges. In addition, if you’re speaking with an alumnus/a, a thank-you note from you is a positive reflection on the university. An alumnus/a is more likely to help other students in the future if you are courteous in the present.

NOTE: Always remember that each person you speak with is only one person. Do not form an opinion about a career after speaking with only one or two people. Start early, in your first year of college, interviewing as many people as you can throughout your college career. Speaking with a variety of people from a variety of organizations provides you with a much more three-dimensional image of what a potential career holds.

You are not required to follow a contact’s suggestions but you should consider a person’s advice carefully. If you were given the names of additional people to contact, try to get in touch soon, referencing your original contact person. Be sure to let your contact know about your progress, particularly if your progress is due to something they’ve recommended. You should think about this process as a long-term endeavor. You may be colleagues with this person in the future or be in a position to help them at some point. It will be to your advantage to stay in touch.

Typical Roadblocks

Many people have a strong distaste for networking. The most common concern is that you’re imposing on someone when you have nothing to offer in return. Keep in mind, however, that most people enjoy talking about themselves and are happy to offer advice. If someone is too busy to help you, they will probably tell you. Furthermore, you do have something to offer in return. If you’re speaking with alumni, you’re offering them a way to give back to their alma mater. In addition, you could be in a position at some point in the future to offer your contact a piece of advice or a referral.

It is also common to feel like networking is somehow an illegitimate way of getting ahead in your career goals. Espousing this view means you’ll potentially miss out on not only a wealth of information but also job and internship leads. Remember, even if you learn of an opportunity through networking, you are still the one who has to land the job or internship, and you are still the one who has to do the job well.

Finally, some people feel like information interviewing makes them look unfocused. However, everyone goes through the process of career planning and many people go through the process of transitioning from one career path to another. Prepare for your information interviews well so that even if you’re not certain about your interest in a particular career field, you’ll at least know why it’s a possibility.