An informational interview is a great way to gather information and build relationships with current students, alumni, company insiders, and other contacts in order to discern your interest in a career or company and to get advice on how to pursue the career area you’re exploring or targeting. This information gathering technique also lets others know of your interest.
OVERVIEW OF INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWING
Lay the groundwork: prerequisites for requesting an informational interview.
• Choose a career area that you think would be a good fit for you, but for which you need more specific information. • Clarify your goals for the conversation.
• Be familiar with your skills and accomplishments. Know what you’re passionate about.
• Be genuine. Approach interactions with sincere interest and excitement to learn.
Identify people who are — or who were — in jobs, industries, or companies that you are exploring.
• BBA seniors and MBAs: Search Ross Connections on iMpact • Ross alumni: Ross Alumni Directory and Ross’s Dividend
Alumni Magazine
• U-M alumni: Use LinkedIn’s “Find Alumni” to find U-M and Ross alumni
• Other connections you identify through LinkedIn • Family, friends, and neighbors
• Fraternity/Sorority or student organization members and alumni
• Contacts from career fairs and on-campus corporate events • Other, including ‘cold’ contacts
Draft and send an approach email to request an in-person or phone meeting.
• Research the person to whom you are reaching out — using LinkedIn, Ross’s alumni database, or company bios — so that you can tailor your request to the person’s background. A customized request is more likely to get a reply — and it’s especially important if you will be writing to more than one person at a firm.
• Reach out sequentially to multiple people at the same firm rather than contacting them all at once. Mention previous conversations with other employees when reaching out to new ones. Ask if existing contacts can connect you with new ones. It is preferable to have a specific reason to request a connection to additional contacts; e.g., “Are there any dual-degree BBA/ engineers in your office with whom I might speak?”
• Emphasize that you are looking for advice and information; you should never ask for an internship or job in an inform- ational interview.
• Send a follow-up email if the person does not respond to your initial request within two weeks. Include a comment that you know they are busy and you want to be mindful of their time, but you thought you would check again to see if the person might have 15 or 20 minutes to talk.
Prepare for the meeting.
• Do some research (industry; company; job function; person). • Know your story — especially with regard to why you are
interested in the particular field you are exploring! Be prepared to talk about your relevant skills and experience.
• Prepare a list of advice and “opinion” questions based on your research about the industry, function, and the person’s back- ground. Suggestions for types of questions you might ask are below. Bear in mind that your questions should be appropriate for the purpose of your conversation; e.g., exploring career paths, learning more about an industry, or trying to impress someone who might advocate for your candidacy. — Ask about the person’s job and career path, about the
industry and company in which they work, and about the skills and interests needed for their jobs.
— Ask questions that reflect your research; for example, look at the company’s organizational chart and ask how responsibilities may differ between two functions in which you are interested.
— Ask what the job entails on a day-to-day basis. — Ask for advice about entering the particular field. — Avoid asking generic questions for which a) multiple people
would have the same answer (e.g., “How many people are in your office?”); or b) you could find the answer elsewhere, such as online (e.g., “Do you have any offices in southeast Asia?”).
For sample questions, refer to: bit.ly/InfoInter
NETWORKING
PREPARE CONDUCT FOLLOW
UP ARRANGE
PREPARE ARRANGE
• Reconfirm the appointment a day or two in advance and email your resume.
• Dress for the job you want when choosing your attire. • Bring a pen and notepad, your resume, and your questions.
Meet and seek advice.
• Introduce yourself. Be enthusiastic and show your interest. • Lay out the agenda for the session. State at the outset which
topics you would like to learn about; doing so can dramati- cally change the conversation from a choppy Q&A to a fluid conversation about a series of topics.
• Ask advice and opinion-seeking questions.
• Listen well. Insightful responses show that you are interested and can communicate professionally. Use your prepared questions only as an outline.
• Take notes.
• Follow their cues. If they show an interest in you, give them your story and talk about your skills; if they want to engage in small talk, ask about their interests.
• Show a genuine interest in your contact’s career and story. People appreciate being valued!
• Build your network. Ask, “May I call you again if I have more questions?” and, “Can you recommend anyone else in this industry/company/function who might help me continue in my learning?”
• Respect time constraints.
• Express appreciation. Ask if there is anything you might do for them.
Make a lasting positive impression.
• After the meeting, record key points from the conversation, including your impressions of the industry/company/function. • Write down your next steps. Follow through on any
commitments you made.
• Send a thank-you letter or email within 24-48 hours. Let them know how you plan to follow their advice.
• Keep in touch. Send updates on your career search, links to interesting and relevant articles, etc.
• Track your networking. Keep a record of your interactions. Develop a spreadsheet to organize and track connections and facilitate follow-up.
Once you have secured your internship or full-time position, make sure to get in touch with all the people who helped you along the way to thank them again. Let them know where you landed, and share your new contact information.
CONDUCT
FOLLOW UP
30 | www.bus.umich.edu/myiMpact/Career.aspx
NETWORKING
FROM FIELD: Display your full name, not your email address.
TO FIELD: Leave the recipient’s email blank initially. Insert it last, AFTER
proofreading.
SUBJECT LINE: Accurately identify the topic and context of your
email: “Ross BBA seeking career advice,” or “Ross BBA referred by Professor Michelle Riley.”
GREETING: Include a greeting line; err on the side of
formality (Dear Ms. Jones,...).
BODY:
Format: Your email should be one or two short paragraphs,
~100 words. Use complete sentences. Verify correct spelling of the recipient’s name and company. Proofread your email aloud before sending.
Content:
• Who are you and how did you get their name? — Be specific about why you chose this person.
— Provide a brief description of yourself as it relates to the recipient.
• Why are you contacting them? (Advice and information) • What would you like them to do?
— Ask for 15-20 minutes of the person’s time (you can learn a lot in 20 minutes if you are well prepared and organized).
— You may let them know you are available during a certain time frame, but express your flexibility and deference to their schedule.
CLOSING:
• Add “Go Blue!” when writing to Michigan/Ross alumni. • Close with “Kind regards.”
• Use a signature block. (Include you LinkedIn custom URL — if your profile is complete, or near complete.)
• Do not attach your resume to your initial request.