So now you understand what networking really is and how it works. What should you do when someone you’ve reached out to is happy to grant you an informational interview?
Well, first, celebrate! It’s a great step forward, regardless of whether you ultimately choose that field or not.
Second, think about what you really want to know about the role or the line of work. Do you have burning questions? Do you have an idea of what the day-to-day is in the job? What concerns do you have? These are great places to start, so grab a pen and paper and start jotting down those thoughts. When you have a decent list, go through and edit the questions, bearing in mind that the people you’ll talk with are freely giving you their time, so you want to try to be fairly concise, but also you want answers!
Next, reply to the person and set up a time. Your info interview can be in person or online, so feel free to suggest whatever works best for you. If you meet in person, ask your interviewee for convenient places near their worksite, ideally coffee shops or (as appropriate) fast-casual restaurants like Chipotle. Bear in mind that etiquette demands that the meeting is your treat, so you can offer a restaurant if the person is hard to pin down (who doesn’t want a free meal?) or if this is an ongoing relationship and the person has been extremely helpful. Your third option for an in-person discussion is in the other person’s office, which has the advantage of being very convenient for that person and letting you see the culture and atmosphere for yourself, but the disadvantage of possibly making your interviewee slightly less forthcoming about the stressors and unappealing aspects of the job.
If online is what works for you and your info interview target, you can ask if that person has a preference for the platform. Zoom is often the easiest because you don’t have to have a Microsoft account, but there aren’t any hard and fast rules here. Once you’ve chosen a platform, I recommend you send both a calendar invitation and a link to the session. This ensures that any time zone conversion issues are obvious from the start (the calendar invitation will populate their calendar as well), and it takes the small but annoying task of scheduling off their plate. That said, some people will have direct scheduling links you can use on a calendar platform, in which case it’s all taken care of.
Once you’re scheduled, narrow your list of questions down to the most essential ones, with the nice-to-know ones on the bottom of your notes in case you need them. That will give you the freedom to let the conversation flow naturally, while reminding you of the things you want to be sure to ask. And it also gives you some other talking points in case the conversation falters. No uncomfortable silences for you! (On that note, also loosely plan what you want to say as you wrap up, remembering to thank the person again.) And take notes as you talk, including personal ones, so you remember to ask how the person’s daughter’s graduation was or if the new kitten is settling in well. Thoughtful gestures matter a lot, and you will be remembered as someone who makes them.
Finally, be sure to follow up after the informational interview. Remember, you’re not asking the person for leads or jobs; you’re building a relationship. So follow up with a thank-you note! If you met online, you can also send a token of thanks like a Starbucks gift card. (These often go to spam, so the bonus is that you get another chance to follow up, letting your interviewee know that you’ve sent it and that it might be in spam. Be sure to do this after you’ve sent the gift so that the person doesn’t feel the need to tell you it’s not necessary.) The note of thanks is also a great place to remind them of other people they’ve offered to introduce you to, or to ask any questions you suddenly realize you forgot, but try to keep it short so that it doesn’t add to the work of the day.
And be sure you keep a list of people who have been helpful to you in your journey. You will absolutely want to let them know if you find a role in the field, and you will also want to stay in touch! Remember, networking is about relationships, so nurture your contacts and build that rapport.
As you go through this process, remind yourself that one day you will be the one getting requests for info interviews, so treat the folks you talk with as you would want to be treated.
