That is why I recommend people conduct informational interviews. If you ask someone to offer their advice, showing respect for their success, they will likely want to share. Is it only that we like to pay it forward? Sometimes, but I’m not unique; people like to hear themselves talk about the things they know. Either way, having a specific agenda with pointed questions will get you further in your networking efforts than the vague request of asking your connection out to coffee.

So, how do you set up an informational interview? It can be hard to ask for a favor. Many job seekers procrastinate on setting up informational interviews or networking meetings because they are afraid of being rejected. If you follow these guidelines, you’ll be much more likely to get a positive response.

1. Consider the mode of communication

   People often have different ways they prefer to be contacted. Some people are phone people; others are more likely to respond via email. Judge which mode of communication your contact might prefer, but try another if your request goes unanswered. You might try going through a contact’s assistant if she is hard to reach.

2. Use this template

   However you make contact, your message should contain the following:

   • Give a polite salutation. “Dear so-and-so,” or “Hello what’s-your-name” are safe bets.

   • Tell your contact where you know her from, or if you have a mutual connection.

   • Inform him of your objective: to meet, talk via phone, or simply exchange emails.

   • Be clear that you want a brief meeting to discuss a specific set of questions, and that you are not inquiring about a job or seeking feedback on your resume.

   • Provide a hint of what the questions are about, i.e. you’d like to know more about the inner-workings of XYZ Company, you’re interested in joining ABC association and would like to know about her experience, etc.

   • Provide two or three options for your meeting so that it is easy for him to check his calendar and schedule the appointment in his return email.

   Here’s an example you can modify for your own use:

   A good friend of mine, Joe Blow, M.D., suggested that I contact you. I recently told him that I have always been intrigued by the work that you do. I have researched your company extensively and am very impressed with the comprehensive approach you take with patient safety and satisfaction.

   As someone who is considering a transition from my work in research into to your field, I’d love to talk with you about courses I’m thinking of taking to make me a more desirable candidate. Your insights would be extremely helpful as I plan my future career path. Just to be clear, I’m not looking to ask you to hire me, or to have you look at my resume, but just to learn from your expertise.

   Would it be possible to meet with you for 15 minutes to gain further insights into the industry, as well as career path advice you might have?

   Thank you for considering it,

   Mary Jane

3. Follow up

Give the person a few days or even a week to respond. If you don’t hear back right away, don’t be surprised. You may need to reach out again, or try a different mode of communication. I recommend avoiding Mondays and Fridays for these attempts, as they tend to be the busiest work days and messages from these days can easily fall through the cracks.

Also, don’t focus solely on one or two connections. You want a list to work through so that you aren’t being too persistent with one person. If you feel like it’s time to move on, trust your gut.

Be sure to opt-in to my blog, so that you don’t miss more valuable tips for during your informational interview. I’ll be covering questions you will want to ask soon.

Do you have a success story about how an informational interview led to landing a job? I’d love to hear them in the comments below!

Kristin S. Johnson
CARW, CCMC, CJSS, COPNS, CG3C, 360Reach Analyst
Profession Direction, LLC
www.ProfessionDirection.com

Can you relate? If you have reservations about networking, try conducting informational interviews instead. A slightly different take on networking, this strategy can help you in getting started talking to your contacts. These one-on-one conversations will help you to build your confidence.

The greatest number, 24.5%, of all external hires (job seekers that were not already employees of the company) come from referrals, according to the 2013 CareerXroads Sources of Hire study. Conducting informational interviews can keep you top-of-mind as openings arise and improve your chances of getting hired this way.

This strategy makes so much sense, and is so natural, pretty soon, you’ll be a networking pro. To get you started, in this post I’m going to give you some ideas of who to consider doing an informational interview with. Watch for more info on this topic to come, or read my previous article, here to answer common questions about this concept.

Anyone from a student to a C-Suite executive can benefit from doing this type of networking. Active job seekers, career transitioners, and careerists desiring a promotion are people I commonly teach this strategy to, but anyone with a question about their career will get results from informational interviewing.

Who should I ask to do an interview with?

You have lots of options for whom to contact. These professionals can provide help if you are unsure of your career goals, or direction if you are. These are just a few to start with:

1. Career coaches or counselors. Coaches are available for hire, of course, but often they have resources or connections they may share openly with the public. For example, I have a page on my website that lists many free or very low-cost resources about a myriad of industries and topics here. I also have resume samples on my site, here, and while they are copyright protected, you can get some great ideas from them. Counselors through a local college or university often have great insights on the different industries and career options. Professionals at the Department of Workforce Development can offer great ideas for training programs, skills employers are looking for, and information about upcoming job fairs.

2. People in your network . Identify people you know that you can talk to about their jobs, ask to introduce you to their connections, or tell you about organizations they belong to. Start with contacts that work in the industry you are interested in, preferably at your target company, since these folks are in the best position to help you. Once you exhaust those contacts, move to your connections who aren’t in your industry, or at your target company, but know someone who is, and ask for an introduction.

3. Professionals you admire from afar. Even if you don’t know them yet, others are often open to answering a few questions about their job. These are individuals you see as successful, people who have mentored you, or leaders in your field. They are used to these types of requests, but because they are asked so often, it’s critical to keep your meeting with them brief. You can ask them about the secrets to their success, what they’d do differently if they had it to do over again, and what advice they have for you.

Your desired interviewee can be contacted via LinkedIn, email, or phone. You might meet in their office, in a coffee shop, talk over the phone or via Skype, or simply exchange a series of emails. There are many questions you could ask, but remember to build rapport before asking anything too controversial. They are doing you a favor, so set a time limit and stick to it. Of course, be polite and send a thank-you email.

Remember that you are looking to your contacts for their expertise and advice. You’ll be the one asking the questions, then letting them share their wisdom. When you show this respect, people are often eager to share their knowledge and lend a helping hand.

Watch for more ideas on this subject, including how to ask for an informational interview, in upcoming posts. What questions about this do you have? Can you think of other people you could meet with? Leave your thoughts below!

Kristin S. Johnson
CARW, CCMC, CJSS, COPNS, CG3C, 360Reach Analyst
Profession Direction, LLC
www.ProfessionDirection.com

“Oh, isn’t that like Facebook? I already have Facebook. I don’t need more pictures of people’s dinners.” “I’ll just see what happens after I send my resume to a few places.” “I’ll get around to that one of these days. I promise!”

Now, if you’re on a hunt, wouldn’t you want to use every dog you can get your hands on?

Then there are the folks I know that are already on LinkedIn. They have their name, their current position, and no photo. Oh, and they have exactly one connection: me.

There are a lot of very good reasons to invest a little time on LinkedIn. Here are just 10 of them. Trust me, there are many more. This is just for starters:

If you are still dubious about the benefits of LinkedIn, I have one question for you. What do 200 million professionals know that you don’t?

If you are a LinkedIn aficionado, what are your favorite reasons for being on LinkedIn? Next time you are logged on, remember to connect with me! And, if you need help with your LinkedIn profile, you might want to check out my services for writing or for a tutorial by the hour.

Kristin S. Johnson
CARW, CCMC, CJSS, COPNS, CG3C, 360Reach Analyst
Profession Direction, LLC
www.ProfessionDirection.com