Breaking the Ice to Get Informational Interviews
by Angela Loëb
“Informational interviewing” is a time-honored method of career exploration that helps you:
- Learn what it’s like – “a day in the life of…”
- Learn about training, experience & skills needed.
- Learn about income ranges.
- Learn about trends.
- Determine feasibility, set timeline projections & create action steps.
- Open the door to possible mentor relationships.
Clients who are just getting started doing this kind of research usually ask me about how they should make contact and what they should say to break the ice. Here’s my advice…
Should you make contact by email or by phone?
There’s not a magic formula to follow, but what you decide to do can depend on a few things:
- The contact information you have, of course. Do you have only one or the other? Use what you have.
- How do you know the person - how did you find out about him or her?
- Your personal comfort zone with either method.
Email is less aggressive to use, especially with those you don’t know - or don’t know very well. Phone calls are a must for following up when they don’t respond to your initial emails. Ultimately, the answer is that you can do either for a first contact.
What should you say when you make contact?
If Sally recommended that you contact the person, then, by all means, mention Sally’s name at the very beginning. You’d say something like, “Hi. Sally So and So recommended I contact you. My name is Angela Loëb, and I’m doing some exploring, trying to determine the next best steps for my career. Sally obviously respects your opinion and thought we should connect. Do you have about 10 minutes available to talk with me?” If you are doing a version of this (in your own words, of course) via email, then be sure to cc Sally. Sally will be in the loop, knowing you’re acting on her advice, and you will increase your chances of getting a response. People tend to respond better to emails in which others have been cc’d.
If you haven’t been referred to this person – in other words, it’s a totally cold contact – then you’ll just have to launch into your request from the point of “…My name is Angela Loëb…” (omitting references to Sally, of course) . You could say something like, “… I’ve heard that you are an expert in this field, and I’d love to get your take on this.” or “… I’m taking this bold step of reaching out to you since you appear to me to be someone with a great deal of knowledge and expertise in this area…”
In the end, the best advice I can give you is to trust your interpersonal instincts. Think of how YOU would want to be approached by someone who wants your advice and input. Put yourself in their shoes, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of how to break the ice and get underway.
Angela Loëb is an author, speaker and co-owner of Great Occupations. She and her partner, Jay Markunas, help people make successful career transitions through workshops, “pajama learning” webclasses, personalized consulting sessions, as well as through The Job Search Boot Camp Show. Find out more at www.greatoccupations.com.
Attention Career Changers: Check out our upcoming workshop, “Destination: New Career!” coming up on October 23rd at www.greatoccupations.com/destination-new-career/