What Exactly Is An Informational Interview? (& How To Get The Most Out Of It)

by Jan Nussbaum
Assistant Director for Professional Development
What is an informational interview?

The purpose of an informational interview is to gather information to aid your job search. This is different from a job interview where a potential employer is gathering information on you, your experience and skill set.

In an informational interview, you take the lead to obtain a clearer understanding of the person's practice, how he or she came to practice in this area of the law, and how this person found their way into their current position. Informational interviews are a great way to get information about industry trends, employer preferences, and how best to present your credentials. You also hope to establish a professional relationship with the person that hopefully can be maintained throughout the years.

If you know that you want to practice in the same field as the person you are interviewing, informational interviews are a critical way to get feedback on how best to go about your job search and discover additional people that you should talk to. If you are not sure yet what area of the law you'd like to practice, informational interviews can be an important way to find out more about a particular practice area.

How to get the most out of an informational interview:

• Do not approach the interview with the expectation of a job offer. The professional contact may be offended and you will be disappointed.



• Before the two of you meet, do your homework researching the person's professional background, their practice, firm or company, contacts, and professional associations. If possible, gather a few personal tidbits about the person to help in casual conversation.



• Define what you hope to learn from them, clarify what you want the contact to know about you, and anticipate how he or she may be able to help you.



• Prepare questions that highlight your reasons for wanting to talk with the individual. In general, the questions should fall into 3 categories: 1) specific to the person you are meeting with; 2) about the profession; and 3) about you and your job search.



• While your questions are directed at gaining as much information as possible, be sure to present yourself in a way that makes the person feel comfortable and become one of your supporters.

Sample Questions: These questions are general in nature, and suggested to help you get started. Feel free to customize your questions to accomplish the goals outlined above.

• Questions about the individual: How did you come to practice in this area of law? Did you direct your course of study, and in what way, or did it naturally occur from some other work you were doing? What career track did you follow- summer jobs, internships, participation in professional associations? How typical is this for people in your field? What do you feel was important to your early success in this area? Was there anything that surprised you? What do you find most rewarding about your work?



• Questions about the profession: What qualifications, experiences, and courses do you think are important for getting into and succeeding in your field? Do you have a sense of the hiring trends for your practice area right now? Is there a preference for a recent graduate? A lateral? Someone with a specific background? What changes in the law/economy/politics/business /technology have most affected your practice area in the last few years? In addition to what you do, what other career paths are there in this area of the law?



• Questions about you and your job search: Based on what I've told you about my experience and goals, how do you think I can better position myself to be a strong candidate for positions in this market? Can you offer feedback on my resume? What professional associations would you suggest that I join? What kind of volunteer opportunities are there with these organizations? Are there any courses you think I should take? Do you have suggestions on other lawyers or non-lawyers that I should contact? May I tell them you referred me?

Be sure to write the person a thank you note, and keep them in the loop on the progression of your job search and career. You want to stay on their radar, and as result, find out when they hear of any job leads, events or people that will be important for you to know about.

Successful informational interviews will not only help you gain access to important information, but help you build professional connections that can benefit you in finding your dream job and throughout your career.

Note: A portion of the concepts, ideas, and suggested questions are attributable to Erin Binns, Assistant Director for Career Planning at Marquette University of Law, in her article Good questions are crucial for info interviews, Student Lawyer Magazine, January 2007.

[ We'd love to hear about any informational interview success stories. Let us know at lawcareer@ggu.edu. For more, please see the Informational Interviews handout in the Resource Library of LCSonline. ]