Questions to Ask in Informational Interviews

Come to informational interviews prepared with a list of questions and, if necessary, take
notes during the interview to make sure that you remember the answers to your questions.
The following questions will (hopefully) get your thinking started in the right direction:

1. What is your job title and occupational role?
2. How did you choose this field? Profession?
3. What kind of training do you need to do your job?
4. What skills and experience do you need to work in this field?
5. What is your educational background?
6. Do you think that your education prepared you well to do this kind of work?
7. Do you have an area of specialization?
8. Are there other areas of specialization that I might want to consider?
9. What does a typical career path look like in this field?
10. Is the field growing?
11. What are the most difficult challenges that you face in your work? Career?
12. How competitive is this field? Are jobs plentiful or scarce?
13. How do you typically spend your day? Week?
14. Do you work under a lot of stress?
15. How many hours per week do you normally work? Is it common to take work
home?
16. Do you have to deal with a lot of crises and emergencies?
17. Where does your job/position fit within the larger organization?
18. Do people recognize and appreciate the work you do?
19. What do you like most about this work?
20. What do you like least about this work?
21. What advice can you give me?
22. Is there a professional group that you like and belong to?
23. Can you recommend other people for me to talk to?
24. If I want to go into this field, what do you recommend that I do first?
25. Is there anything that you wish you had done differently in your career?
26. What is a typical starting salary?
27. Would you mind reviewing my resume and making comments?
28. What is the best way to find a job in your field?