Below is a recent post from my blog on Informational Interviewing… Keep up the great work – I like your site!

A FREE and Valuable way to gain career insight – Informational Interviewing in 5 easy steps!!!

In this economy, we have to find alternative and creative ways to reach out to individuals who are in career paths and or positions that we are interested in learning more about! Informational interviewing is a FREE and NON threatening way to gain insight into a position or career path that you are interested in – ENJOY!

“According to research on networking, you are only six acquaintances away from a personal connection to anyone in the world. Six calls away from the most incredible informational interview imaginable.” – Patrick Combo, Major in Success

In my experience coaching and facilitating career development and job readiness workshops. One of the best ways to learn about a career field, industry, or career path is to find out what it is like from others who have been there…

You gain valuable inside information from talking to someone in your current field, or a new field of interest, which includes learning about the day-to-day responsibilities of a position, getting insights into industry trends, or learning about required training/certification and or education for career success.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You are not job hunting at this stage. You are simply seeking INFORMATION!

I like to think of the informational Interview in 5 steps:
1.Identify people to interview
2.Initiate Contact
3.Prepare for the Interview
4. Conduct the Informational Interview
5. Follow-up …….

Now more than ever, the importance of reaching out to individuals you know and networking to get to know people you aren’t as close with is critical. Attend as many networking and industry events as possible and FOLLOW- UP…

If you are interested in receiving free professional networking templates, sample scripts and FAQ’s simply drop me a note…

A few sample questions once you’ve identified a person to conduct the informational interview with…

- What do you do as a …?
- How did you begin your career?
- What is a typical day like for you?
- What entry-level jobs are available in this field?
- What other career areas do you feel are related to your work?
- What is the profile of the person most recently hired at my level?
- What are the rewards/challenges/frustrations of your work?
- What are the major qualifications for success in this particular occupation?
- Can you recommend trade journals, magazines or professional associations?