progress, by writing to let them know when you find a new job. You
may write a handwritten note if you wish, but make sure the tone is
professional. Include, if you can, something that they said or did that
helped you in the process. When someone has assisted you, he or she
becomes a stakeholder in your success and will, except in rare in-
stances, be delighted and interested to know what happens to you.
Keep in touch periodically.Most everyone has something they are
passionate about. Keep a file in which you note next to each inter-
viewee’s name at least one strong interest that he has, at work or in
his personal life. In the future, whenever you come across something
that might be of interest to people on your list, let them know about
the article, event, or whatever. The best way to maintain a network
of useful contacts is to make yourself usefulto others. You don’t want
to be in the position of only calling people when you need a favor. The
more reciprocal the relationship, the stronger the link. Of course, you
don’t want to overdo this, either. A periodic note is a lot more power-
ful than “weekly updates”!FINAL THOUGHTS
The above suggestions are just that—suggestions. It would certainly be
unwise to blindly follow any predetermined outline. If you have a clear
idea of what you would like to get out of the interview and are mindful
of the I.N.F.O. outline, you can feel free to capture the moment and “go
with the flow,”when the interviewee feels like getting expansive on a
particular topic. Since you know what you want to achieve, you will be
able to use appropriate junctures to return to the key questions you
want to ask.
In the appendix we have included an Informational Interview
Debriefing Form. We recommend that you review this form as you
prepare for doing an informational interview and that you fill it in after
the interview to summarize the key things you learned about the job
you are considering. Whether or not you choose to use this form, you
should bring your own specific questions to the interview and take
notes on the key points your interviewee makes.Chapter 4: Using Informational Interviews to Perfect Your Portfolio 59