How to Land Multiple Job Offers Using Informational Interviews: A Step-by-Step Guide
As a result of drinking copious amounts of soy, sugar-free vanilla lattes, I landed not one, not two, not three, but four jobs. Four!
Okay, it wasn’t just those daily Starbucks trips that resulted in these job offers, but also the informational interviews that accompanied them.
Given the success of these conversations, I’ve become not so low-key obsessed with informational interviews (I was already obsessed with lattes).
5 Steps You Can Take to Turn Informational Interviews Into Jobs
-
Learn how to leverage informational interviews.
Despite the name, informational interviews are not an interview. They are an informational conversation between you and a current employee of the company you are interested in applying to. It’s a free (minus the $5 latte) opportunity to gather ‘insider information’ without the stress of a formal interview.
They are an opportunity to learn about a company before applying, and dramatically increase your chances of getting an interview and a job offer, or four.
The information you gather can then be deployed during your job search. Plus, if a job later opens up at the company — BINGO — you will have a referral source from within.
-
Find folks for your informational interviews.
With the increasing use of LinkedIn — about half a billion (that’s billion with a ‘B’) professionals use the platform — it’s becoming easier than ever for you to connect with current and past staff at companies you’re pursuing.
Start by seeking out previous employees at companies you are interested in; LinkedIn is a good way to begin finding those people. Even if you’re not interested in pursuing that specific company, you can still learn about their career path. Plus, they may know other people in your industry that you can talk with. It never hurts to expand your network!
Start your search with 1st-degree connections — those people you know directly (friends, family, colleagues and so on). Reach out and ask for 30-minutes of their time over the phone or in-person over a soy, sugar-free vanilla latte (or your other favorite beverage; caffeinated preferred). If you opt for the latter, always travel to them.
-
Get introduced to NEW connections.
In addition to those people you know directly, also consider those who work at the company you are interested in, but you don’t necessarily know personally.
You can use LinkedIn’s Current Company search field to find additional people to connect with. Often times, you will find you are indirectly connected to those in your industry (on LinkedIn, these are called 2nd and 3rd-degree connections). Ask any mutual connections you may have to connect you with these 2nd and 3rd-degree connections.
Don’t have a 2nd or 3rd-degree connections, but found someone who works at your ideal company? Reach out to them directly! This can be intimidating at first, but with the digital age, it’s totally okay to reach out to people who you have never met IRL (in real life) and ask for a few minutes of their time. The worst that can happen is that they decline or just ignore you (rude!).
PRO TIP: While informational interviews can be done via email or over the phone, I always opt for in-person meetings over coffee (preferably at Starbucks) if possible. In-person connections often result in more meaningful connections!
-
Start conducting your informational interviews.
Once you have your phone call or coffee date set up, consider what questions you want to ask. Make sure these questions can’t be easily Googled.
Some of my favorite questions include:
- What’s your favorite Starbucks drink? (Always offer to pay for their soy, sugar-free vanilla latte!)
- I noticed you went to [University Name]. Why did you choose to pursue [Major]?
- What’s your favorite part of working at [Company Name]?
- Is there anything you wish you would have known before you joined [Company Name]?
- Is there anyone else in [industry] you can connect me with?
End the interview by thanking them for their time and asking who else they can connect you to in your industry.
-
Follow up (multiple times) after your interview
Send a thank you email within 24 hours of your conversation. Then, send a handwritten (yes, handwritten) thank you card via snail mail. If you don’t have their mailing address, ask for it!
Later, when you see job openings at the companies where you had conversations with professionals, reach out and ask for a referral. As you progress through your job search, send updates on to them how the information you gathered during your conversation supported you.
And once you land that awesome new job — whether it’s working with them or somewhere else — be sure to thank your contacts for their support with your job search journey!
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.