What to Ask During an Informational Interview – SJSU | School of Information

Published: July 17, 2024 by Aryn
Prestia 

As we mentioned in a previous post, an
Informational Interview is the perfect opportunity to get an
understanding of the nuances of different library-related
positions. 

While it may take some time to identify the right interviewee and
schedule your meeting, planning for what to do during the actual
interview is essential for ensuring its success.

Preparation

The most important aspect of the interview actually occurs before
you even meet up with your interviewee. You must do your homework
so that you are not wasting your time or that of your
interviewee. Take a look at their Linkedin Profile or company
website  to learn more about their background and current
organization. Use this information to help you prepare your
questions. 

What do you want to learn more about? Career progression? Skills
used? Day-to-day responsibilities? 

Having the background information will allow you to start
questions with statements like “One of the things I found in my
reading about XYZ, Inc. was…” which signals to your interviewee
that you’ve invested time in preparing for the discussion – a
clear sign of respect and professionalism.

What should you ask?

It’s important to be focused and thoughtful during your
interview. Thinking of your questions in advance opens up the
mental space to provide thoughtful follow-ups while listening to
the answers.

Here are some starter questions that should help you gather
useful information and potentially lay the groundwork for
additional exploration:

1. What are the types of activities you engage in on a
   weekly/monthly basis?
2. What are the aspects of your job you most enjoy?
3. What are the aspects of your job you least enjoy?
4. Were there things that surprised you about the job once you
   began working in it, and if so, what were they?
5. What skills do you feel are most important to be successful
   in this type of work?
6. How would you describe the company culture here, and at other
   similar companies in this industry (if known)?
7. What do you see as the future of this career path?
8. How would you like to see your own career path develop?
9. Do you feel this industry offers strong employment growth
   opportunities?
10. How do you stay current with the profession? What do you
    read, what conferences do you attend?
11. What advice would you give to someone considering this
    career, company, or industry?
12. I assume that you love your job here, but if you were to work
    for a different company doing this type of work, what company
    would you want to work for?

Keep in mind that these questions are simply suggestions. You
should be mindful of your interviewees time so it is possible
that you may not be able to ask them all. However, it is helpful
to have extra questions in case some answers render other
questions unhelpful or inapplicable.

To learn more about informational interviews, check out these
previous posts:

How to Ask
for an Informational Interview

Informational
Interviews 101

Two More Things…

Here are some job opportunities on Handshake that might be of
interest!