The Informational Interview Exposed

By Vic Downing

© Vic Downing March 2007

If you want to keep pace—let alone get ahead—at work, then you need to expand your people-network and your knowledge base. The “informational interview” is one way—albeit, rarely an honest way—of doing that.

There is a problem. When you ask for an informational interview but are really angling for a lead to your next job, you position yourself as dishonest or slick and create an internal values conflict that undermines your performance in the interview.

The solution is simple: only ask for an informational interview when you are solely looking for information.

Talk about the burr under your host’s saddle more than the jewels in your crown.

In both cases, you need to show up with something to give… otherwise you show up as a beggar, and “beggars can’t be choosers.” It takes work to show up with something to give (that’s why few people do it… and, by the way, they tend to be the people who get the job). It requires doing research on (1) what’s important to your host and (2) how you can help give your host some of what is important from your host’s perspective. This article will help. Keep this in mind: your job is to serve (not to be selected). Serve by “bringing something to the party,” by telling the truth, by managing the time, by following up, et cetera. Let this conversation (a.k.a., “informational interview”) be a real-time demonstration of your leadership, your work ethic, and your integrity.

What Content Is Appropriate For An “Informational Interview?”

First of all the term “informational interview” is not appropriate unless the agenda is purely research and has nothing—zero—to do with developing leads that can result in employment. If (in the rare event) this is truly an informational interview, then an appropriate agenda is:

1. Before you make the appointment for the informational interview, research three subjects: (A) the trends that are or will impact your host’s business, (B) the impacts of those trends on that business, and (C) the needs those impacts are creating or will create for your host. To arrive at the interview and not have these tasks accomplished is like showing up at a potluck dinner with no dish to put on the table.

   Trends are three or more data points concerning the same business dynamic, for example: market share over time, margins over time, labor demographics over time, regulations over time, et cetera.

   Impacts are the consequences of those trends on business objectives, for example: because market share is shrinking by 2% per annum (a “trend”), revenue is also shrinking by 7.3% per annum (an “impact”).

   Needs are the real-and-present-and-negative consequences or real-and-present-and-positive opportunities that result from those impacts. For example: since revenue is shrinking by 7.3% per annum (an “impact”), there is a need for new markets and/or more efficient processes and/or more effective marketing.

2. Make person-to-person contact every time you talk with your host.

   This is simple and illusive. The heart of it is to show up as a person (not an applicant, a star, a supplicant, or a savior) in search of a person (not an employer, a tester, a judge, or a parent). Look at the person… search behind the eyes for the human being who is loved by a family and who dreamed of being an astronaut in high school. Before you speak, “shake hands with your eyes”… then shake hands. Smile. Then speak.

3. Make professional-to-professional contact with your host.

   Be on time or early—never late, not even a little. Dress in the “uniform” that your host would judge to be appropriate (this may require research before your meeting). Freshen your breath. Wash and dry your hands so they are warm and dry. Know your host’s name. Have all of your papers organized and easily accessible.

4. Confirm how much time your host has (it may not be the same as previously agreed to) for this meeting.

   “Last week, when we arranged this meeting, you mentioned you would have 2:15 to 3:00 available. Is that still the case?”

5. Explain that your purpose is to learn more about ___ + pause so often it seems too often + listen/don’t speak + react to what is said and (eventually go on with your agenda).
6. Describe what you have learned to-date and make it very clear that you value corrections of, and additions to, your findings + pause so often it seems too often + listen/don’t speak + react to what is said and (eventually go on with your agenda).
7. If it has not already been covered, ask for suggestions on how best to learn more about the trends that are impacting ___, the nature of those impacts, and the needs that those impacts have created and will create for for ___.
8. Offer your host the product of your work to-date and offer to send refined and expanded products as you pursue your quest for information.
9. Be certain to manage the time so you are first to note that the end-time is at-hand. If your host indicates a desire to talk more, then continue… but be very protective of your host’s time.
10. As you leave, make person-to-person contact again (see above).
11. Send a hand-written, snail-mail thank-you note within 12 hours and be certain to follow-through with any promises you made during your conversation.

When Is An Informational Interview Not An Informational Interview?

It is very likely you are not in search of an informational interview.

You probably want your host to help you connect with someone who might hire you… or you want your host to hire you. If this is the case, ask for time to “…discuss a particular business need (namely, ____) faced by ___ and how you can respond to that need.” In this case, an appropriate agenda might be:

1. Before you make the appointment, research three subjects: (A) the trends, (B) the impacts, and (C) the needs. (See above.)
2. Make person-to-person contact every time you talk with your host (see above).
3. Make professional-to-professional contact with your host (see above).
4. Confirm how much time your host has (it may not be the same as previously agreed to) for this meeting.
5. Explain that your purpose is to “… discuss a particular business need (namely, ____) faced by ___ and how you can respond to that need…” + pause so often it seems too often + listen/don’t speak + react to what is said. Eventually, go on with your agenda.
6. Describe the particular business need you see facing ___ and describe how you can meet that need + pause so often it seems too often + listen/don’t speak + react to what is said, and pay special attention to, and explicitly confirm, any corrections or additions your host makes to your presentation. Eventually go on with your agenda.
7. If it has not already been suggested, describe where and when and how you think you can best add value to ___; i.e., describe the position and accountabilities that you are ready to undertake + pause so often it seems too often + listen/don’t speak + react to what is said, and pay special attention to, and explicitly confirm, any suggestions your host makes about how you might best be positioned to add value. Eventually go on with your agenda.
8. Offer your host the product of your work to-date and offer to send refined and expanded products as you continue your quest.
9. Be certain to manage the time so that you are the first to note that the end-time is at-hand. If your host indicates a desire to talk more, then continue… but be very protective of your host’s time.
10. As you leave, make person-to-person contact again.
11. Send a hand-written, snail-mail thank-you note within 12 hours and be certain to follow-through with any promises you made during your conversation.

What Should You Expect of Your Host?

Only ask for an informational interview when you are solely looking for information

You should expect your host to be a person whose calendar was full before you asked for time to get on that calendar and who lives in a world that has priorities that do not include your career advancement.

Whatever is most pressing in your host’s world will preoccupy your host during your meeting. That is why you need to come to the meeting fully prepared to talk about the burr under your host’s saddle more than the jewels in your crown.

It is reasonable to expect your host to treat you as well as any customer treats a vendor… and that, by the way, is what you are: a vendor. That’s a good thing. Vendors—the ones with quality products presented in attractive ways—are highly prized by customers with high standards… and that’s whom you want to work for: a customer with high standards.

Is it reasonable to expect your host to comment on your presentation or introduce you to a colleague or offer you a job? It depends. It depends on what you paint on your host’s canvas, which was pretty much full when you showed up.

How To Evaluate Your “Informational Interview”

A near-fatal—and very common—error is to make “getting the job” or “gaining a referral” or “good chemistry” the criteria for success. The problems with these criteria are: (1) they focus on “the finish line” rather than “running the race,” and (2) they are not under your control. To concentrate on these encourages unnecessary anxiety and makes you vulnerable to violating your ethics and not “being yourself.”

Here’s how to evaluate your efforts:

• Did I clearly state the purpose of our meeting?
• Did I do my homework thoroughly (i.e., trends, impacts, needs)?
• Did I dress in the “uniform” that made my host comfortable?
• Was I on time?
• Did I “connect” person-to-person first and last (see above)?
• Did I “connect” professional-to-professional (see above)?
• Did I confirm the amount of time available before we “got into” the discussion?
• Did I pause so often it seemed too often + listen/not speak + react to what was said rather than push on with my presentation?
• Did I offer to leave my work-to-date with my host?
• Did I take the initiative to stay inside my host’s time limitations?
• (In the case of “looking for a job”) did I clearly state where and how I thought I could add value?
• Did I send a hand-written, snail mail thank-you note within twelve hours?
• Did I follow-through on-time with all that I promised?
• Was I “myself?”
• Was I honest?

If you can put checks in those boxes, then you can easily live with the outcomes. If you don’t “get the job,” then you don’t need to wonder if you did all that you could have done. If you “get the job,” you don’t need to wonder how you’ll deal with things when you drop your “mask.”

Focus on the process and the product will take care of itself.

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