How To Manage Your Time In A 30 Minute Informational Interview
In part 1 of my 3 part Informational Interview series “What is an Informational Interview?” I outlined how an informal conversation helps you better understand different career paths, industries, companies and/or general career advice from someone with experience and knowledge.
In this article, I’m going to get into the nuts and bolts on how to manage your time throughout your informational interviews.
Greetings
If you are meeting in-person, make sure you arrive at least 10-15 minutes early to the agreed upon location. Take your time to get physically set up with a pen and notepad in a quieter place of the coffee shop or restaurant away from the business of the door.
If you’re meeting virtually, be sure to have the meeting link ready to go about 5 minutes early including ensuring your space is quit, has good lighting and your microphone sounds clear and sharp.
Take about 3-5 minutes at the top of the interview to thank the person for agreeing to the interview and engage in a little small talk such as questions or comments about the weather, finding a parking spot, pop culture etc.
Your Pitch/Meeting Purpose
After greetings, take 3-5 minutes to give a small elevator pitch and remind the person why you asked them for the interview and some goals you have for the interview and longer term goals such as getting an internship or landing a full-time job.
Not all informational interviewing needs to center around wanting a job, remember it’s a learning opportunity, not a job interview, but for many people, they’re doing informational interviews during the job search process.
If you’re seeking a position, make sure you tell the person at some point throughout the interview that this is the case and if they offer to help get you a position beyond the interview, take them up on it.
Ask Questions
If doing a 30 minute interview, the questions section should take about 10-15 minutes or a bulk of the interview. Be sure to ask a combination of general questions and specific company questions like:
What's the corporate culture like here?
How do you normally hire for this occupation?
What is the average turnover in this type of job?
Which firms do you think are your toughest competitors, and how do they differ from your company?
What is one thing you wish you knew prior to starting this job?
Be sure to take notes but also listen and make consistent eye contact during the question phase. Remember, this opportunity is an informal conversation, not a formal interview so be personable, social and open to whatever direction the conversation goes.
Wrap Up
After asking questions, spend the last 3-5 minutes wrapping up the conversation, thanking the person for their time and help and if you feel comfortable and confident with the person, feel free to ask for more connections in their network who would be open to interviewing with you too.
If you are job seeking, this would be a good time to ask if you can give them your resume and let them know what type of work you are seeking and when you want to start. If you feel the interview didn’t go well, you can simply thank the person for their time and end the meeting.
The Expert’s Guide To Informational Interviewing eBook
A complete guide to having helpful networking conversations
Parting Words…
Interviewing is a practiced skill. The more you do it, the more natural and organic you’ll feel asking for and conducting interviews. It might feel a little scary or intimidating at first but start with people you feel comfortable with such as peers, family member or people in your life you admire. Build up your confidence with these folks and then start reaching out to people outside your comfort zone. You can do it!
Related:
Why LinkedIn Isn’t Working For You: 4 Mistakes You Might Be Making Right Now
5 Tips To Elevating Your LinkedIn Profile Headline To Get Noticed Fast
Meet The Writer!
Hi! My name is Nadia Ibrahim-Taney and I help people design happy and fulfilling careers through authentic career coaching. My expertise includes career exploration guidance, resume writing, interview prep and LinkedIn profile optimization. My pronouns are She/ Her/ Hers and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I focus on how diverse identities impact and influence folks holistically and professionally. Please connect with me on LinkedIn or at Nadia@beyonddiscoverycoaching.com
