Introduction:
An informational interview refers to a conversation wherein one person asks different doubts regarding career, industry development, skills, experience, knowledge, and other such related career advice. These interviews are often in conversational mode. It’s a great opportunity to develop your career by gathering crucial information on your career. But sometimes, one feels short of questions that they should ask the other person to gain the maximum advantage of that interview. So if you are also planning to go to an informational interview, check out these questions that will help you get the maximum information. Here, let’s know some informational Interview Questions.
Benefits of Informational interviews:
- Helps in better exploration of jobs and different careers:
If you seek appropriate questions in an informational interview, you can get maximum advantage in form of ample insights into jobs and careers. Since informational interviews are mostly with professionals of a particular field, they can help you to know minute details about the jobs and workplace.
- It will also help you decide if you are suitable for a job and vice versa: When you have deeper insights into the requirements, benefits, and challenges of a job or field, you can analyze whether you fit in properly or not. It will help you analyze your potentials and whether they match the requirements of the job. Similarly, it will help you make sure whether you want to do this job or not.
- Help in job landing and networking: An informational interview helps you to network with people because you interact with them. This networking can be utilized to land good jobs. You can also seek detailed information about the required skills and experience, the assessment parameters used by recruiters, and other such intrinsic details. Therefore it can help you a lot in landing on the job.
- Tell you about the reality of the job: Many people feel that informational interviews are not much worthy because you can get all insights on the internet too. But this notion is wrong. When you interact with someone in the field, you get to know the ground realities of that field. This reality is often missing on the internet. The first-hand experience that you can get through an interview cannot be compared with the internet information at all.
Some good questions to ask the other person while searching for an appropriate career:
In an informational interview, one should try to ask only relevant questions about the job and the career because you have limited time. To know more about your target career, the responsibilities, the opportunities you can have, and other such related doubts, you can use the following questions. These questions are professional and customized. So you can gain a lot of insights.
Ques 1: I want to know that if I work as (your target job), what would be my responsibilities?
This question would help in knowing the reality of the job and how tough or easy the work environment is going to be.
Ques 2: In this job, how would you define a typical day? How do you handle the pressure that day or week?
This question is again focused on knowing the practical aspects of the work. When you know the kind of pressure you have to handle you can prepare yourself in advance.
Ques3: What according to you is the best part of working in this company? or
What special thing prompted you to take up this career in this company?
This question will help you know the good things that a particular career has to offer. Based on that, you can decide whether the best parts of the job match your expectations and whether you will fit in that job or not.
Ques 4: What are some of the things that are not so good about this job?
Every job has good and bad parts. So it’s better to know the challenges and the worse things about the job in advance and get mentally tough for that. Also, if you feel that the only thing you were excited about is going to be bad in the present firm, you can choose to move away and look for other opportunities.
Ques5: What were the different stages that you passed through to achieve the present position?
Purpose of the question: The answer to this question will help you align your growth expectations accordingly. When you learn about the stages and the combined learnings in that field, you can get clarity on what you have to focus on exactly in that career.
Ques 6: Can you please tell me what kind of problems I can expect in this field or job? or
If someone has to prepare for the challenges in this field, what steps he or she should take?
It’s always good to be mentally prepared for the challenges and problems and the required preparation for that. It can help you to align your goals based on the challenges and problems, you face. If the other person is very experienced, he might also share some good tips to handle the problems, and overcome the challenges in the industry.
Ques 7: What are the usual expectations of the recruiter from the candidates or what kinds of skill and experience do they look for in the candidates? or
What according to you are some of the accomplishments that can set you apart in the eyes of the interviewer?
One should be well-versed with the requirements of a particular job. so by asking this question to the other person, you make yourself acquainted with the usual requirements of the interview. So according to the things mentioned by them, you can pick some of your best qualities that can help you stand out from the crowd.
Ques8: In this job role, what kinds of decisions are you expected to make, and do you need the permission of any superior?
Every job requires some kind of decision-making ability and the ability to take orders from your superiors. Therefore you can know about the scope of autonomy and the pressure to take orders from the seniors through this question.
Ques 9: Can you please tell me how your job adds value within the organization or field or the industry in particular?
Every job requires some kind of motivation. So when you know what the contribution of that job in the whole industry or field, is you feel motivated to put best efforts. Also, it will help you feel satisfied with whatever you are doing.
Ques 10: I want to know more about the selection process and all stages that I have to go through. So can you shed some light on that?
Every job has a different selection process and interview stages. So it’s better to know from your interviewee all the stages that he went through and you might also need to cross. This will help you to prepare for all the stages accordingly.
Ques 11: Can you tell me about any experience that was not related to this field but overall it helped you achieve this feat?
This question will help you know which experiences can help in growth even though it is not related to that field. for instance, with the increase in work from home culture, those people who were well-versed with technology got an advantage even if their firm is not purely technology-oriented. So these kinds of questions will help you create a good conversation with the other person and learn from their experiences.
Ques 12: What kind of impact one can expect on general lifestyle due to this job?
Work-life balance is one of the toughest and most desired things when you are working as a professional. So by asking this question, you can understand how the job will impact your lifestyle, would you get time on weekends, and other such details. Also, it will help you know the changes that you can expect after taking up that career.
Ques 13: After taking up this job, did you develop new skills?
Again, this question will help you picturise yourself after spending a good number of years in the industry. You can know of the skills that you will develop in the journey and how they will help in your overall life.
Ques 14: Can you let me know some of the current issues and trends in the industry that I should be aware of, for getting better insights on this field?
It’s not always possible to stay updated with major events in a particular field. But professionals of a particular field do have some insights that can help you prepare yourself and know more about the sector. For instance, Google once told the media that it will follow this work from home model even after pandemic for a certain percentage of staff. Now this update is something that you can be questioned upon in a Google interview. So by gaining such insights you polish your knowledge and prepare yourself.
Ques 15: What according to you are some of the best career paths in this field that I can pursue?
Sometimes you are sure of the field but unsure about a particular job. For example, you have completed a bachelor’s in law but are unsure of the best career paths. In that case, you can ask this question and know of good opportunities.
Ques 16: How much weight is given to internships in this field?
Some fields might require some practical insights. Therefore the company mandatorily requires some internship experience. So it’s a good idea to confirm if the field you are pursuing requires good internship experience. You can even ask about some good internship opportunities.
Ques 17: How would you describe the work culture in this company?
The colleagues that you are going to work with also form an integral part of the job. Therefore it is always suggested to have some knowledge about the values of the company, the people working there, the treatment with employees, value given to managerial and leadership qualities, and other such factors.
Ques 18: Can you tell me about some projects that you are currently working on?
Purpose of the question: You can know about the kind of work or projects you can expect and how much priority is given to work.
Ques 19: What kinds of accomplishments are more valued and rewarded in this field and how can polish those required skills?
Even after getting selected, some qualities and accomplishments help you grow in your career. So, you can take insights on the kind of accomplishments that are much valued. For instance, winning a dancing competition will not be valued in an IT firm but a software hackathon will matter. Further, you can get insights on which competitions and opportunities you should look for and how you can leave an impression.
Ques 20: Can you also suggest some related fields that are worth looking into?
After going through all the job opportunities, if you feel that the jobs don’t match your goals, you can ask this question. Some fields might be related to each other and you might feel interested in them. For example, you might not feel interested in the software designing field but you feel attracted towards a related field like graphic designing where you have the opportunity to be more creative.
Ques 21: How did you develop an interest in this field?
Or Can you tell me about the beginning of your career? How and from where did you start and how did you move ahead over years?
It’s good to connect in a more friendly way and hear about their experiences. So by asking these kinds of questions, you can know their story. All these experiences will teach you a lot and help you grow and move ahead.
Ques 22: Can you tell about some common entry-level jobs through which people can enter this field?
Once you become sure that you want to enter a particular field, the next step is to get some insights on how to get a particular job. There can be different steps or available jobs and that professional can guide you in a better manner.
Ques 23: Can you tell about the relevance of your undergraduate major to your work? Do you feel it is a good idea for me to do the same work in my undergraduate for succeeding in the field?
Some fields specifically require a degree in a particular field. But some don’t specify any particular degree. In that case, it’s good to know from the existing professionals whether they had completed any particular degree for getting preference in the field. For instance, if you are thinking of doing post-graduation for the present job, and the next person has also done post-graduation, you can push away all your doubts regarding further education and its relevancy.
In continuance of this question, you can ask the person if he would like to suggest any certifications or courses in particular for excelling in the field. If you know the right certifications from the professional, you can move in the right direction.
Ques 24: Can you shed some light on the expected entry-level salary in this field?
Entry-level salary is one of the biggest confusions in the mind of a beginner. No matter how much you search about it on Google, at one point in time, you will feel confused. So it’s good to be sure of the entry-level job by asking for advice from a professional.
You can craft this question in this manner also: I went through some figures for entry-level salary. Can you tell me whether they are accurate or not? Just remember that you don’t have to ask the other person’s salary directly as they might be reluctant to tell you about that.
Further, you can ask about the other rewards offered by the company in form of health benefits, bonuses, insurance, house facility, etc.
Ques 25: What are some of the recommended magazines, trade journals, or professional associations that can help a person in his professional development in this field?
If you are already in that field and look forward to advice on career growth, and professional development, you can ask these kinds of questions. You can also ask about some publications, organizations, podcasts, relevant books, etc. that can help in your career.
Some additional questions that you can ask from the interviewee to be sure of the pre-requisites for entering into the field and the kind of work you have to do:
- Can you shed some light on the education, training, and background required for pursuing this job?
- To succeed in this job/this industry, what according to you are the required skills, abilities, or attributes?
- Can you tell more about the kind of tasks that are assigned to interns or beginners in this job?
- If you were given this choice to choose your career once again, would you like to choose the same path or a different one for yourself? If you are required to change, what would be your new field?
- Any other advice that you would like to give to someone who is just entering this field?
- Do you feel that the field would offer good opportunities for beginners, soon?
- Can you tell me about the number of hours that you have to work and are you able to maintain the work-life balance?
- For entering into this field, what steps would you recommend? How do you think I should prepare myself for this career?
Ending questions:
In the end, you can ask some additional contacts for help.
Ques: In your opinion is a mentor helpful in career growth and did you have any mentor?
You can connect the conversation with the experience of the person and get good insights on mentorship. They might suggest to you some good mentors by themselves for additional help. In case they don’t suggest any additional contact and you want that, you can ask the following questions.
Ques: In case I want to contact someone else for additional information, can you suggest some good resource person?
Ques: Do you mind recommending someone in your contacts who can help me with my job search in this field.
Ques: Is there anything that you feel you should have known before starting with the career?
This is also a good concluding question because it helps you get a final piece of advice that can help you a lot even before entering the field. You might come to know of some unexpected facts about the industry or company.
Ques: Do you feel there is anything else that I should have asked you but missed?
This question is also a good concluding remark because even if you have missed something, you can get to know that. Through this question, the interviewee will help you
Last but not least remark:
It was nice talking to you. I hope we can stay in touch.
This will help you stay connected and build your network.
Some additional tips for getting the maximum benefit of informational interview:
It’s very important to stay well-mannered in the interview and use the right tips to get the maximum benefit.
1. Find suitable people: Although you can choose any person for an interview, it’s suggested to search for a professional in that field. Informational interviews or networking can be conducted with anyone. If you want to seek and share knowledge, you can approach your friend, family member, alumni of your school or college, persons working in specialized organizations, co-workers, clients, industry leaders, coaches, teachers, and career advisors. But an expert in a field can give better guidance. One of the best platforms to find professionals is Linkedin. You can connect with people from different fields, countries, and experiences, and gain insights.
- Primary research: Once you have finalized your interviewee, the next step is to do some beforehand research to know more about them. You can get maximum information from their company’s website, Linkedin profile, and other social media platforms.
- You must be ready with at least five to ten questions to keep the session interactive.
- Be punctual and don’t exceed the time: The time is usually twenty to twenty-five minutes. So respect their time and go on time.
- Be a good listener and ask some follow-up questions to gain maximum benefit and keep the session interactive.
- Don’t forget to bring a pen and a book for taking notes.
- After the completion of the interview, don’t forget to send a thank-you note for their time and inputs. This will help you cast a good impression.
- Try to ensure proper etiquette in an informational interview: Interviews whether formal or informal require some kind of etiquette. In an informational interview also, where another person is doing some favor on you by sharing his information, you should be well-mannered. The interview is often for fifteen to twenty minutes and you should try to know about any specific required guidelines for the interview in advance.
- It’s recommended that you do not ask directly about the person’s salary as it can look a bit unprofessional and offensive.
Rounding up:
Informational interviews are indeed helpful to decide a good career path and clear many doubts. But you should know the right questions to gain maximum benefit out of the interview. Stay polite and attentive throughout the interview and you will surely get to learn a lot.
