Moving beyond the elevator speech, an informational interview is a great way to gain more in-depth knowledge about a potential employer, opportunity, and your career field.  It should not be used as an opportunity to ask for a job, although it often leads to job opportunities. 

During your meeting, explain your career goals and highlight your top qualifications, including several key accomplishments.  Prepare a list of questions to ask to gain information not easily available from web research. 

Excellent topics for discussion might include:

• Typical day on the job
• Your interviewee’s background/career path
• Hiring outlook for your field or a specific employer
• Management style/culture of the interviewee’s employer
• Room for upward mobility
• Organizational mission/philosophy/main challenges
• Trends/professional associations to join
• Publications/websites to stay updated on trends

For a more detailed list of questions, click here.

Towards the end of your networking meetings, ask for names of other individuals who would be valuable contacts.  Follow up with a thank you letter or email.  You may want to include an interesting article or website related to your contact’s professional or personal interests.      

Keep building your network through following up on new leads.  Research new organizations that look interesting – you can often learn the key players in an organization via its website.  Professional association meetings are a gold mine of contacts as people expect to meet new colleagues and learn about new trends in their field.  The Encyclopedia of Associations (Swartout, 2006) and The National Trade and Professional Associations of the US (Sheridan, Stephens,  Cimini, Watson, & Talbot, 2007) are excellent resources to find professional associations in your field.

As Will Rogers said, “There are no strangers, only friends that I haven't met yet."