An informational interview is for those who are just entering in the workforce, those who have been absent from the workforce for a long period of time or even those who are seeking a career change. Although some people will see this as a waste of time, it can be very beneficial in providing someone knowledge about certain careers and companies that they may be interested in. An informational interview consists of having a meeting with someone in a particular field, industry, or company that you are interested in.
An informational interview will help you prepare for a real interview by finding out how compatible you are with a company or the industry or field your are interested in. It helps by talking with someone in the industry and comparing their abilities and characteristics with yours to see if you would be a good fit in the type of work you seek. The interview helps you understand how people in the field or industry view their job, roles, and duties. It allows you to receive feedback from the person interviewed about your particular skills, qualifications, and characteristics. The interview will help you to learn the industry jargon and the positives and negatives of the field. It is also a good way to build your network contacts and references.
When setting up the informational interview make sure it is with someone who has extensive experience in the field. Be sure to tell the contact you are just seeking advice not a position. Some of the questions you would ask during your informational interview is how did they get started in the business, what experience or education helped them to become qualified for this job, how did they get to this point in their career, what are their primary responsibilities, what do they like and dislike most about their job, what are the basic requirements for an entry level job in this field, what has been their greatest challenges, and what is the current state or growth prospects of the job.