The Value of an Informational Interview
Posted September 21st, 2015
When doing a job search, one important tool at your disposal is the informational interview. If used properly it can be a good way to get leads on jobs and to network. Unfortunately, its purpose is often misunderstood by job seekers and hiring managers.
When people hear the term informational interview, all they hear is the word interview. If a job seeker asks for an informational interview, and a person agrees to talk to him, the job seeker often thinks he or she has a shot at a job. The same is true for hiring managers. They might be reluctant to talk to a job seeker, believing it is a job interview.
That is why, when a job seeker asks for an informational interview, he needs to clearly state that the purpose for the interview is only to gather information, nothing else. And the job seeker needs to understand that as well.
Although there is no job prospect, there are other advantages to an informational interview. Here are a few.
1. You can find out more about the company.
Presumably, you are interviewing with a person at a certain company because you are interested in the company as a place of employment. The informational interview gives you the opportunity to find out about the company, to see if you would really like working there.
Since this is just an informational interview, you can be a bit more informal and ask questions you might not feel comfortable asking during a job interview. It also enables you to gather information about the company that might come in handy if you ever do get the opportunity to interview for a job.
2. You can find out if any jobs will be opening in the future.
While there is no job at the moment, there is nothing wrong with asking about jobs that might open up down the road, jobs that might be a good fit for you. You can find out about the types of jobs, what kind of people the company is looking for and what kinds of skills the company is interested in.
3. A new contact
You will get the opportunity to meet a new person in your professional field. So, the interview is a good way to network. You can ask the person if there is anyone else at the company it might be worth talking to, or if there is anyone at other companies to talk to, or better yet, if the person knows about any openings at other companies.
Be sure to get a business card and an email address. And, as with a job interview, be sure to send a thank you email promptly.
If you are a professional in a technology-related field, and are looking for work in the San Francisco Bay area, Bayside Solutions can help you. Bayside Solutions is one of the top technology staffing firms in the Bay Area, working with people to find jobs that fit both their skills and interests. Give Bayside Solutions a call today.
