Lets start at the very beginning... of informational interviewing

Everything you need to know to be an A+ informational interviewer

Author

Emma McAleavy
December 07, 2023

Hi there informational interviewers!

There are a lot of new subscribers joining our community this week, so I thought we’d get back to basics. Whether you’re a new face, or you’ve been here a while, it never hurts to review what this informational interviewing thing is all about.

Also, in case you hadn’t heard, we have a lovely little Slack group going for job hunting moral support, tactical advice and feedback.

You can join our Slack group here.

If you’re new to the Art of the Informational Interview, I’d love to know more about what you’re attempting at the moment. Are you trying to get a new job? Level up in your existing role? Please do reply to this email with some details about where you’re at and what would be most helpful to you.

Thank you for being here! I’m very exited for all the unexpected and exciting things that will unfold in your career!

Stay Savvy,

Emma

What is the purpose of an informational interview?

When I talk to college graduates about their career explorations, I often tell them they are like deep-sea anglerfish (cute, non-terrifying anglerfish). Like the deep sea anglerfish, they are surrounded by a dark endless ocean. The ocean is the whole economy of jobs, and like the anglerfish with its phosphorescent lamp, the new college graduate can only see this tiny infinitesimal patch of it.

artoftheinformationalinterview.com/p/what-is-the-purpose-of-an-informational-e061

The power of the informational interview

Informational interviewing can help you get a job. It can deepen your understanding of the world. It can inspire you. It can unlock your potential. It can empower you to maximize your impact. It can help you craft a career and a life that reflects your priorities. Simply put, when it comes to finding your way in the world, informational interviewing is the single most powerful tool available to you.

https://artoftheinformationalinterview.com/p/the-power-of-the-informational-interview

8 Steps of Informational Interviewing

1. Identify your career hypothesis or goals. 2. But don’t get too attached to your goal or hypothesis. 3. Research people you’d like to talk to. 4. Reach out to the people you want to talk with. 5. Conduct your interviews.  6. Follow-up with the people you interviewed 7. Reflect on the results. 8. Repeat 

https://artoftheinformationalinterview.com/p/8-steps-of-informational-interviewing

How to deal with the emotional rollercoaster of informational interviewing

Picture this: I’ve just fired off an e-mail to a family acquaintance asking if he’ll meet me for lunch to talk about his work in solar technology. I’m pleased with myself for reaching out, so I hop over to LinkedIn for some mindless scrolling (I know, cringe). I see an alert: someone has looked at my profile. It’s the solar technology guy! He must have seen my e-mail. I hop back over to my inbox and click refresh, but no response materializes. The minutes tick by, and still no e-mail. Did he look at my LinkedIn profile and decide I was a waste of his time? Am I not as impressive as I think am? Do I have an inflated sense of my worth? Was it presumptuous of me to reach out in the first place? What hubris to think an accomplished professional like Mr. Solar Technology Guy would want to spend his time on me! By the following morning, I’m not sure I should even have a professional life at all. Maybe I should retreat to the woods and live off the grid! At least then I wouldn’t be contributing to climate change!!

artoftheinformationalinterview.com/p/how-to-deal-with-the-emotional-rollercoaster

What If Americans Are Happy at Work?

Persistent employment misery is a myth.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/12/great-resignation-myth-polls/676189

Everybody Knows Flo From Progressive. Who Is Stephanie Courtney?

A polo shirt, a white apron and a retro hairdo changed an actor’s life forever.

www.nytimes.com/2023/11/25/magazine/progressive-insurance-flo-stephanie-courtney.html

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