Preparing For An Informational Interview - Job Interview Technique Lens #3

In some of my previous lenses about resume and cover letter development, I discuss the importance of learning as much about your target company as possible.

You must do the same here in order to formulate thoughtful and meaningful informational interview questions.

Get online and find the company's website. Read everything you can about the company, its mission, vision, products, services - everything!

Then, seek out articles that may have been written by or about the company. Make a note of anything that jumps out at you that might be an appropriate topic to add to your conversation. Perhaps the person you will be meeting with had a particularly meaningful quote in the article. You can mention that when you speak with the person - he or she will notice that YOU noticed.

The more you know about a company, the better you look. Remember that even though you are not applying for a position with the company at this time, the fact that you will already know so much about them will definitely come across to the person you are speaking with.

(Quick Sidebar: KEEP all the information you gather about the company in a separate file... If you wind up applying for or interviewing for a job somewhere down the road with this company, this information will come in very handy!)

For example, imagine you are meeting with the vice president of marketing, and you ask:
"Ms. Smith, your department seems very busy. So what is it you all focus on each day?"

Now picture the same scenario, but instead you say:
"Ms. Smith. I read about the recent campaign your department is undertaking to partner with the local water park. I am very interested in hearing how you have organized all the components of the campaign within the department."

The second approach clearly shows that you have done some homework about what the company is involved with, and now your host can give you direct insight instead of a generalized statement.

Again, conducting detailed research on the company will result in a list of focused, targeted and meaningful questions. You only have about a half hour with your host. Make it count!

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As noted above, the questions you ask will be dependent upon the type of company and industry you are researching. And, as a quick note: this particular type of informational interview is a little different than one that might be considered a high school or job-shadowing activity.

For example, it is perfectly acceptable for someone who is just learning about the workforce to ask: "What are the duties of a marketing director?"

However, in this case, considering that you presumably have some marketing experience (again, review the example in The Informational Interview - Job Interview Technique Lens #2), you would probably want to ask a more in-depth question such as:
"In my current job at Town Services, the marketing department has been focused on producing new brochures, press releases, and rethinking their annual appeal strategy. Because this is my first venture into the tourist industry, could tell me what your own marketing department is focusing on right now?"

Avoid being too general - but by the same token, avoid being too nosy! I know, that might seem like a tough balance! But, let's see how we can reach such a balance.

Here are a few sample informational interview questions that you might be able to ask:

=> "In the non-profit sector, I have noticed a trend of high turnover amongst staff. I attribute this to the sometimes shaky grant-funded nature of the work. How would you say that compares with the tourist industry?"

=> "What are the professional organizations that you belong to? Which ones would you recommend someone with my experience joining? What are the greatest benefits you've noticed as a result of belonging?"

=> "Can you suggest any specific training that would benefit me as a marketing professional as I switch my focus from the non-profit to the for-profit sector?"

=> "In your experience, have you ever known any of the resorts to work or consult with a marketing specialist like me on a contract or temporary basis? If not, do you think that people would be open to that type of approach?"

=> "Here at Top Ridge, how do most positions get filled? Do you advertise? How would someone like myself be most likely to find out about a job opening? Do you think this is common amongst other resort areas?"

=> "What software does your department use? I'm well-versed in Microsoft Publisher, but wonder which other programs I should be sure to learn."

=> "What is the corporate atmosphere like here at Top Ridge and in the industry as a whole?"

=> "Do members of the marketing department work mostly as a team? Or does each member have a specific focus/project at any given time? Do you think this is common at most resorts?"

=> "Given my level of experience, do you feel I will be able to find work in a resort of Top Ridge's caliber? If not, can you give me some suggestions as to where or how I should start?"

Of course, you can find hundreds of sample informational interview questions online. These are just starting points. The important thing to remember is to base your questions on the research you have conducted on the company.

And understand that you'll only have about a half hour to get them answered, so don't expect to be able to bring a list of 100 questions and have a detailed conversation on all of them.

Bring your most important questions to the top of your list and address them first.

If you have set up an informational interview strictly as a beginning networking activity, you can afford to be more general with your questions.

Prepare questions according to different criteria. For example, you can ask questions about:

• The career/field in general ("How do you foresee the future demand for someone in this field?")
  
• The person you are interviewing ("Is this job what you expected? How so?" or "What do you like best about working here?")
  
• The company ("What does this company do that's different from your competition?")
  
• The skills needed ("If I were to apply at this company, what is the most important qualification you feel I would need?")
  
• Yourself ("How do you feel I should prepare myself to apply to your company given the position I already have at XYZ Company?")

Some general informational interview questions you can ask are:

• "What is the biggest challenge in your job?"
  
• "What benefits (other than the usual health, 401K, etc) are there to working here and/or in this industry?"
  
• "What is the best advice you would give to someone new at the company and/or in this field?"
  
• "How is the economy affecting your job/the company/this industry?"
  
• "Does the organization contribute to ongoing professional development for staff? If so, how?"
  
• "What is the type of experience that your company values most when hiring new staff?"
  
• "What values is the company looking for most of all in new employees?"
  
• "What do you feel are the most frustrating aspects of working in this industry?"
  
• "What is most rewarding to you in your job?"
  
• "Does the company promote from within?"
  
• "What courses/training do you feel would be most important for me to have before I apply here?"
  
• "What challenges do you see the company facing? What type of plans are in place to meet these challenges?"

As noted in the previous module, there are plenty of other informational interview questions you can use. Again, I am trying to avoid reinventing the wheel here - there are some great informational interview questions listed on a variety of sites online. Hundreds of questions, in fact. I invite you to add your favorites below!

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It's not just about what questions you ask. You also need to appear as though you are reporting for work and/or a job interview. By that, I mean you need to dress the part and act the part. Just because this is an informal information gathering and networking activity, it is critical that you be seen as a professional.

This is likely the company's first impression of you. Make it a good one!

If you are meeting at a company where the standard mode of dress is a jacket and tie or suit, then you should arrive for the meeting dressed similarly. Arriving in a pair of jeans will definitely get you noticed, but probably not in the light you want to be seen.

Have your questions neatly typed, with room to write underneath, and organized either in a folder or a clipboard.

Bring a few copies of your resume. Don't hand them out willy-nilly. However, if the meeting is going well, and you feel that your hosts will be amenable to it, you can respectfully ask your contacts if they would mind having a look at your resume. You can say something like:
"Since we still have a few minutes, I wonder: Would you be willing to take a brief look at my resume? I would value some feedback and suggestions on how I might improve it so that it will better reflect my interest in this industry."

Make sure you have business cards with you. If you don't have a business card for your current job, make up a sheet on your printer, using a high quality card stock - all readily available at your local office products store. It need not be fancy, but one thing that I think would be helpful is for you to have your "headline" or "title" - your target job - printed on the card, boldly and right up front. In other words, instead of a card just showing your name and contact information, remind people what it is you are seeking to do by having that featured.

To use the example of our person who is interested in marketing, a line in the center of the card might state: "Experienced Marketing Professional."

In the case of someone looking to focus on the tourism industry, right underneath that title line, one could add - in slightly smaller letters: "With a Focus on Resorts & Tourism" or "Serving the Resort Industry."

Practice asking your questions before attending the meeting so that you are familiar with them and can spend more time listening, learning, and taking notes.

Confirm your appointment the day before. And, just as with a job interview, know where the company is located, know how to get there, and give yourself plenty of time to travel.

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Remind yourself that you are there to gain information about the company and/or industry - it's about them, not you. So be prepared to speak a little about yourself during the pleasantries, but don't monopolize the conversation.

Although your informational interview is more casual than a job interview, the same rules apply. For example: Don't bad-mouth your current employer or your current job. Just because this is a networking activity doesn't mean that it couldn't lead to more - and of course, anything you say might be repeated. And anything you say that is negative will most certainly be remembered.

Keep everything positive!

Be sure you ask for referrals of others who are in the industry who might be willing to speak with you. And be sure you get your host's permission to use his or her name when contacting these referrals.

Take notes on the individuals you meet during your appointment. If Ms. Smith introduced you to James Thomas in graphics, be sure you get James' card, or write his name and position down. If he said anything that strikes a chord with you, jot down what he said.

After you leave, spend a little time right away recalling and making notes on any points that you may not have already written down. Remember and write down statements that were made, including any specific suggestions or advice given you.

Write and send a thank you note!
I would wait until the next day before putting it in the mail. The note should be brief, and I believe it should be hand-written. If you can cite a specific example of something memorable that you walked away with, you can mention it. As a quick example, here is how a thank you note to Ms. Smith at Top Ridge Resort might read:

"Dear Ms. Smith,
I cannot thank you enough for the time you spent with me during my visit to Top Ridge Resort yesterday. One of the things that stuck in my mind after our meeting was when you mentioned the regional Morris County Tourism Coffee Meetings that are held each month. I've already spoken to Jack Albright, who organizes the meetings, and he has invited me to join the group! So thank you so much for that information.

I so enjoyed meeting you, and was extremely impressed with what is going on at Top Ridge. Our appointment solidified my interest in pursuing marketing for the resort industry. If you can think of anything else that might be helpful to me as I begin this transition, I would value that input. Thank you so much, once again. I look forward to seeing you again in the future!

Warmest regards,
(Your Name)
(And put your phone number, email, and address here as well.)"

As you have probably seen by now, an informational interview can accelerate your job search! Spend some time immediately after the activity reflecting on what you learned, and how you might apply the information in your job search. As shown in the sample thank you letter above, the writer is taking action by joining a group of tourism professionals at their next meeting. Think of all the new contacts and possibilities there!

You can do this as well. Did your host make any suggestions regarding additional coursework or other training that would help you? Then it may be time to jump in and get that training. Call the people whose names you were given. Conduct additional informational interviews. Act on the changes that were suggested for improving your resume.

I do have one final suggestion regarding your job search.
You may have already heard this, but it bears repeating: If you are out of work and looking for a new job, you should spend the same amount of time each week actively seeking work, attending informational interviews, networking, etc. that you would if you were working.

In other words, if you are looking for a 35-hour per week job, then you should be giving your job seeking activities a good 35-hours per week as well.

Reading want ads for 35 hours per week is not the activity you want. RESPONDING to the want ad - revising and sending your resumes and cover letters, asking for contacts, attending meetings, volunteering in a related field to keep your skills sharp, etc. - those are the activities you should be spending your 35 hours per week.

And do not forget that one of the most powerful interviewing and job hunt tools you can have in your job seeker toolkit can be found right here at www.JobInterviewTechnique.net.

Thanks for reading!