Information Interviews 101

BY SOCHEATA MOK

Informational interviews are helpful for undergraduates in their career-searching process because it offers students the opportunity to learn more about a particular career or field from a direct source. To prepare students for informational interviews, here is some valuable advice from Chrissy Francis, a career adviser in the College of Science and Engineering.

1 . CONNECT WITH PEOPLE YOU KNOW OR WITH ALUMNI AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA'S MAROON AND GOLD NETWORK OR LINKEDIN

• Connect with people you know. An informational interview can be uncomfortable for many, so it may be easier to begin networking with those you already know. If you have someone in your family, friends or network that works at a specific company or industry you’re interested in, contact them for an interview.

• Connect with alumni on the Maroon and Gold Network. Students can find interview candidates through the school’s alumni network based on college, major, company, job title and degree type. Visit maroonandgoldnetwork.umnalumni.org to access the Maroon and Gold Network.

• Connect with alumni on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is another excellent resource to locate alumni for their informational interview. You can find the University of Minnesota page on LinkedIn, and then select “Alumni.” There will be various filters such as location, company, job title or major. Then, craft your message on LinkedIn to reach out to specific alumni for the informa-tional interview.

2. BE PREPARED FOR THE INTERVIEW

When you go into an informational interview, it’s essential to come prepared and be ready to lead the conversation. Therefore:

• Research the interviewee’s background. Part of the preparation process is to familiarize yourself with the person you’re interviewing. You want to know about their educational and professional background so you can develop questions that are more informed and thoughtful.

• Have a list of questions prepared, so you can get the conversation rolling. It is your job and not the interviewee’s job to drive the conversation during the informational interview. Therefore, make sure you have a list of questions prepared to show you’re willing to engage in the conversation, steer it and keep it on track without wasting the other person’s time.

• Bring a notebook and a pen to take notes. You are t here to learn about their work, so it never hurts to take a few notes during the conversation. After all, they may say something important or interesting that you don’t want to forget, so having a notebook can create better materials to reference later on.

• Arrive early. Showing up about 10 minutes early for the interview is helpful. Any more than 10 minutes may disrupt the person’s day at work.

• Dress up a little bit. You want to treat the informational interview as a professional interview, so you want to dress up business-style to fit the environment of the interview/interviewee. For example, if you’re doing an informational interview in a corporate environment, a suit may be appropriate.

3 . AVOID ASKING SOMEONE TO HIRE YOU OR QUESTION THEIR SALARY

• Do not ask someone to hire you. The purpose of an informational interview is for you to gather information about the person’s job, not for them to hire you. You can ask questions about how you would obtain a position at their company or other companies, but it changes the dynamic of the conversation if you ask them to hire you.

• Do not question their salary. It is inappropriate to ask the person about their salary. Therefore, if you’re wondering how much a person in their particular field makes, avoid asking “how much do you make annually?” Instead, you can ask them, “what is a typical salary range for someone in your field?” This way, you can still get the information you want from the interviewee more generally. Tread lightly in this area.

4 . OFFER TO BUY YOUR INTERVIEWEE COFFEE, IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT

As a college student, you may have a limited budget. If you’re able to purchase the coffee for the person you’re interviewing with, it demonstrates a nice gesture to thank them for taking out their time of the day to do you a favor. So, if you can afford to buy them a cup of coffee, offer to do so.

5. FOLLOW-UP AFTER THE INTERVIEW

Always follow-up and stay in contact with the person you interviewed, so they don’t fall off your radar.

• Send a follow-up email to thank them. Make it personal by telling them what you specifically appreciated about the conversation and what you learned. If they have made suggestions on the next-action step, such as connecting you with one of their connections, keep them updated.

• Add them on LinkedIn if you haven’t already. LinkedIn is a great way you keep in touch with your interviewees after the informational interview because it allows you to stay up to date with their professional activities and follow-up after graduation.