Info Interviews: Part III- Preparing
Now that you’ve sourced a contact, reached out and set a date for your informational interview, it’s time to prepare for a fruitful conversation! You can do this by practicing a short summary of your own background and how it links to your interest in connecting and researching to develop a list of thoughtful questions to raise with your contact.
The Intro
Practice sharing a brief recap of relevant highlights of your professional life and tie where you are today with what your contact is doing. Leading with this will lay a strong foundation and let your conversation partner know you’re curious about her experience and have a plan for your time together.
The Person
Delving into your contact’s professional history via her LinkedIn profile and other online resources will reveal what she considers important in her work life. Maybe she moved across country or even internationally as her career path evolved. How early was she drawn to her field of work and how? How have your contact’s roles shifted over the years? Perhaps she’s built her career in a specific function (eg. product management or engineering) and earned promotions, climbing the ladder. Or maybe she started in one function or industry and then made a shift to another. What questions does her path bring to mind for you? Expressing interest in your contact’s professional journey is a way to connect with her and understand the motivations driving her career choice.
The Role
What does being in this function entail? Who are her internal and external clients and with what other divisions does she partner to achieve strong results? Understanding her role in the context of her firm may give you insight into whether you would be happy in a similar position.
The Company
Note the organizations where your contact has worked. Most companies have links to their own profile pages so you could learn more and Follow them if they’re of particular interest. You may want to be ready with questions about what brings joy or annoys the contact about her place of work and ask them in the meeting, once you’ve established a comfortable rapport.
The Industry
Every company is different and even within the same industry, firms take on a unique flavor. What other firms comprise the industry and how do they differ in business model, offerings or philosophy? From her experience- either first or second-hand- how would your contact describe various companies in the field? If particular ones are intriguing to you, be sure to ask her perspective on them.
Tools of the Trade
Educational degrees and certifications may be useful for advancing in the career you’re investigating. Google your way to an understanding of what’s required and consider adding questions to your list about books/blogs/podcasts, courses, certifications, professional associations or industry conferences that your contact would recommend for people keen on the field. Which has she taken advantage of and what questions do you have about those programs or resources?
Logistics
If your meeting is in-person and you’ve never been to the location, consider scouting it out a few days before you connect. Whether it’s in-person or virtual, sending a quick note one business day before your meeting serves to let the person know you’re looking forward to meeting her. That way, if something else has taken precedence on her schedule, you won’t waste a trip and can shift smoothly into rescheduling.
Giving yourself time to do the research necessary and get familiar with your opening and questions will increase the chances your informational interview will be productive and build a lasting connection.
All the best with your preparation!