12 Essential Questions to Spark Connections During Informational Interviews and Networking Events

Kyle Elliott, MPA, CHES  runs CaffeinatedKyle.com. His goal is simple – to help people find jobs they LOVE (or at least tolerate). This help takes many forms, from Career and Life Coaching to resumes and cover letters to interview prep and salary negotiation. Kyle loves coffee (if you couldn’t tell), writing and eating the same thing at different restaurants. Connect with him on LinkedIn where you’ll often find him talking about work, life, and Starbucks.

---

I gathered 6 industry experts for a discussion on one of my favorite methods for finding a mentor – informational interviews (preferably while drinking lattes).

Before jumping into this expert panel, though, let’s discuss the basics of informational interviews.

Career and personal branding expert Wendi Weiner shares, “Informational interviews give you a chance to broaden your network and scope of tapping into an industry that you may be seeking entry into, as well as seeking to learn more about.”

She adds, “If you are looking to make a career change, an informational interview can be ideal to navigate the waters before making the leap into a new career.”

“When it comes to informational interviews, you want to remember that they aren’t the same thing as a standard job interview” reminds Weiner.

According to Weiner, “The informational interview is most often set up as an informal meeting without a long-term proposal or prospective offer for employment. However, it is an opportunity for you to learn as much as you can about the company and do what I call ‘fact-gather’ about the company’s inside workings, as well as the industry perspective of the person you are meeting with.”

12 Questions to Ask During Your Next Informational Interview or Networking Event:

About the person

Before diving into questions about your interviewee’s company and position, learn about them as a person:

1. How did you get to where you are? (Courtesy of Virginia Franco, Virginia Franco Resumes)
2. What other roles have you seen people with your same title progress to? (Courtesy of Lakrisha Davis, Lakrisha Davis & Co.)
3. Looking back at your career, what do you wish you had done more of? (Courtesy of Sam Dias, ARISE by Sam Dias)

About the position and company

If your informational interview is centered on learning about a specific position, consider these questions:

1. What do you like the most and least about your job? (Courtesy of Virginia Franco)
2. What education, experience or training do you find most crucial to your success in your current role? (Courtesy of Ashley Watkins, Write Steps Resumes, LLC)
3. I visited your LinkedIn profile and noticed you’d worked for ABC Company for 11 years, what was it about Company XYZ that influenced your excitement about leaving something so familiar? (Courtesy of Ashley Watkins)
4. What have you learned about the role or company you wish you knew before you started? (Courtesy of Ashley Watkins)

About the culture

Learning about a company’s culture can be challenging. Try these high-impact culture questions:

1. What is your turnover like and what do you think is the greatest opportunity to reduce it? (Courtesy of MaryBeth Hyland, SparkVision)
2. Can I speak with the person who had this position last? (Courtesy of MaryBeth Hyland)
3. If there was one thing you could change about the culture here, what would it be and why? (Courtesy of MaryBeth Hyland)

About the industry

Now that you know about your interviewee, and their position, company, and culture, it’s time to dive into the industry:

1. What other companies did you interview with before accepting your current role? (Courtesy of Lakrisha Davis)
2. What challenges do you face on a daily basis in your role and in your industry, and where do you think the future of the industry is headed? (Courtesy of Wendi Weiner, The Writing Guru®)

Follow-up (BONUS!)

You had a great conversation, you like their company’s culture, and wouldn’t mind having your interviewee as a mentor, now what? You need to follow up! But how?

Here are a few ways to follow up and stay connected with your interviewee:

• At the end of your informational interview, ask, “Can you suggest a few names of people I could contact for additional information?” Then, each time you’ve reached out to someone your interviewee suggests, follow up with them. This a) gives you an opportunity to keep the conversation going, and b) increases your chance that both parties will chat about you and keep your name circulating! (Courtesy of Virginia Franco)
• After the informational interview, definitely connect with the person on LinkedIn, send a note, and follow-up with diligent interest. You may want to ask additional probing questions that you didn’t have a chance to address in the informational meeting. (Courtesy of Wendi Weiner)
• Be careful not to connect and sit. Move beyond the ‘thank you’ by sharing information and engaging in meaningful conversation. (Courtesy of Ashley Watkins)
• Be honest about your intentions, say that you’d love to touch base in a few weeks. Keep in touch, engage with them on LinkedIn. (Courtesy of Sam Dias)
• See if there’s a side project they are working on you might be able to assist with. If there is any value that you can to their career as well, find ways to develop a mutually beneficial relationship. (Courtesy of Sam Dias)
• It won’t hurt to remind this employee of how your (or a friend’s) talents and strengths are a match for that newly posted position. Demonstrating a sincere desire to help by referring someone else for a job can also make a world of difference. (Courtesy of Ashley Watkins)
• If you think your interviewee may be a good mentor, read this article.