10 Ways to Make the Most of an Informational Interview
Caroline M.L. Potter, Yahoo! HotJobs, Yahoo! HotJobs


Don't have any prospects for a job interview? Try setting up some informational interviews. A great way to grow your network and gain knowledge, informational interviews can be a gateway to your next professional opportunity. Use these tips to maximize their potential and drive your career forward.
1. Don't push. Jason Seiden, the author of "How to Self-Destruct: Making the Least of What's Left of Your Career," advises professionals to make sure the prospect is open to the notion of an informational interview. "My advice is not to pursue people who aren't interested -- it's like the same rule from referrals or college recommendations: If you have to ask twice, abort!" he recommends.

2. Go in with goals. Linda Carlson, a Seattle-based author and marketing consultant, says, "The job-seeker has specific goals, which may be to get a realistic assessment of the market and/or the job-seeker's qualifications for the currently available positions, or names of hiring managers, or tips on which professional associations to contact regarding meetings or job banks." Whatever the case, stick to your agenda.

3. Connect quickly. "The key to a successful informational interview is establishing a human connection and mutual interest quickly. The more the job seeker does her homework by researching the company and the interviewer, shows gratitude, and expresses genuine interest, the better," says Nancy Ancowitz, a business communication coach in New York.

4. Be genuine. Career changer Charlene McNary, who blogs about her job search at buyoutblessing.com and has been on several successful informational interviews, shares, "I will stress that the most important thing is to be sure that you're not asking for jobs but information. If you focus on just looking for jobs, the person you're interviewing will feel used and you'll get nowhere."

5. Mind your manners. Speaking from a few negative experiences as someone who has granted informational interviews, Carlson states, "The job seeker must be professional, courteous, and appreciative of any help provided and pick up the check for coffee, lunch, or breakfast, etc." Don't ask your interviewer to pay for -- or even split -- a check.

6. Reap references. "When job seekers go on informational interviews, they should request referrals from the interviewer for additional people who may be willing to meet with them. Then, they should meet with those people and request additional referrals. It is not a waste of time. Even if they do not receive a job tip, the job seeker's network will expand outwards like a web," reveals Sharon Reed Abboud, a career strategist and author of "All Moms Work: Short-Term Career Strategies for Long-Range Success."

7. Keep time on your mind. Job search mentor Roberta Chinsky Matuson urges interviewees, "Be mindful of the time. If you ask for 15 minutes, then that is all you should expect. If it appears you are running over, inform the person that it looks like your time is just about up. If need be, ask for permission to ask one more question -- and wait until permission is granted before doing so."

8. Location, location, location. While some folks may request an out-of-office chat, Duncan Mathison, speaker and co-author of the soon-to-be-published "The Truth About the Hidden Job Market," believes: "In-office settings are usually better for informational meetings because lunch or coffee is expensive for tight budgets and the setting is often noisy and distracting. In addition, the person with whom you are interviewing will be closer to their important information in their office -- company information, contacts, their computer to send introductory emails and so forth."

9. Offer up a helping hand. Career expert Barbara Safani, author of "Happy About My Resume: 50 Tips for Building a Better Document to Secure a Brighter," counsels, "Job seekers should ask if there is anything they can help the other person with. This deepens the relationship and makes the conversation less about them. When there is reciprocity and a genuine effort to help each other, the job seeker is less likely to come across as desperate."

10. Show your gratitude. "Soon after the interview, be gracious and send a thank-you note to the interviewer and, if applicable, the person who connected the two of you. Also, remind yourself that it's important to have many irons in the fire when looking for a job, and this is just one of them," adds Ancowitz.

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