Information interviews are an important part of the job search process. By talking with people who are already working in your field of interest, you will gain valuable insight about jobs and companies in your field. This is an excellent means to find out about job availability and opportunities for advancement. Moreover, you will be establishing valuable network contacts for the future.

Required Steps

• Determine your field of interest
• Make a list of contacts you would like to interview and create a list of questions you would like to ask
• Telephone and ask for an information interview, making it clear that you are seeking information only about their field of work, not a job
• Interview
• Follow-up with a thank you letter

How to Locate Contacts

Here are some sources to help you identify contacts for information interviews:

• Academic - Professors, tutors, advisors, mentors, alumni, student organization members, your career counsellor, classmates, and activities you are, or were, associated with because of school.
• Family and Friends - People you are related to, neighbours, co-workers, and those you spend any other time with.
• Professional - Professional organization members, people you meet during work and volunteer experiences, conferences, career/job fairs, job clubs, and people in your field of interest or who know others in your field.
• Mentoring Programs - Mentoring programs at your college or university, in the community, professional associations and networking associations that connect individuals with career professionals.
• Publications - Newspapers, books, magazines, and professional journals/directories that give the names of people in career fields of interest and organizations with whom you would like to be affiliated.
• Others - Miscellaneous acquaintances, church members, community organization members, people you meet in stores, your hairstylist, and anyone you know who has a lot of contact with other people.
• Internet - Listservs, mailing lists, chat rooms, and websites that give you names of people in career fields of interest. As always, be careful when using the Internet.

Questions to Ask
To help get you started, here are some typical questions to ask. You'll likely come up with many more.
Tip: Organize your questions in a logical sequence. It will help keep your interview concise and on track.

About the Field

• What are the major trends in this field?
  
• Do you see a continued demand for people in this field?
  
• What are potential opportunities and challenges in this field?

About the Company

• Why did you choose to work for this company?
  
• Can you tell me about the work atmosphere and company culture?
  
• What would be a typical entry level position?
  
• Does your company offer additional training or professonal development courses?

About the Job

• Can you describe your typical day?
  
• What are the major challenges and opportunities in your job?
  
• What do you like most/least about your job?
  
• What are the opportunities for advancement?

General Questions

• What entry level positions would you recommend for a maximum learning experience?
• Is there a professional journal or association where I could learn more?
• Can you recommend other people I should speak with for more information?

Information Interview Tips

• Be on time or slightly early for your interview
• Be well groomed
• Keep interested and enthusiastic about what the person has to say
• Take notes
• Do not ask for a job. This is strictly an information interview!
• Bring your résumé, but only offer it if asked
• Before leaving, thank the person for their time, then follow-up promptly with a thank you letter.