In addition to the obvious focus on information gathering, another
important objective of an informational interview can be to build your
network of contacts. The person you are interviewing could very well
learn at some future date about jobs that might be just right for you. If
you made a good impression and are still in his or her mind, this per-
son will likely bring these opportunities to your attention. And, if you
have established a good relationship, this person could also prove a use-
ful advisor when you are assessing future job offers.
Another benefit you will get from doing an informational interview
is practice describing yourself in a situation that is less pressured than
a formal job interview. Clearly, becoming adept at informational inter-
viewing is a skill that can prove valuable to you throughout your career.KEY THINGS YOU CAN LEARN IN AN INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW
As noted above, the main reason for conducting an informational inter-
view is to gather information about jobs and careers in fields in which
you might be interested. Having this information will enable you to
make informed career decisions and will enable you to present yourself
effectively in future job interviews. The following are some specific
things you can learn in an informational interview.Realistic Job Previews in Fields You Are Considering
First of all, you will want to learn as much as you can about what it
would be like to be employed in the particular field you are exploring.
Instead of focusing on learning about just the positive aspects of the
field, you would do well to encourage the person you are interviewing
to give you what is known as a realistic job preview. A realistic job pre-
view, or RJP, is meant to be a complete and balanced picture, warts and
all, of what to expect in a particular job. With an RJP, you are hoping
to gain an understanding of the job that is closer to reality than the de-
scriptions you are likely to read in promotional literature put out by
employers and professional organizations. An RJP can both supple-
ment and rebut the information you have already gathered.
The literature on realistic job previews primarily focuses on the
desirability of recruiters giving job applicants a balanced picture of
what the job will be like, so that the person who ultimately accepts the
job is less likely to be subsequently disappointed. For more on this, see,
John Wanous,Organizational Entry: Recruitment, Selection, and So-
cialization of Newcomers,2nd Ed. (Addison-Wesley, 1992). People who
conduct informational interviews would also do well to make sure they
get a realistic job preview.The P.E.A.K.S. That Employers Are Looking for
in Your Intended Field
Once you determine that you are indeed interested in pursuing a job in
the area you’ve been discussing, you will then need to know what qual-
ities employers are looking for in job candidates.Chapter 4: Using Informational Interviews to Perfect Your Portfolio 47