Questions to Ask during Informational Interviews

An informational interview is an informal conversation or a coffee chat you would have with an expert in an area of your interest. If done correctly, these interviews will not only help you get industry insights directly from insiders but also get notified about job opportunities that are not posted publicly. However, it should be noted that informational interviews can act as a double-edged sword. While you have the chance to get closer to your dream job, if you turn out to leave a bad impression on the interviewee, then your reputation is most likely at stake.

But worry not, today we are going through the ultimate list of questions to ask during informational interviews and all you need to do is simply follow through the steps.

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What you should pay most attention to…

The success of your informational interviews depends on one thing and one thing only; the quality of your questions. When someone agrees to have coffee chats with you, you need to treat their time with value by asking only relevant and specific questions. Avoid asking broad, generic questions during this type of interview since it will do both of you bad; you won’t get the relevant insights you want and the interviewees are bored out of their minds.

But what are the right questions to ask?

Questions in informational interviews can be grouped into 3 categories; tasks and responsibilities, career path, and industry knowledge. Maybe you are curious about a lot of things, but keep in mind that every question you ask should be meaningful and belong to one of these categories.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Focus on the specific job your interviewee currently is in. Avoid asking generic questions such as their day-to-day activities since not all professionals have the same routine. Ask these instead:

• What aspect of your job do you find most rewarding?

• How is your performance measured (KPIs)?

Career Path

This section should focus on your interviewee’s personal experience to get where they are today. Since most professionals’ career path is rarely linear, you could use this chance to gain inspiration and confidence for your future. Questions to ask in this sections:

• If you think about a new hire you enjoyed working with, what are some of their characteristics that come to mind?

• What do you find the most surprising about your role?

Industry Knowledge

This is the part where you dig the industry specific of your interviewee’s career. A pro tip is to conduct research beforehand so when the interviewee explains the insights, you will be able to keep up with what they are saying.

• What publications would you recommend I subscribe to if I want to stay up-to-date on this industry’s trends?

• What are some current events or trends in the industry that I should be aware of?

Lastly, be mindful about how you end your informational interviews because you want to leave a great last impression. One thing you could do is wrap up the conversation with a nice question. Our recommendation is to ask follow-up questions such as, “Based on what we discussed today, is there anyone else you think I should talk to?” This way, you could have something to move forward to in terms of your networking after the conversation. Good luck!

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