A Message from Career & Professional Development
Learning from those who are established and experienced in a career field is an age-old concept. We call it “Informational Interviewing” – an investigative conversation with a person who is doing what you aspire to do. We believe it is a critical part of a student’s personal and career development and is sure to enhance the chances of being gainfully employed upon graduation. Doing Informational Interviews builds your professional network, which is the first step to starting a job search.
Informational interviewing is NOT a job interview and should not be treated as such. In this exchange, typically about 45 minutes, your student will ask questions about the professional’s career path and seek advice about the most effective strategies for entering the field. Your student is asking professionals to tell their story, relate it to today’s job market, and offer to be a resource – a win for everyone. Most professionals are happy to do this and feel flattered when asked. They enjoy the chance to shine while offering valuable nuggets of information that your student likely could not access otherwise.
Benefits for students who pursue informational interviewing:
- Help clarify goals and develop effective strategies for reaching them
- Build confidence while discussing interests, skills and goals; good preparation for future job interviews
- Expand network of career-related contacts
- Find leads for conducting additional informational interviews/job shadowing
- Learn more about specific work settings or a specific employer
- Get advice about career search strategies within a specific industry; every industry has “insider” tracks which can lead to unadvertised internships and/or full-time jobs
Questions your student can ask:
- Can you tell me about a typical day at your job?
- How did you get started doing this type of work? How did you find your first job out of college?
- What advice would you give someone who wants to get started in this field?
- What specific education/training will I need?
- What are your favorite and least favorite aspects of your job?
- How do you see this industry changing? What are the emerging trends and specific jobs?
- What does your company look for when hiring? What strengths and characteristics do you value?
- Is there anyone else in the field that you would suggest I talk with? (this is networking)
As a parent, you can be a valuable resource for your student by sharing contacts and making suggestions about who to approach. Become familiar with our Informational Interviewing Guide. This guide explains how to identify people to interview, provides scripts of what your student can say in an email or phone call when initially reaching out, and tips for following up so that the professional connection remains fresh and useful (a well-written thank-you note is powerful). You will also see that we have an excellent resource called Candid Career, a career-themed YouTube type of resource featuring one-to-two minute videos where professionals speak about their careers. Twenty-two industry clusters are represented, and within these clusters, thousands of individual career titles are represented.
A few additional steps that your student can take to enhance the career exploration process:
- Embrace the fact that research, both internal and external, is a key to identifying a career path and building your network
- Attend career-related events on campus featuring successful HPU alumni and other outside guests; the HPU Access to Innovators series is a great place to start
- Identify internships, volunteer, and summer experiences that will start the process moving away from typical jobs that teens/college students hold and move the process towards building relevant, career-focused experiences
As part of the BUA 1000 Introduction to Business Careers class co-taught by Bridget Holcombe, Director of Career and Professional Development, students are required to do informational interviews. These paraphrased reactions to this assignment are testimony to the impact and value:
- “My interview with Ms. J was very rewarding, and I gained much more than just practical knowledge about her job. She told me that students should not to get too hung up on their major, because your work and life experiences take you in so many different directions that you may end up falling in love with a career that you didn’t expect. Also, she stressed the importance of building your network. All the jobs that she had later in life, happened because of her reputation and most importantly, who she knew. Always be kind to those you meet; you never know who you may be talking too or who may be able to impact your life down the road positively.”
- “I asked Mrs. B what she and other sales reps look for in recruitment, and if she had advice for a college student. Her company looks for someone with an outgoing personality; with the push, drive and perseverance you need to work in sales; and someone who also has the hard skills of electronics. It’s not all about academics, but also building relevant experience and having a growth mindset.”
- Responding to what skills are valued in her profession and by her company in particular, Ms. A said, “The most valuable skills are not really ‘skills,’ but more personality traits, which I’ve learned are increasingly important in the workplace. The ability to take initiative, work well with others, and communicate effectively along with a strong work ethic and willingness to contribute are invaluable.”
- “Mr. H told me that in college, you meet so many people and learn so much about where people come from and their backgrounds. The idea is to learn from them and take as much as you can away from that. The best experience that I will ever get is the hands-on experience where I am in the field and exposed to the work.”
- “Mr. C believes networking is incredibly important, but it depends who you are networking with. You need to learn how to network with people out of your comfort zone in order to get your best chance at success, because you need a broad-based network and understanding.”
If your student needs assistance with any aspects of preparing for and conducting an Informational Interview or identifying/developing their professional network, please encourage him/her to first review the Guide and to reach out to schedule an appointment.