Assess New Fields and Positions with an Informational Interview

The informational interview is one of the best ways to learn firsthand about positions that you think you are considering. Remember again, that this is not where the process begins. There are many ways to narrow a broad career field before you begin to utilize the time of busy professionals.

You must have completed a detailed skills analysis prior to beginning to schedule networking interviews. By the time you have finished your skills analysis, utilizing all of your background, knowledge bases, and experience, you will probably have narrowed your search to several general fields or job categories. Now is the time when you will want to "test the waters" by talking with some people within the field.


Identifying Potential Resource People

How can you find these people? Many job hunters feel overwhelmed at this point and frequently believe that they are not "connected" enough to talk with people who can assist them in this process. In order to better understand your own network, make a list of your contact names on paper. Begin with family, extended family, friends, social contacts, previous work contacts, current work contacts, current classmates, undergraduate education classmates and contacts, recreational contacts, service contacts (your doctor, accountant), professional affiliations, volunteer organizations, and religious affiliations.

After you have written exhaustive lists in these areas, share your lists with friends or family members. Indicate that you want to meet with people in "X" field, or fields, and ask if they may be able to think of additional people that you have not considered. You will probably be surprised at the way that your list will grow. If you are strongly considering another geographic area, you should feel very comfortable asking your network list for informational areas. A well-structured, well thought out request for an informational interview can certainly be non-threatening to the person you contact. Generally, people who enjoy their jobs are happy to share general career information along with advice on how to make professional contacts.

Conducting the Informational Interview

Your purpose in conducting informational interviews is to make a general assessment of a job or field based upon the assumptions that you have developed about your job skills, interests, and desired working situation and condition. You are trying to either verify or alter your assumptions based upon what you learn by talking with people already working in this area. As a lawyer, you are also seeking to learn the ways in which your particular skills, abilities, and education may be perceived in this workplace. Certainly some of your questions to these individuals should focus on the way in which a law degree will be perceived within this organization or job category. Because of this, it could be even more useful to talk with lawyers or individuals who have hired lawyers in this job area.

Lawyers already working in job areas you wish to explore are excellent potential networking contacts. Your placement office or alumni office may be very useful to you in identifying these individuals. If you are unable to talk to attorneys in this job area, you may also wish to include the question, "Have you ever known an attorney in this position, or have you ever hired an attorney in this position?" If the answer is "no," you may wish to follow up with, "Would you consider hiring an attorney for this job?" One of the things that you are seeking to learn is what the possible objections might be to considering attorneys for specific positions. You can then prepare responses to overcome these objections.

Remember at this stage that you are only seeking information. As soon as vou become a job "candidate" vou are no longer eligible to gain the type of information that vou might learn about the job market in an informational interview. Once you are a candidate, both you and the employer are on your best interview behavior and it will be much more difficult for you to learn the facts about this career and its pluses and minuses.

You must build a bridge between yourself and the person you are interviewing. It is important to develop rapport. Conversational small talk is very important in this process. Early on you should state your purpose. You also need to give a five-minute presentation about yourself. This should include your work history, your education, your skills, and your interest in this field or this organization. This is a very important part of the interview which you may want to practice! Then focus on the other person. Consider asking the following questions:
 

• What are his or her responsibilities?
• What is involved in a typical day?
• What do people new to this field typically do?
• What is their personal career history?
• How did they come to this position?
• What do they like or dislike about their job?
• What kind of advice would this employer offer a candidate seeking a position in this field or organization?

If possible, get advice concerning your resume, names of other people you may wish to talk to in this field, and ideas for related fields or jobs in which you might also be interested. Discuss organizations and how you might best approach them.

Give the person positive feedback! Ask if you can touch base with them later on in your information search.

You must send a thank you note! In this note, refer to some part of your conversation with this individual, and mention at least one way in which this person was helpful to you.

Although it is not a quick method, the networking process provides you with the opportunity to really learn about a particular kind of job and gives you the tools to make more informed job choices. It is also an effective way to test your "picture" of your ideal job. (Remember, of course, to consider the type of person with whom you spoke: do you think you share their perspectives? How relevant are their preferences or views to your own evaluation process?) The information that you gather through networking may cause you to revise your original career plan.

See the following articles for more information:
 

• 21 Major Interview Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs
• The Best Way to Prepare for a Job Search and Interviews
• How to Talk About Other Interviews in Your Interviews
• How to Answer the Tell Me About Yourself Interview Question
• How to Answer the Do You Have Any Questions for Me Interview Question