Tapping Into the Hidden Job Market with Informational Interviewing
Informational Interviewing is the process of gathering information from people who are already doing the job that you want to do, or that interests you enough that you think you do. It will also help you tap into the unpublished job market, the 80% of job opportunities that are never advertised.
In his best-selling book, What Color is Your Parachute—A Practical Manual for Job Hunters and Career Changers (Ten Speed Press), Richard Bolles writes that the purpose of Informational Interviewing is to screen careers before changing to them, to screen jobs before taking them, to screen places before deciding to pursue a position there, and to "get answers to very specific questions that occur to you during your job hunt."
More specifically, it Informational Interviewing will help you learn about:
▪ Recent industry developments
▪ Names of movers and shaker of the industry and their current activities
▪ Titles of relevant magazines and trade publications
▪ Names of professional associations you should join
Here is a starter list of questions you can ask at an Informational Interview:
▪ How did you get into this line of work? Into this particular job?
▪ What do you like most about this job/career/industry? The least?
▪ What kind of schooling/training is required?
▪ How has your job/career/industry changed since you got into it?
▪ What are a typical day's activities for you?
▪ Where else could I look for more information on this career?
▪ What do you know now about your industry that you wish you knew before getting into it?
▪ Is there anyone else you think I should speak with to learn more about this industry?
