Informational Interviewing is probably the most successful, yet least used strategy for job seekers and career developers. An informational interview is when you initiate a meeting with someone who is successful in a particular career and interview them about what they do, what it's like to do it, and how they have achieved success. Done correctly, it is a powerful and encouraging job search activity.
One reason I believe so strongly in this strategy is because 2 pivotal career opportunities I had early on were the direct result of informational interviews I had initiated. When people ask me for help in their career search, I often recommend they put together a plan for informational interviews. Whether or not they are willing to do this tells me a lot about a person and often impacts whether I can help them.
This is an important topic so I will be writing a couple of postings on it. In the meantime, check out this great handout on informational interviewing from the University of St. Thomas Life/Work Center.
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