The job search is difficult and intimidating, especially during a career transition. While there are tons of articles and advice on dealing with the much dreaded job interview<\/a>, they rely on a major assumption: you\u2019ve been called for an interview in the first place! What if you\u2019re still figuring out what jobs you should start applying for? This is where informational interviews come in.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n An informational interview involves seeking information from someone who works in an industry or company that you\u2019re thinking of joining. They\u2019re a great way of getting the inside scoop from a line of work, in an informal setting.<\/p>\n The first \u2013 and most difficult \u2013 step for securing an informational interview is to get in touch with the right people. Find a connection: friends, relatives, friends of friends, relatives of friends, friends of relatives of friends \u2013 it doesn\u2019t matter. Alternatively, start cold-calling. Yes, this means reaching out to strangers. Thanks to the death of privacy, you can find relevant people in any company, location, or field of work using social media. Drop them a brief message \u2013 LinkedIn is helpful here \u2013 introduce yourself, describe your common point of interest, and ask for a meeting or call.<\/p>\n The success rate won\u2019t be 100%, but you just need a few positive responses. Targeting the right people is crucial; you can safely assume that the CEO of a company won\u2019t be up for a coffee and a natter. People in the early stages of their career are more likely to spare the time and effort, and possibly have more empathy, having been in your situation not too long ago. Alumni from your university may harbour a soft spot towards fellow graduates; keep an eye out!<\/p>\n Though you\u2019ll be the one doing the interviewing in this case, unfortunately you\u2019ll still have to prepare! Starting with a vague “tell me about your field” is expecting too much effort from someone who\u2019s volunteered their time.<\/p>\n So, once you fix a meeting with someone, strap on your detective goggles and start investigating. Make a list of directed questions addressing your concerns and curiosities. “Did you need to take a course to join this field?”, “What are the constraints of this particular job?”, “Do you need to travel often?” are some examples of specific questions. This will help your interviewee give you good answers, save both of you from an awkward silence, and, most importantly, ensure that you get all the information you need.<\/p>\n Meenakshi Prabhune<\/p><\/div>\n Whether the meeting reaffirmed your career choice or proved to be a myth-buster, allow some time before taking any big decisions \u2013 you have, after all, only spoken to one person.<\/p>\n There\u2019s still one more thing to do: Ask for more. Contact names, links, events, email addresses, courses; any kind of information. There\u2019s always one more useful tip lurking around, so make sure to dig for it. Finally, do not assume this meeting will lead to an immediate job offer \u2013 it\u2019s just a first step. But a first step is how every journey starts.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meenakshi Prabhune is a researcher-turned-science-writer living and working in the Bay area, California. You can read her blog, that covers science and travel, here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Suggested posts<\/strong><\/p>\n Career paths: Out of the Ivory Tower<\/a><\/p>\n Finding job satisfaction in venture philanthropy<\/a><\/p>\n From start to finish: A guide to informational interviewing<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Guest contributor Meenakshi Prabhune … Read more<\/a> Continue reading ![\"dominos\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.nature.com\/naturejobs\/files\/2016\/08\/dominos.jpg\" "\\"dominos\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nGetting started<\/h2>\n
Preparing for the interview<\/h2>\n
Going one step beyond<\/h2>\n
![\"Meenakshi-smaller\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.nature.com\/naturejobs\/files\/2016\/08\/Meenakshi-smaller.jpg\" "\\"Meenakshi-smaller\\"")
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