The informational interview is a meeting, whether formal or not, with someone in order to get information about a trade, a company or an industry that can be useful during your studies, when looking for a job or if you plan to start a small business.

Informational interviews can take place anywhere, anytime. If you are interviewed spontaneously, even if you are not dressed for the occasion or have a list of questions ready, you can make a good impression just by behaving professionally.

Informational Interview Benefits

Informational interviews can help you in many ways:

• Choose or refine the professional direction you want to follow.
• Decide what to study at university.
• Learn how to enter a professional field, an industry or a company.
• Determine what skills you have and what you will need to obtain.
• Learn from people who have a small business or have started a business.

Job Search And Informational Interview

You should not confuse the informational interview with the job search. You can honestly indicate that you are looking for a job, but make sure that the person you are talking to knows that the interview is for information and not work

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What To Bring

• Notebook
• A pen
• A resume or profile for contacts. It may be in your best interest to do both and, based on how the interview turns out, decide which document to give the interviewee.

In some cases, if you present yourself with a resume, it could give the impression that you are waiting for a job offer. If you decide to take it and it seems appropriate in that situation, you can ask the interviewee to review it to give suggestions.

How To Dress For Informational Interview

Dress for the informational interview the same way you would for a job interview. Follow the company's dress code, or even dress more formally. Some informational interviews become job interviews.

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How To Set Up Informational Interviews

• You have to keep the conversations friendly but like a professional.
• First of all, summarize your objectives briefly.
• How your accomplishments support the objective-Explain it
• To keep on the conversation, you have to make plenty of questions.
• These questions should be related to business and occupation. Another type of question can also ask like How do they spend their work? Do they really enjoy their work?
• You should avoid those questions that answered with yes or no simply.

What To Do Before An Informative Interview

1-Be Flexible With Dates, Times And Places

Keep in mind that the person interested in receiving you is you. In general, this type of interview is requested by people with very tight schedules.

So the one who will have to do everything possible to get a date to fit is you. If it is very complicated, ask for 15 minutes on the phone or on Skype. The end is that they know you and listen to what you have to say.

2-Prepare What You Are Going To Say

No one wants to waste their time talking about things. Read, document yourself, try to prepare interesting questions that engage your conversation partner, demonstrate your interest, make them want to know about you and open up their professional network.

3-On Social Networks Take Care Of Your Image

When you contact a professional or company, especially in an informational interview, the most common thing is that they want to know something more than what you told them when introducing yourself when you started a conversation in the first instance.

Keep your social networks updated, especially LinkedIn. If you take care of your personal brand, the preconceived idea of you before the meeting will surely be good.

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How To Initiate A Successful Informational Interview

Follow the guidelines to initiate a successful informational interview:

• Generate Leads and Tap Into Your Network
• Craft the Right Email
• Choose the Best Setting
• Do Your Research
• Ask Meaningful Questions
• Maintain Professionalism
• Send a Follow-Up Email

Questions To Ask During An Informational Interview

You have to select those questions that only suits the targeted career. You can prepare your question or follow some of these given questionnaires:

• What type of decision you can make?
• What type of issues that you can deal up?
• What is the thing that you like the most about your work?
• What are the responsibilities that meant to you?
• What did you consider your post fit into the industry/ organization and career?
• Do you think that your job has any effect on your general lifestyle?
• Why are you interested in this field?
• How you start your career?
• What are those personal skills and attributes that make you fit for this field?