I’ve recently graduated from college and have decided to pursue a career path related to one of my hobbies, which is different from my degree.
I initiated contact with over 200 potential employers through cold emails and have started receiving responses regarding setting up interviews. Some have mentioned they don’t currently have job openings but are willing to discuss the industry, while others have requested meetings. How should I prepare for these informational interviews, and how can I effectively conduct them?
These individuals and businesses are unfamiliar to me, and we haven’t met before. I plan to begin by reintroducing myself, expressing gratitude for their response, and so on, but once the initial pleasantries are exchanged, where should I steer the conversation?
My goal is to expand my professional network while exploring potential job opportunities. Any advice would be highly appreciated!
Hi there! I asked a mentor of mine about informational interviews and she said to basically look at the person’s background (education, work, any articles they wrote or projects they’ve worked on) and try to get a sense of what they’ve accomplished and what they’ve been through. Then ask yourself what is the main purpose of the interview. For the ones that said they have no jobs available, maybe just find out more about their company, find out more about how they would advise that you get involved in the field, what are some things they wish they did. For others that may lead to a job, get to know more about their company and the types of positions the company has and then try to casually fit in some of your skills and your experiences or your interests that aligns with the focus of the company.
Also always always start by asking the person about themselves. People love talking about themselves.
I would only add that peoples time are limited. So after the pleasantries I would help them help you. Ask if they know someone else they can intro u to as well in the area you are interested. The people who responded want to help you but you have to help them help you. U want to build a big a network as possible