| Topic Name: |
Informational Interview |
| Message Name: |
What should I do aft |
| Date Posted: |
04/05/2000 |
| In Reply To: |
(Interviewing Moderator)
Informational interviews have three major objectives: to build - or rebuild - business relationships and therefore create memory, to gain information and advice (not just a come-on, as many people think), and to possibly gain referrals to others in that person's network for more informational networking. I've always said to my clients that if you obtain one of these, your interview is a success. The purpose of these interviews is not to get leads (although that certainly would be a great bonus).
You should come prepared with four or five questions that reflect that you've done research on the company and/or field, and prove that you are more the "insider" than the "outsider". Questions should be more business-oriented than personal, although a great opening is "How did YOU get to where are you are?" (That one not only gets the interviewer talking, but you might pick up some valuable information.) A personal question might address your marketability in that specific job market, what people look for when they hire in that area, what that person might think of your credentials. Remember, though, to take many of these opinions lightly. Come to conclusions when you've heard them repeated several times by many people; opinions, after all, are just opinions, and may not always be accurate. Look for patterns.
Most importantly, though, the business questions should reflect your pre-interview research, so that you will be taken seriously. You never want to make the interviewer do all the work (i.e., "So what do you think?"). A great technique is to bring a list of your targeted companies and ask, "What do you think of my targets?" NOT "Who do you know there?" The difference between these two is subtle, and the former usually will yield some interesting results.
Try to be respectful of the person's time, and make sure to keep with the boundaries of the proposed meeting length. If they want to continue, make it their option, not yours.
Hope this helped.
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| Message: |
What should I do after informational interview ?
If the people I talked to, did not seem impress on me, should i go on and send my resume to HR manager of that company and tell that I have spoken to some people on that company ?
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