The Informational Interview

A new way to find the job you wanted

Are you looking out for a job that you always dreamt about and wondering what to do? Here's a magic mantra for you. The mantra is Informational Interview. As the term suggests it is an interview but with a different connotation to it. Informational Interview is a means of networking with people having established careers in areas that you want to create a foothold.

Level 1: Conducting an Informational Interview

Here is simple method to go about conducting an Informational Interview. You will need to:

• Identify and make a list of companies that are operating in your area of interest.
• Find out who is who in each of these companies that you have identified.
• Try and figure out their contact information.
• Request to talk to a person working in your career field.
• Set up an interview at a time convenient to the person.
  

When you set-up the interview with somebody, it is important that you set the context right for meeting with the person. Emphasize on the fact that the goal of the interview is not acquiring a job but learning from the person about the challenges and opportunities the person foresees in the area. The meeting could trigger off a job for you if the person finds you genuinely interested or the person may give you references, at the least.

Level 2: Informational Interview: Some Other Perspectives

Informational Interview could also be a good option to explore for mid-career changes. If you have a good friend with an established career in the area you intend to pursue, it would be a good idea to have a formal informational interview with the person. This will bring out your seriousness of pursuing a career in the area of your friend at the same time the person will not be obligated to provide you a job. He will have the conviction to recommend you to others and give you good references.

Overall, Informational Interview is much more effective than any other conventional means for moving closer to your dream job as it emphasizes purely on your initiative and passion for making a breakthrough in to a career of your choice.