While I was still in college, I went to listen to a panel of speakers, organized by my university’s career services department, to discuss “Informational Interviews.” After that panel, I went to an informational interview with one of the panelists and ended up meeting 4 people, I would have never met otherwise.
Here is one of the best descriptions of what an information interview is, from one of the best online guides on the subject:
Informational interviewing is just what it sounds like — interviewing designed to produce information. What kind of information? The information you need to choose or refine a career path, learn how to break in and find out if you have what it takes to succeed. Informational interviewing is an expanded form of chatting with your network contacts. It’s the process of spending time with one of your network contacts in a highly focused conversation that provides you with key information you need to launch or boost your career.
The term “informational interviewing” was invented by Richard Nelson Bolles, author of the best-selling career guide of all time, What Color Is Your Parachute? Bolles refers to the process as “trying on jobs to see if they fit you.” He notes that most people screen jobs and companies after they’ve already taken a job, while informational interviewing gives you the opportunity to conduct the screening process before accepting a position.
This week I had my first informational interview in which I was the one being interviewed. It was a lot of fun for me and I can only hope that it was at least some what educational for the other person.
Also, just because I am being informationally interviewed now, doesn’t mean that I can’t continue to informationally interview others, higher up the food chain. I am going to try to arrange some meetings with real life lawyers – considering that despite contemplating going to law school, I’ve never even set foot in a law firm before.
