Is your job search stalled? Have you hit a dry patch in your job search campaign? Need some fresh perspective? Not enough people know about a critical job search tool – Information Interviews. Do you? In today’s economy, you could use any new angle.
Maybe you’ve heard about the Informational Interview option from friends or you’ve tried it once or twice. It can be just the thing to get around those stubborn HR gatekeepers or anonymous job posting boards. Short of a real-live interview, the Informational Interview is the way to go many times to bust through a job search jam. I always encourage my clients to play this “card” in the search.
One way to look at it – if the actual job interview is like a date with someone you might have chemistry with, the informational interview is like going out with a group of friends that includes that person you’re interested in. At least you get the face time to size up the potential opportunity without the pressure of performing at your best and answering the questions in all the right ways.
How do you go about setting up informational interviews? First, an important reminder from a previous blog where I note that the best tool in your job search toolbox is Personal Networking. Organizing and utilizing a Contact Tree is essential to identifying and approaching those important people who know you in work or social environments. These are your first turn-to contacts, but the trick is never letting a contact “train” go cold. If the first line of connections doesn’t generate some light and heat, or even if it does, then ask them for people they may know that you can contact. So the trail can lead from A to B to C and D.
The Informational Interview is a variation on both Personal Networking and the actual Interview. Here are some key distinctive.
1. Part of your job search should be researching and identifying specific companies that you would really like to work for. Don’t even think about whether the company has any openings – just start acquiring background info about it.
2. The next step is to zero in on who you could actually interview with, i.e. your potential boss, or even someone that you would work with who could fill you in on the corporate culture. To find this info, you can check LinkedIn, industry publications, internal contacts or even call the company and ask to whom you could direct correspondence.
3. Once you have a specific person to contact, send an email inquiry with detailed questions or make a phone call to see if it is possible to meet for 15-20 minutes, if they’re local, or long-distance, if necessary.
4. When you have that window of time with your contact, then you can quiz them about the company, ask about who to connect with further and even any advice on the job search itself.
5. The payoff is to: a. get positive exposure with a company you know you are interested in working for. b. make a positive impression with someone already in a place where you want to be. c. get the positive emotional bump of getting traction in the search and most importantly, d. get on the right people’s radar and expand exposure of your professional abilities.
The whole goal of the job search is to get the job that is the optimal fit for you with a company to which you can devote yourself for years, earn a stable paycheck and from which you can get a lot of personal satisfaction. Remember, be positive and progressive – keep moving forward with confidence and focus, always with your eyes on the prize.
