Informational Interviews

How can you be certain about names, titles, and email addresses of the people with whom you interview?

Informational interviews are very important in understanding the field of work one wishes to specialize. For such an interview to take place, a person needs to first identify the people he/she wishes to interview (McDonnell, 1998). The particulars about such people can be found through various means.  Online social networks such as Twitter may aid in providing the email addresses of individuals to be interviewed. By simply calling an organization, a person will be provided with the names and titles of those he/she is interested in.

How frequently should you contact a potential employer with emails or phone calls?

It is always advisable to keep in touch. This is because such well-placed individuals may provide employment for a job seeker, valuable networks or very useful information concerning their field of work (Hansen, 2000).  A thank-you note should be sent one to three days preceding the interview. Inside, the individual should be made aware of how helpful they were. In addition to this, the interviewer should also ask the individual to keep him/her in mind if they acquire any more useful information in that particular career (Enelow, 1998).

What is the line between being persistent and annoying?

Following up after an interview is quite advisable. However, there is a fine line between being enthusiastic and irritating. If an employer was to make a decision within a week, one may follow up within that week. A timely follow-up will never be seen as annoying. Thank-you notes show courtesy. Whether it should be handwritten depends on the person it is being sent to. However, what is important is that it should preferably be sent within 24 hours. Lastly, a job seeker should never call the interviewer regardless if he/she is in possession of his/her phone number. In addition, trying to reach out through social media is ill advised (Matias, 2007).

The Informational interview

John Hall is one of the chief aeronautical engineers working for Fedex, the largest transportation company in the world.  His work deals with ensuring that FedEx airliners are in good working condition for transportation of goods.

A broker is essential in developing a wide and effective network. Telling a broker his/her role may alter relation dynamics between two individuals or end up deepening the relationship by revelations of gratitude and sincerity (Slavens, 1978). My career path lies in engineering therefore I chose to have an informational interview with one of my strongest brokers who are in the same line of work.

I met Eng. Hall in an engineering seminar in Memphis, Tennessee.  Through him, I have been able to meet people who have added to my growing network of connections. The interview involved nearly half a dozen questions that were useful to what I required. They included:

• What interested you most in this line of work, and where did you begin before you acquired the stature and position you hold today? Before you settled as the chief engineer for such a big company, what other work experiences groomed you for your present position?
• What do you find most challenging and satisfying in your day-to-day work? Do you derive any personally satisfaction from your work?
• What skills set do you possess? What are the most necessary skills and expertise required in your work? How and where did you train? How can one evaluate whether he/she has the required set of skills to work in this industry?
• Averagely, how long do employees stay in this job? Furthermore, are there any incentives or disincentives for choosing to stay in the same work?
• With what you know about my education, training, skills and experience, which other fields of work would you advise me to consider before making a final decision on the career path that I will take?
• How is the employment outlook of engineers in your company and in the transport industry in general? Is there demand for trained engineers in the industry? How fast is this field growing and can you predict any future openings that may arise?
• Apart form extrinsic rewards like money, travel and fringe benefits, are there any other major rewards that you enjoy? If so, which ones are they?
• If you are okay with it, could you please look at my resume and offer any advice?

Thank you note

Good afternoon, Eng. Hall

I would want to show my gratitude for speaking with me yesterday on your field of expertise. Meeting with you was a pleasure and I enjoyed all the insight you offered.

I am now more confident on the career choice that I will make. I am also now aware of the necessary skills I require.  I believe your wonderful insight will serve me well as I push forward in this field.

If you come across any more information that may be relevant to our conversation, please do not hesitate to contact me at michaelscheffieild@gmail.com or +54 768 676. Thank you again.

Best Regards,

Michael Sheffield.

In summary, form the Informational interview; I was able to gain knowledge on what engineering involved. Furthermore, I was made aware of its pros and cons and not forgetting the responsibilities one ha. The training and skills required were also part of the conversation.

A follow-up after a job interview is highly recommended. Emails are usually the best since they also allows sending of Thank-you notes. However, phone calls are usually discouraged. Depending on when the decision on the available position was to be made, the follow-up should be timely not to seem desperate.

References

Enelow, W.S. (1999). Winning interviews for $100,000+ jobs. Manassas park, Va: Impact.

Hansen, K. (2000). A foot in the door: Networking your way into hidden job market. Berkeley,      Calif: Ten Speed Press.

Matias, L. (2007). How to say it: Job interviews. New York, NY: Prentice Hall Press.

McDonnell, S. (1998). You’re hired!: Secrets to successful job interviews. New York, NY, USA:   Macmillan.

Slavens, T.P. (1978). Informational Interviews and questions. Metuchen, N.J: Scarecrow Press.