CONDUCT AN INFORMATION INTERVIEW An information interview is a conversation or meeting with a professional in your field of interest that allows you to gather career advice, examine career fields, gather industry knowledge, and network with industry insiders. If you are in the process of choosing a major, making career decisions, changing careers, or beginning a job hunt, these interviews may help you explore your possibilities.
HOW DO I PREPARE? • Be professional. • Know your values, interests, and skills, and how they relate to the career field represented by the person(s) you will be interviewing. • Research your occupation or industry before contacting volunteers so you can ask effective questions. • Know exactly what information you want and have a list of questions in mind. • Be sure to note how the volunteer wishes to be contacted, and be respectful of that request. • Read about the career area and organization of the person you will be interviewing. Check for any websites associated with them, their organization, or career field. You may also want to ask the organization for any annual reports, brochures, etc. that can’t be found online.
HOW DO I FIND POTENTIAL CONTACTS? • Ask friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, former employers, and faculty. • Attend meetings (local, state, regional) for professional associations in your field(s) of interest. • Call community service agencies and trade or professional organizations and review their websites. • Contact faculty, personnel, other University offices, and the Career Center, which has names of many employer contacts. • Locate FSU alumni through LinkedIn or the ProfessioNole Mentors platform (see page 79).
HOW DO I ARRANGE THE INTERVIEW? • Call or email to explain your request and arrange an appointment. Email requests are usually most effective if followed up by phone to confirm an appointment time. • If possible, introduce yourself through a personal referral (e.g., “I’m Jessica Long, a sophomore at FSU. I found your name in The Career Center’s ProfessioNole Mentors platform”). • Explain your request to schedule an appointment for gathering information about their field of work. Indicate clearly that you are not applying for a job at this time. • If the person you are trying to reach is not in, you can leave a message or ask when you can call back. Try to schedule a 20-30 minute appointment to be conducted by phone or face-to-face at the person’s convenience. • If you want to speak with the individual in person, state that upfront so the phone call does not turn into an actual interview. However, you should be prepared to conduct the interview over the phone. • If you are able to schedule an on-site visit, remember to ask for directions and parking information.
SAMPLE INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW EMAIL Subject: Information Interview Request Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. Last Name: My name is Steven Seminole, and I am a junior majoring in communication at Florida State University. I found your name in the Career Center’s ProfessioNole Mentors database and noticed that you also graduated from the FSU College of Communication and Information. While I am not looking for a job at this time, I am interested in learning about typical career paths in the field of communications. I would greatly appreciate 15-30 minutes of your time to discuss opportunities in the field, as well as your career path to your current position as ___________ at ____________. I realize that you are busy and would greatly appreciate any time you could spare to talk with me either via phone or in person. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Steven Seminole
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The Career Guide 2021-2022
