The Art of the Informational Interview

Go on interviews... even if you're not interviewing for a new job. Yes, you read that correctly. It's always a great idea to keep your options open and never settle at a job, especially just because you've gotten comfortable. Life is full of opportunities; you just have to remain open to considering them.

Make a list.

Make a list of the top five companies you want to work at. Then, create a sub-list for each of those companies of reasons why you would like to work there. After that, make a list of any cons you might consider for each of those companies. It could be that there is a high turnover rate, there aren't many women in leadership roles, a lack of diversity, not many people your age, or no mention of their work culture or company efforts for professional developments. This list of concerns should be discussed in your interview, whether it's just an informal chat or a real interview.

Network.

Once you’ve made that list of companies that have your dream job, find out who works for those companies. This is an easy task given the vast information available on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. LinkedIn is a common digital resume and networking tool for modern professionals. And so many young professionals use Twitter and include what they do and where they work right in their Twitter profile bio. Make connections with people who work at those companies that you envision your next move into. Target company employees that are young professionals in a position, like yourself, and network laterally.

Tap into your network.

If you have friends that work at these companies, then you're already a few steps ahead of the game. Reach out to friends and colleagues that work at the companies you’d like to work at. Friends are the easiest contacts to reach out to because the conversation can just be a casual text or a quick phone call. If you’re networking with people you know from LinkedIn, start with a simple message introducing yourself and asking about what they do at their company. If it’s a “2nd connection” on LinkedIn or someone you don’t know well, consider a more formal approach when it comes to either a lengthy message or professional email to give an introduction of you, what you do, and what you’d like your next move to be (without being too forward, of course). After some back and forth, explain your purpose for reaching out and ask to chat more over coffee or lunch. If you want to be extra nice, offer to treat them to lunch. It seems like a lot of money to be spent depending on how many of these informational interviews you go on, but trust me, it’s an investment in your career.

Book it!

Make an appointment to meet up at their office, get a tour, meet some of the team (but nothing too formal), and learn more about the company and its work culture. And don’t forget to show up! That’s the most important part of scheduling a meeting and it would make a bad impression if you showed up late or not at all, so treat this “informational interview" as if it’s the real deal. I’ve been on plenty of coffee catchups and lunch meetups, but I don’t always get the opportunity to check out someone’s workplace. I’ve actually had the pleasure of a walkthrough of Google’s NYC office and Warner Media’s Courageous Studios, which is now known as Creative at Courageous; it’s CNN's in-house branded content studio. You never know what amazing company headquarters office you’ll get to scope out, so aim high!

Thank you, next.

The next and final step of the actual informational interviewing process is thanking people for their time. Thank that person for their time and recap your meeting with them to highlight what stood out to you. What did you learn about the company? What was something that you really liked about the work culture? Being detailed in your "Thank You Note" will show interest in the company and enthusiasm will help make you memorable.

Stay in touch.

Maintain a professional relationship with your informational interviewer. Keep in touch every few months, whether it's a quick email or a catch-up call. The best opportunity to catch up with another professional you may not have much in common with is to make the conversation about them or their company. For example, you can ping them when you notice a big company update with a message like “Hey Jane! How are you? I see [INSERT COMPANY HERE] just redesigned their website. The mobile version looks great! Is that something your team worked on?” A great way to keep up with companies and any career opportunities is to follow their LinkedIn Company pages. This is just the start of authentic networking. Nothing may happen immediately after the first great professional connection you make with someone because you have to plant the seed before the tree can grow.

Learn how to network like a pro!