An information interview is an appointment that you schedule with a particular individual for the purpose of gaining current,

An information interview is an appointment that you schedule with a particular individual for the purpose of gaining current, regional, and/or specialized information from an "insider" point of view. If you are in the process of choosing an academic major, making career choices, changing careers, or beginning a job hunt, then information interviews may help you explore your possibilities. Unlike job interviews, information interviews do not require that you sell yourself to an employer and do not depend on existing job vacancies. Information interviews are arranged with those likely to provide information directly or with those who can refer you to persons with information.

WHY DO INFORMATION INTERVIEWS?

To get valuable information for your job hunting and career planning (e.g. choosing an academic major or career). It's a good way to "reality check" what you've read, heard, and think.
To learn about a particular organization, how you might fit in, and what problems or needs the employer has. Knowing these things will help you slant your qualifications towards the needs of the organization.
To gain experience and self-confidence in interviewing with professionals through discussing yourself and your career interests.
To enlarge your circle of "expert" contacts in the area. REMEMBER, IT IS WHO KNOWS YOU (OR GETS TO KNOW YOU) THAT GETS YOU A JOB. It's never too early to establish contacts.
To ask for other referrals (e.g., "Can you suggest some other people that I might talk to about jobs in this field?")

WHO MIGHT I CONTACT?

Identifying who to talk to often blocks people from doing information interviews. ("I don't know anyone in this field..."). Look for those who:

Share a common academic major or interest, enthusiasm, or involvement in some activity or lifestyle that appeals to you...or
Work in a setting you like (e.g., hospitals, textile company, colleges, airlines)...or
Work in career areas you're interested in (e.g. counseling psychologist, market researcher, public relations)...or
Work in specific jobs in specific organizations (e.g., counseling psychologist at a university counseling center, consumer education representative at a utility company, market researcher at IBM).

WHERE DO I FIND POTENTIAL CONTACTS?

Ask friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, former employers...anyone you know for an information interview or for a referral.
Contact faculty, Career Development Center personnel, or other University offices. Use the Career Center’s network (www.wcupa.edu/cdc) or the WCU Alumni office (http://www.wcu.onlinecommunity.com/ ) to find alumni and other individuals willing to speak with you. Career Development also has the names of many employer contacts. Review employer business cards in the Vault Career Library (available online through the Career Center site or the WCU Library . (http://www.wcupa.edu/library.fhg/ )
Call community service agencies, trade and professional organizations (e.g., women's organizations, Chamber of Commerce, Information Management Association) or review their Web sites.
Scan the Yellow Pages, articles in newspapers, magazines, and journals.
Attend meetings (local, state, regional) for professional associations in your career interest field(s). You can find many professional groups through the Occupational Outlook Handbook ( www.bls.gov )

HOW SHOULD I PREPARE?

Remember, people are generally interested in talking about what they do and how they do it. But, don't waste their time or your time -- be prepared! Know your interests, skills, values and how they relate to the career field represented by the persons you're interviewing.

Read about the career area and organization of the person you'll be interviewing. Know exactly what kinds of information you want by having a list of questions in mind. Generally, don't ask something routine that is readily available elsewhere. Check materials in the Career Center, the Francis Harvey Green Library, and other local libraries for print information. If no print materials are available, you may want to call and ask the organization to send you any literature they might have (annual report, promotional brochures, etc.). Also check the Internet for any Web sites associated with the organization or career field in which you're interested. Use the following list of questions to help in formulating your own.

WHAT QUESTIONS COULD I ASK DURING THE INFORMATION INTERVIEW?

(Background) Tell me how you got started in this field. What was your education? What educational background or related experience might be helpful in entering this field?
(Work Environment) What are the daily duties of your job? What are the working conditions? What skills/abilities are utilized in this work?
(Problems) What are the toughest problems you deal with? What problems does the organization as a whole have? What is being done to solve these problems?
(Life Style) What obligation does your work put on you outside the work week? How much flexibility do you have in terms of dress, work hours, vacations?
(Rewards) What do you find most rewarding about this work, besides the money?
(Salary) What salary level would a new person start with? What are the fringe benefits? What are other forms of compensation? (bonuses, commissions, securities).
(Potential) Where do you see yourself going in a few years? What are your long term goals?
(Promotional) Is turnover high? How does one move from position to position? Do people normally move to another company/division/agency? What is your policy about promotions from within? What happened to the person(s) who last held this position? How many have held this job in the last 5 years? How are employees evaluated?
(The Industry) What trends do you see for this industry in the next 3 to 5 years? What kind of future do you see for this organization? How much of your business is tied to (the economy, government spending, weather, supplies, etc.)?
(Advice) How well-suited is my background for this field? When the time comes, how would I go about finding a job in this field? What experience, paid or volunteer, would you recommend? What suggestions do you have to help make my resume more effective?
(Demand) What types of employers hire people in this line of work? Where are they located? What other career areas do you feel are related to your work?
(Hiring Decision) What are the most important factors used to hire people in this work (education, past experience, personality, special skills). Who makes the hiring decisions for your department? Who supervises the boss? When I am ready to apply for a job, who should I contact?
(Job Market) How do people find out about your jobs? Are they advertised in the newspaper (which ones?), on the Web? by word-of-mouth (who spreads the word?) by the personnel office?
(Referral to Other Information Opportunities) Can you name a relevant trade journal or magazine you would recommend I review? What professional organizations might have information about this career area?
(Referral to Others) Based on our conversation today, what other types of people do you believe I should talk to? Can you name a few of these people? May I have permission to use your name when I contact them?
Do you have any other advice for me?
Other questions you want to ask:

HOW DO I ARRANGE THE INTERVIEW?

Phone or write (this could include sending an e-mail) to explain your request and obtain an appointment. Letter requests for appointments are most effective if followed up by a telephone inquiry to confirm an appointment time.
Introduce yourself using a personal referral. If possible, have a mutual acquaintance or the Career Center as the bridge for your contact. (e.g., "I'm Jessica Long, a sophomore at WCU. I found your name in The WCU Career Center's database).
Explain your request to schedule an appointment for gathering information about their field of work. If questioned, indicate clearly that you are not applying for a job at this time, but merely conducting career research to help you make better decisions. If the person you are trying to reach is not in, you can leave a message or ask when would be a good time to call back.
Try to schedule a 20-30 minute appointment, to be conducted by phone or in person at their convenience. If the present time is too busy for the person you contact, ask when would be a better time or ask if he/she can suggest another contact in the organization that could provide you with helpful information.
If your intent is to speak with the individual in person (which is optimal), try to avoid letting your phone call to schedule the appointment turn into the actual interview. However, sometimes the person might say over the phone: "I have some time now ... what did you want to ask me?" You should be prepared to conduct the interview over the phone if the person gives you an opportunity to do so. If you are able to schedule an on-site visit, remember to ask for directions and parking information.

TIPS FOR HANDLING THE INFORMATION INTERVIEW

Do not exceed your requested time, but be prepared to stay longer in case the contact indicates a willingness to talk longer.
Dress as if it were an actual job interview. First impressions are always important.
Get to your appointment a few minutes early and BE COURTEOUS to everyone that you meet -- secretary, receptionist, etc.
Take the initiative in conducting the interview. You ask the questions, you interview the person. Ask open-ended questions which promote a discussion and cannot be answered with one word responses.
Once inside the organization, look around. What kind of working environment is there -- dress style, communication patterns, sense of humor, etc? Is this a place you would want to work?

FOLLOW-UP

Evaluate your experience. How did you manage in scheduling and conducting the information interview? How well did you prepare? Did you get the information you sought? What information do you still lack? Do you need to interview more people in order to get more than one biased viewpoint or additional information? What do you need to do next?

Follow-up with a thank-you note, thanking your contact for his/her time and interest. You may want to include your conclusions/decisions resulting from the interview, and decide to follow-up now or later with a resume and an application letter or form. Record the information that you obtained: names, comments, and new referrals for future reference, and make appointments to interview the referrals.

SUMMARY

After doing several information interviews you will be more informed. You will be able to make better decisions which are based on accurate, current information.

If you were trying to choose a major, you now are more familiar with various career paths a major might lead to. You also may have learned numerous methods to prepare for a particular occupation, not only through academic majors, but also work experience and college activities.
If you were trying to choose an occupation, you now are more aware of position titles, job descriptions and qualifications, types of employers, the skills utilized, as well as the interests and values expressed in several occupations.
If you were preparing for a job hunt, you now are more familiar with potential employer contacts and the hiring process. You have developed your interviewing skills and received feedback on your resume and job hunting strategies. You have also demonstrated assertive job hunting behaviors by selecting, scheduling, participating in, and following through interview appointments.