Interviewing for Information*

Survey after survey on job hunting confirms a basic fact about job search strategy-namely,
that the one best way to find out about a job and get a job is through people. Now that
you have reviewed the written sources of information on jobs, you are ready to begin
conducting information interviews. These interviews help you develop contacts, sources
of knowledge, and guides to meeting other people in a particular field. This network of
people will keep you informed and connected to possible job openings. Once you gain
some experience through information interviewing and networking, you will be ready to
master the techniques involved in interviewing for a job.

Information Interviewing - The Purpose

Information interviewing involves learning to identify people who are doing what you
want to be doing and asking them questions related to their current job. Information
interviewing serves several purposes. It helps you further refine your knowledge and
understanding of the field you are exploring. It enables you to develop social skills related
to feeling comfortable and knowledgeable while you are being interviewed. Information
interviewing creates the setting to develop contacts. These contacts are often helpful to
your specific job search. The people you interview may themselves be in a position to hire
someone like you for a job or they may simply hear about a job opening and pass the
information on to you. Remember that your specific purpose in information interviewing
is not to look for a job but to confirm your information about the field and to develop
contacts that may be helpful in the future. When involved in an information interview, you
are asking the questions. When on a job interview, you are being asked the questions.

Information interviewing is based on the premise that you have already read much of the
written information related to a specific type of job and now need confirmation from
people who are already doing that job. You want them to tell you basically what the field
is really like before you commit your time, effort, and finances to the pursuit of a new
field. Or, if you are already in the field, you want to know if one employer's environment
would be more appealing to you than another. Other information you gain from such
an interview involves much more than simply confirming the skills needed and the salary
ranges. On one hand, you can find out if you like the people, if the atmosphere feels
comfortable, if the people are friendly and helpful. On the other hand, you may find that
no one has time to talk to you, or they work in noisy cubicles. This information is
available through an on-site visit. Thus the overall goal of information interviewing is to
collect information, but the covert goal is to make contacts and determine whether you
have made an appropriate match between your personal needs and your career goal.

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