INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWING
AND THE JOB SEARCH
Lynne Hollyer
Associate Director
Industry Alliances Office
Lhollyer@berkeley.edu
What Are We Going to Cover Tonight?
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What is the Value of Informational Interviews?
Getting Started
Asking Questions
Manners/Norms
Dos and Don’t
Practice
Wrap Up
Why do Informational Interviews?
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To explore careers and clarify your career goals;
To expand your professional network;
To build confidence for job interviews;
To learn the most up-to-date career information;
To identify your professional strengths and
weaknesses.
Steps
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Assess your needs and wants
Research the companies in your target group
Write your interview plan
Conduct your interview
Follow up, both with yourself and the
interviewee
Ask Yourself
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What do you hope to learn through this interview?
– Do you want to use the knowledge you’ve gained getting
your education as a springboard for a career or do you want
to continue the work you’ve already begun?
– In science or on science? “Business of making scientific
instruments is different than using scientific instruments”.
An Informational Interview is
Not a job interview
Prepare for the Interview
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Identify the person with whom you’d like to meet.
Send an introductory email explaining who you are
and the purpose of your request to meet.
Ask for 20-30 minutes of your prospective
interviewee's time.
Be flexible about when to meet-they are doing you a
favor so meet when convenient with the interviewee
(be prepared to meet at the beginning of the day).
Make sure you know where the office is and where
you can park. Do a recon mission.
Write up your interview questions. It’s generally ok to
take notes.
The Meeting
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Learn all you can about the company and the person
you’ll be talking to before the interview.
Be on time.
Dress as though you are going to a job interview,
even if the worksite is a jeans and flip flops
environment.
Good grooming is a must. Wear clothes and shoes
you are comfortable in
Stay on track during the interview. Manage your time
well.
Stay friendly, but not familiar. Do not gossip.
The Remote Meeting
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If you can’t meet face to face, you can Skype
or call.
Be on time.
If you videochat, still dress as though you are
going to a job interview.
Stay on track during the interview.
Asking Questions
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Ask open ended questions that allow the
other person to explain and describe.
Ask a question and then stop talking, let the
other person answer.
If you don’t understand something, ask for
clarification.
If the direction of the interview diverges from
your set of questions, go with it unless you
begin to lose focus.
Your list of questions is a guide only.
Information Interview Do’s and Don’t
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Go in prepared.
Don’t ask for a job.
Don’t ask about salaries, or vacation benefits.
Don’t ask any personal questions (do you
like your job or the company?) that will put
the interviewee in an awkward position.
Do phrase questions positively.
Do show that you are listening to the other
person.
At the End of the Interview it’s OK to
Ask
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Could you take a brief look at my resume
(make sure you have it with you)?
Can you give me three names of people in
the field I might also be able to talk with?
Can I have your card and is it ok for me to
check back with you in a few months?
After the Interview
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Send a thank you note or email.
Follow up with the leads the interviewee
provided.
Enter the interviewee information into you
database, note book or what ever you use
and make a note to follow up when you said
you’d check back in.
Roleplay Practice
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Select a partner.
One of you will be the post doc interviewer,
the other will be the company representative
Spend 15 minutes preparing using the list of
questions provided or your own questions.
Conduct a 20 minute interview.
Swap roles and repeat