did you know that people spend 60% of conversation talking about themselves? Let’s talk about the ways that we can make this work for you.

Table of Contents

What is it?

The informational interview is a much more casual interview format. Think of it as more of a meeting! It allows you to meet with the person of your choosing in an industry, company, or role that you have an interest in. From simply scheduling an informational, you can learn more about this persons’ day to day functions in their job as well as the industry landscape at large!

This format is unique because rather than an employer reaching out to you to set up a conversation, you will be the one to initiate! that’s right, the power is now in your hands. It might seem scary to take this much initiative but it is also an amazing opportunity to reclaim some of the power that gets stripped from you during the job search process. You can also minimize the intimidation factor of the job-hunting process. the power is completely in your hands!

Benefits

it’s a challenge

Talking to new people can be hard especially if you consider yourself to be shy. Knowing that you possess this trait can bring about some feelings of anxiety surrounding initiating conversation, especially with a potentially influential person

To make things better, you can view this as a challenge to yourself! For example, if you’re starting an internship or full-time role, you can write on a post-it:

put yourself out there and network with 30 people in 2 months by scheduling informational interviews!

(and put it somewhere you can see it too! I’m watching you)

Speaking from experience, I did this at two of my summer internships (both at giant companies) and it gave me a much better scope of the company structure. Things like how different departments depend on and interact with each other, how to make the most out of my internship experience, and other relevant people that I should connect with all became much clearer. By betting on myself and initiating all of these conversations, my overall sense of comfort increased tenfold.

If I didn’t give myself this challenge I most certainly would not have connected with as many people as I did nor would I have felt as accomplished as I did by the end of both experiences.

You can learn way more about the company before even getting there

Because you are the one initiating the conversation and will likely introduce it as informal, there is generally a reduced sense of pressure. You typically will be engaging in a casual chat with this person for 30 mins or so, getting the answers to all of the questions that you have about their role or the company that may not be available online.

By the time you get to the interview stage, it is already too late; you are in the hiring pipeline and have a much shorter period of time to ask questions after having spent at least 30 minutes fighting nerves and trying to appear as your most impressive self. The informational has much lower steaks as it reverses the roles! You are the one asking the questions and that person is there to impress you! (even if they don’t acknowledge it 😉 )

Job listings aren’t always clear-cut

A brand manager at Nike can have a completely different job than a brand manager at HBO.

Different industries have different expectations and we often make the mistake of assuming that roles with the same title at different companies also imply the same responsibilities.

Scheduling informationals allows us to get around this issue! you can hypothetically ask four brand managers at four different companies what they do daily, bringing you so much more clarity!

Who knows? their answers might even inform whether or not you even want to move forward with the application process for that specific company.

Expanding your network

Speaking to your interview subject not only adds a new person to your contact list but also can open the door to you meeting other people in your industry of choice! You decide the questions that you’ll be asking, why not make one of them a request for a recommendation of other people within the company or industry that are well-fitted to your needs?

People love to talk about themselves

According to a study done by Harvard University Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Talking about ourselves lights up the brain in the same way that eating a good meal does.

Essentially, talking about ourselves feels good.

Whether you are an intern, a recent college graduate newly entering the labor market, or even further along and making a career pivot, People who are in the position that you are aiming to get to, want to help you. It makes them feel good to share their wisdom, so help yourself by taking advantage!

Opening yourself up to more discrete opportunities

If you are networking within your current company or perhaps hit it off with someone that you are meeting with for the first time, they may have some more exclusive insight that they can provide you with on the hiring landscape than a job posting site could.

For example, you may be interested in a role for which the company is aiming to hire internally or you could be perfect for a role that has not been listed yet!

This news might as well as might not be ideal to hear in the moment but trust that all of this information can be of use to you! It will save you time from applying if you don’t fit the bill, or on the flip side, it could put your name further ahead in the mind of a recruiter all because you built a relationship with a knowledgeable point of contact.

I hope that you see just how amazing Informational can be and think about including them in your career navigation arsenal! If you enjoyed this post, definitely save it for later by pinning it to your Career or Personal Development board on Pinterest we have tons of content to help you navigate your career in style! Check us out here