Office of Graduate Affairs

Informational Interviewing

Informational interviews help you explore a wide range of career opportunities. They are approximately twenty to sixty minutes in length and can occur in person, via email, or over the phone. But remember: The purpose of an informational interview is to ask for information, not a job.

After you briefly introduce yourself, the bulk of the conversation should focus on them: their position, their background, their career trajectory, and their advice. At the end of the interview you can return the focus to yourself and ask questions about potential contacts, advice about your resume or CV, etc. But for the most part, consider yourself a journalist, teasing out their experience. After several interviews, you’ll have enough data points to draw some conclusions about what job possibilities are available and how you should organize your job search and to prepare for the interview and negotiation process.

Interview Goals

By the end of your conversation, you should understand and be able to explain:

A sense of the person’s job responsibilities.
An understanding of how they found the position and succeeded as a job candidate in the interview process.
An awareness of future career opportunities for someone in that position.
Information about one or two other individuals who can share their experiences with you.
Information about one to five organizations you should explore.

Use your own judgment to determine which questions will get the conversation rolling and give you the answers you need to meet those five goals.

General Informational Interview Questions

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Questions About an Individual

Can you tell me a little bit about your current responsibilities?
Could you describe a typical day?
What types of skills and experiences are key to succeeding in your position?
What are common qualities of individuals who are successful in this kind of position?
How did you get into this field? What path led you to this position?
How did you organize your job search?
What was your interview process like?
What’s been particularly rewarding about the path you has taken? What would you do differently?
What are some of the future career opportunities for someone in your position?
What are the differences between working in academe/industry/government/non-profits, etc.?
Can you talk about how industry/government/non-profits/academe are different in terms of work environment, typical compensation packages including vacation, salary range, and work/life balance.
Can you talk about the norms of working at research-focused institution and how they differ from a teaching-focused institution are in terms of hours/ responsibilities/ expectations/ typical compensation packages including vacation, salary /work-life balance? (for teaching positions)
What advice would you give someone in my position who wants to be successful in the field?
When you think about your first year in this position, what actions/activities were key towards your success (engaging other staff, attending meetings, your expertise, etc.)
I have a copy of my resume/CV. Would you be willing to look at it and let me know what you think?
From the research and informational interviews I've done so far, I've developed a list of companies/organizations in your field that I am interested in. Can you tell me anything about them? Are there organizations I’ve left off that I should look at more closely?
Do you know of any companies/organizations that might be expanding or hiring in the near future?
Can you recommend anyone else for me to talk to?

Questions about an Individual’s Organization

What makes the organization a particularly good place to work?
How would you describe/what do you like about your work environment?
What are the fastest growth areas within the organization? What are the most promising new products or areas of research in the company?
I noticed in the Boston Business Journal today that your company is in merger talks with XYZ, Inc. That sounds exciting! How will that impact the business and/or science of the company?
How would you describe the culture, management style and organization of the company?
What’s the history of the company? How was the company financed originally and what’s the current situation?
Do you know of any other Brandeis alums who currently work at the company (if you’re talking to an alum)?

Remember, at the end, thank the person for their time and advice and be specific about what you found valuable. Ask to keep in touch. A final statement could be something like: “Thank you so much for sharing your perspective and background. I appreciate you taking the time. I have found your advice about other organizations that do this type of work very helpful. I’ll also contact Nikki Jameson at Health Outcomes Research by the end of the week. May I have your business card? I’d like to keep in touch with you as I move forward in this process. And if I can ever return the favor, please don’t hesitate to contact me.”

And remember to write and send a thank you note in twenty-four to forty-eight hours! This is just the start of building your professional network.

Email Request for Informational Interview

A sample email could read like this:

To: JJarndyce@example.com

Subject: Brandeis Anthropology Graduate Student Seeking Advice

Dear Dr. Jarndyce,

I'm a doctoral student in the Anthropology program at Brandeis and will be graduating in May. My goal after graduation is to work in qualitative research in the Boston area. Right now, I'm evaluating what type of work environment would be the best fit for me.

I saw on your LinkedIn profile that you currently work at a health outcomes research company. I would appreciate the chance to hear your thoughts on the type of work you do and the work environment.

Would you be able to meet via Zoom for about twenty minutes to share your experiences with me? I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Esther Summerson

617-XXX-XXX

Adapted from National Institutes of Health Office of Intramural Training & Education