Informational Interviewing

Informational interviews are a valuable tool to understand specific careers and help build a job applicant's network. Initiating this conversation will assist job applicants to understand the daily responsibilities of desired jobs, learn how to navigate and enter a specific industry, and can increase their overall networking capabilities. Please follow the steps below to schedule an informational interview:

1. Identify Potential Roles of Interest: Begin researching specific job titles that can be attained from your current major. Identifying particular positions of interest will provide users a baseline for who can serve as a viable candidate to interview. 
2. Review your current network (acquaintances, friends, family) to identify if there is anyone of interest to interview. Users can also utilize Career Shift (https://www.careershift.com/) to identify potential professionals. To search for potential contacts on Career Shift, users can follow these steps:
   1. Log into Career Shift (https://www.careershift.com/). 
   2. By selecting the "Contacts" tab, users can search for employer contact information just as they might search for employment opportunities.
   3. Users can search for individuals by their name, their company name, the school they graduated from, as well as their current position. Users can also search for contacts based on their current job title. This tool is particularly useful for students looking to get in contact with Rowan University alumni. By typing "Rowan University" in the "School Attended" box, users can find a list of Rowan alumni along with their contact information.
3. Once users have identified a potential individual to interview, students’ should connect with these professionals through attaining their contact information through Career Shift. In the initial email, students’ should inform these professionals that they are pursuing a career in their industry, that they are seeking career advice, and that they are interested in learning about the professional's career journey.
4. Please feel free to review page 5 of the following website (https://sites.rowan.edu/oca/_docs/career-planning-development-course-guide-2019.pdf) to identify what questions can be asked in an informational interview.
5. After an informational interview is completed, send a thank you email within 24 hours of the appointment. A thank you email should mention the major pieces of advice you learned from the conversation and expresses your gratitude for this opportunity.
6. Lastly, it is essential to maintain a relationship with these professional networks and provide value to the interviewee. Networking and informational interviews should not be a one-way street. Job applicants should actively engage their informational interview contacts to determine how they can support these individuals. Creating professional relationships that are valuable for all parties is an essential strategy to stay relevant to employers.