Career Advice

Former recruitment agency experts answer employment questions, candidly suggesting how to negotiate your salary, find a really good job, handle phone interviews, and more.

Sage advice like this is priceless.

What is an informational interview?

This is an interview initiated and conducted by a job seeker to gather information and insight from a professional that has knowledge of a particular position the job seeker is interested in.

What are the benefits of doing an informational interview?
The purpose is not to ask for a job - It is to obtain valuable career information.

What questions should the job seeker ask?
Take the lead in the interview and have a concise list of questions. Let the interviewee do most of the talking so that you can listen and learn from their experience. Do some research your career interest before hand so that you can ask intelligent questions. Ask questions like:

* What is a typical day at work like?
* Describe the career path you followed to get to where you are today?
* What is the potential for growth in this field?
* What can I do now to help me find a job in this field?
* Can you provide me with other contacts I can talk to for more information about this field?

Post interview follow up:
Write a thank you note to the person you interviewed so that you can maintain a strong career network.