So you’ve scheduled a conversation with someone who works at the company you want to join, and you’re getting ready for an informational interview. Congratulations! This is a huge step and one that, if navigated correctly, can 10x your chances of landing the interview (a 2016 survey revealed that 85% of jobs are landed via networking).
Once you master the informational interview, this can become the key to landing your next gig.
What would make this conversation a success?
Some people mistakenly think informational interviews are informal and all about relationship-building. But the real opportunity in an informational interview is to convince someone to become your advocate, by submitting your resume internally (“an internal referral”) or making an introduction in the right direction.
Here's how to convince someone you’re worthy of a little effort and a little risk, by making sure they leave your conversation thinking:
“He knows what he wants.”
“He asked great questions.”
“I know exactly how to help him.”
“I want to help him.”
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1. How to get your interviewer to think: “He knows what he wants.”
Often times informational interviews feel so informal that people overshare their internal struggles about what they think they want to do. But the last thing you want is come off scattered or non-committal (save it for your career coach).
Your interviewer only needs to know the narrative of your interest aligning with what she knows or does. Once you’ve connected the dots on how your goals align with her experience, it becomes clear to her that you’ve reached out to her for the right reason; the help-line becomes open for business.
Here’s some language we’ve seen work consistently:
My entire career has been focused on/revolved around _____________ [the issue, industry or type of company that aligns your interest with her experience].
What I'm most interested in doing next is _____________ [what you're after; specific role or skill set you want to share with a specific kind of organization].
Based on your experience _____________ [working at X organization the past X years / working on the X team at X organization], I know I could learn a lot from you.
I appreciate the opportunity to pick your brain on a few specific questions about your experience here at X, and any advice you have about navigating the hiring process.
2. How to get your interviewer to think: “He asked great questions.”
As you’ve stated in your introduction, you’re looking for answers to two types of questions:
Questions about what it’s like to work at this company / on this team
Questions about the hiring process and any advice this person has for you on how best to navigate it
So stick to simple questions that help you gain insight into these two key areas, and show that you’ve done your homework as well. Questions like:
What inspired you to leave [company] and join [company]?
What’s your experience been like so far? I see you’ve been there for about X years now.
How would you describe the culture on the [team name] team? What are the people and leadership like?
What’s on the horizon this coming year? What are the big priorities your team is focusing on / I saw in the news that the company is very focused on X right now?
Do you mind sharing a bit about your hiring experience, or the hiring process in general on the X team?
If I were to apply, it seems like the X or Y roles would be the best fits for me. Do you have a sense of what the team is most looking for in someone who fills those roles?
Do you have any advice for me as I consider pursuing a role on the team? Do I seem like the kind of candidate who would be considered for this role, or is there anything you’d recommend I work on first?
3. How to get your interviewer to think: “I know exactly how to help him.”
The most critical requirement of an informational interview is to clearly state at the end of the conversation what your interviewer can do to help you move forward -- and make it easy for her to do it. She’ll be that much more likely to trust you’re a safe bet and say “yes” to your request.
If you’re going for the introduction:
I would greatly appreciate an introduction to _____________ [name and position of individual you want to meet / or generally, “someone on the X team”].
Based on what I’ve shared today, might you feel comfortable making that introduction? I would be happy to send you a draft email to forward to make it easy for you.”
If you’re going for the interview:
Given what I’ve learned from you today, I’m even more enthusiastic about the possibility of joining [X company / the X team at X company].
Might you be open to sharing my resume internally with the hiring team? I would be happy to send a draft email your could forward to the hiring manager, or whatever documentation you need to submit an internal referral?
Please let me know what you might be able to do. I’d like to make it easy for you.
4. How to get your interviewer to think: “I want to help him.”
We all know how it feels to leave a conversation wishing it had never happened. And that’s the last thing you want your interviewer to feel upon hanging up the phone. She’ll be less likely to advocate for you, and she might even ruin your chances with others.
If you’ve woven gratitude, humility, and good prep into your conversation along the way, you’re almost there. Here are some additional ways to make sure your conversation is as positive as possible:
Make it convenient: You may think you’re being generous by offering to buy the person a cup of coffee, but they’ll appreciate even more the 40 minutes you save them by turning your hour long coffee into a 30-minute call. And make sure to start and end on time - being respectful of someone’s gift of time is critically important.
Don’t criticize: your last manager, today’s traffic, how long your job search is taking, and current life challenges are off limits until your interviewer knows you well enough to put them into perspective
Get specific in your appreciation: Tell your interviewer what specifically you appreciate most that they’ve shared with you. Be sure to recap what you learned during the call and how that will impact your next steps.
Put all of these strategies into action and you will dramatically increase the likelihood that someone will like you and help you get where you want to go.