Informational interviewing can play a pivotal role in building
one’s network to assist in penetrating the hidden job market and
unadvertised job prospects, but unfortunately is often a tool
that is ignored in a job seeker’s career and job search campaign.

Informational interviewing is a ‘fact-finding exploration’ that
will assist a job seeker in identifying an optimal place of work
that is conducive to their skills, motivation and talent, thus
positioning them for continued growth and fulfilment within
their careers.

Conducting informational interviews will allow a job seeker to
pinpoint their strengths and requirements for further
development, while also providing an opportunity to build their
confidence and communication skills, both crucial for
forthcoming job interviews.

Neglecting to implement this critical research and screening
tool within their job search sadly can lead to a job seeker
discovering their discontentment after they have accepted a job
offer, or worse, are working within the role.

Therefore, if a particular role or industry is of interest to
you, go and check it out first by meeting with the people who
are already performing in these roles to establish whether or
not this career path not only interests but suits you.

Benefits of Informational Interviewing: It is important not to
confuse informational interviewing with a job interview. You are
not interviewing for a role, nor should you ever, under any
circumstances, ask for a job.

By conducting an informational interview you should: – Gain a
deeper understanding of the job specifications (beyond the job
title); – Enhance your awareness of the company’s culture and
how you may/may not fit into the work environment; – Expand your
network of contacts within the industry thus optimising your
targeting ‘the hidden job market’; – Strengthen your
understanding of the company’s structure and possible needs so
that in the future, should an employment opportunity present
itself, you can better position yourself as a top candidate; -
Network with professionals in a relatively low-stress setting to
assist you in building your self-confidence while gaining
crucial information you can harness during your job search
campaign; – Screen the organisation to assist you in your
decision making process, should you be extended an opportunity
for employment in the future.

Getting Started: Begin by developing a list of people you would
be interested in speaking to. These may include people already
in your network of contacts, or even a company you would
consider working for. This is a great opportunity to expand your
network of contacts so don’t be afraid to touch base with people
you are not yet acquainted with.

While in-person meetings are ideal, conducting informational
interviews over the phone can be just as beneficial in your
research. Many people are governed by hectic schedules so a
10-15 minute phone call may not seem as potentially disruptive
as a face-to-face meeting.

Gaining an Appointment: Contact the person with whom you wish to
meet either by letter or telephone. Introduce yourself and
explain the reason for your contact. If you were referred to
this contact by someone else, remember to mention that person’s
name at the beginning of the call. Use the following script as a
guideline:

‘Hello, my name is [name]. I’m currently exploring career
options in [industry/role] and was given your details by [name
of person who referred you] for the possibility of obtaining
further information about this field and how you got started in
the industry. I’d love to be able to meet with you briefly and
will only take about 10-15 minutes of your time.’

If you are greeted with apprehension or the comment ‘Is it
possible to do this by phone?’ you may like to respond with
‘Certainly ‘ although it would be an honour to meet with you
personally.’

Remember, avoid being pushy ‘ a telephone meeting will also
allow you to gather pertinent information.

The Informational Interview Meeting: Just as if you were
attending a job interview, your appearance/attire and your
approach should be professional throughout the entire meeting.

Ensure you are well prepared bringing with you your questions, a
pen and notebook to jot down the information being offered.

Possible Research Questions: – What background do you believe is
necessary for people working in this field? – Could you outline
current issues and trends associated with this industry? – Can
you describe what you believe a typical working environment is
like for this industry? – Describe what a typical working day
involves for you. – Could you list some of the crucial skills
required for this role/industry? – What would you say would be
the top 5 aspects of your role? – What would be the least
favourable areas about your role? – What advice would you give
someone looking to enter this industry/role? – Could you
recommend any industry publications or articles where I could
gather further information? – Are you able to provide names of
people I could talk to regarding the industry? Would you mind if
I used your name as a referral?

You may consider bringing a copy of your resume and request the
person to review it at a later stage to provide feedback on its
content and format. This will provide you with another perfect
opportunity to touch base with them.

Leave your business card and request a business card from the
person you are meeting.

Final thoughts: Remember, be respectful of the person’s time and
stay within your allocated time guidelines. Do not ask for a
job; nor be too aggressive in your questioning/approach.

Thanks you’s: Following the (in-person / telephone) meeting send
a thank you letter, expressing your gratitude for their time and
valuable information he/she shared.

Continued success!

About the author:
Annemarie Cross is a dual-certified/award winning Resume Writer,
Career Coach and NLP Practitioner, and founder/principal of
Advanced Employment Concepts, a career consultancy offering
specialised solutions for people striving for success and
fulfilment in their careers while maintaining work/life balance.
Annemarie can be contacted at www.annemariecross.com

“No Problem, Mon”: A Lesson in a Jamaican Job Search You Can Apply Today

by Duncan Mathison

I was at the boat yard last week and got an unexpected reminder on how to conduct a networking based job search from a Jamaican boat worker.

He was an older man with the rough weathered face of someone who has spent a lifetime working in the glare of the sun on the sea. He was repairing the boat docks at the yard with a few hand tools and stopped to talk.

At first I did not understand why he wanted to chat. He was working and I was trying to figure out how soon my boat would be back in the water.  Idle discussion was a distraction. But after a few minutes, I realized he was working on getting his next job. Not obviously, but with a studied casualness that was very effective.

Five Easy Jamaican Lessons to Improve Your Networking and Job Interviews:

Let’s me share with you what he did and break each part down to five steps important to any job search networking meeting or job interview. These tips are essential whether you are a boat worker or a Vice President of whatever.

Step 1 of the Jamaican’s Job Search: Like most potential hiring managers, I was focused on something very important to me but related to his business interest: my sailboat. He started the conversation by making an observation about the design of the hull and asked what I thought about it and in particular what I liked about. Of course, I love my boat so I happily responded.

The Lesson: Engage the hiring manager to talk about something important to them such as the company, the work or the profession. This small talk sets the stage for what comes next but it’s not random. Instead, it sets the stage. Be sure to skip the golf game, comments about the family pictures, or the nick-knacks on the desk. They might get a hiring manager to talk, but it will be in the wrong direction. Instead make an observation or ask a question about their work. If you are at a loss of what to say, start with “How’s business?”

Step 2 of the Jamaican’s Job Search: After a brief discussion of boat woodwork, he then told me he was born in Jamaica and survived as a child spear fishing for his own food. “I never got a chance to go to school” he said, “I had to learn through experience.”

The Lesson: Provide a “hook” to pique interest. Everyone had something interesting that tells people about their character.  Did you work for someone famous? Did you live somewhere unusual or challenging? Or grow up in a small town far away? Choose something you have found that gets you an “Oh Really?” reaction without being shocking or scary.

Step 3 of the Jamaican’s job Search: After that, he then told me that as a teenager, he moved to Kingston where he worked odd jobs to survive until one fateful day a wooden yacht, damaged in a storm limped into the harbor. He started by running errands for the yacht owners and spent more than two years working on the boat and serving as a deck hand where he learned the ins and outs of being a shipwright.

The Lesson: Link who you are to the work you do.  Hiring managers need to assess who you are, what you know and what makes you tick.  Be able in two sentences to describe your profession, something about the level of knowledge and experience and what engages you about the work. It could be about fun, satisfaction, a sense of purpose or how you define success.

Step 4 of the Jamaican’s Way: He then went on to say that his friendship with that first boat owner continues today. Just recently, he said, the owner had him visit Seattle for a cruise in the islands. The message was clear, “I am trusted, I know my way around boats both on and off the water.”

The lesson: Offer 3^rd party proof to the quality of your work.  It might be enough to talk about accomplishments but don’t forget to talk about what your boss or the company brass thought about your work. Be gracious, be humble but be clear about how the value and the quality of your work has been recognized. Recognition takes many forms. It could be an award, a promotion, a saved customer or a new policy or product implemented as a result of your innovation. The important thing was that it was recognized by a third party in authority to whom your prospective manager could relate.

Step 5 of the Jamaican’s Way: Up until this point, I had assumed that my Jamaican friend was an employee of the boat yard. But he then made a point to reveal that he was an outside contractor who had been brought in on and off for the last six years to do woodwork. He then mentioned he was available to work on boats for any number of small jobs. I actually found myself putting together a mental list of projects even though he not once asked me for a job.

The Lesson: Reveal Your Situation and offer availability. Maybe this seems obvious and it would be if you are interviewing for a specific job opening but don’t be so sure. Many times I have had networking meetings with job seekers and left the meeting unclear about what type of a position they wanted. Besides, in any job interview it is always helpful to “close” (a sales term) the hiring manager on the next step in the hiring process.  For example, “I could start in the next couple weeks, what is your timing when you would like to someone to be on board?”

Ya Mon! You’re hired!

Tags: career advice, Duncan Mathison, hidden job market, interviewing, interviewing tips, job interviews, job search, prospective boss, Transferable Skills

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