Western Oregon University Career Guide - 2025 - Flipbook - Page 25
Informational Interviewing
One of the best sources for gathering information about what’s
happening in an occupation or an industry and meet people in
a professional field is to talk to people working in the field. This
process is called informational interviewing. An informational
interview is an interview that you initiate - you ask the questions.
The purpose is to obtain information, not to get a job.
REASONS TO CONDUCT INFORMAL INTERVIEWS:
▶ to explore careers and clarify your career goal
▶ to discover employment opportunities that are
not advertised
▶ to expand your professional network
▶ to build confidence for your job interviews
▶ to access the most up-to-date career information
▶ to identify your professional strengths and weaknesses
▶ to practice interacting and communicating with
professionals in a certain industry
STEPS TO CONDUCT AN
INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW:
1. Identify the Occupation or Industry
You Wish to Learn About
Assess your own interests, abilities, values, and skills,
and evaluate labor conditions and trends to identify the
best fields to research.
5. Sample script for asking for an
informational Interview
“Dear Mr. Song,
My name is Rachel Shift, and I’m a third year Computer
Science student at WOU. I’m Contacting you because I’m
very interested in pursuing a career in game design and I was
referred to you by Dr. Dell. Would you have about 15 minutes
to meet with me so I can learn a little about your career path?
I’m looking for some guidance and suggestions on how best to
prepare for a career in this competitive field.
6. Conduct the Interview
Dress appropriately, arrive on time, be polite and professional.
Refer to your list of prepared questions;stay on track, but allow
for spontaneous discussion. Before leaving, ask your contact to
suggest names of others who might be helpful to you and ask
permission to use your contact’s name when contacting these
new contacts.
7. Follow Up
Immediately following the interview, record the
information gathered. Be sure to send a thank-you email/
note to your contact within a couple days of the interview.
Try the TIARA method outlined
on the previous page.
Learn about insights, advice, industry trends, and potential
resources.
2. Prepare for the Interview
Read all you can about the field prior to the interview.
You’ll want to know as much as you can so that your
time is spent asking only the most pertinent questions.
Decide what information you would like to obtain about
the occupation/industry. Prepare a list of questions that
you would like to have answered.
3. Identify People to Interview
Start with lists of people you already know - friends, relatives,
fellow students, present or former co-workers, supervisors,
neighbors, etc.. Professional organizations, organizational
directories, and public speakers are also good resources. You
may also call an organization and ask for the name of the
person by job title.
4. Arrange the Interview
Contact the person to set up an interview:
Online Presence
Managing your online presence is important in any
profession. In addition to being mindful of what you
post on social media, knowing prospective and current
employers may see it, use professional networking
platforms LinkedIn and Handshake to strengthen
your online brand. You can do this by creating and
maintaining a professional profile and engaging in
groups and forums in your field on these platforms.
▶ by telephone,
▶ by an email followed by a telephone call, or
▶ by having someone who knows the person
make the appointment for you.
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