{"id":67,"date":"2015-07-29T19:06:42","date_gmt":"2015-07-29T19:06:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/salesx17xmaster\/?post_type=chapter&p=67"},"modified":"2015-07-29T19:08:31","modified_gmt":"2015-07-29T19:08:31","slug":"selling-u-the-power-of-informational-interviews","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/cerritos-sales-1\/chapter\/selling-u-the-power-of-informational-interviews\/","title":{"raw":"Selling U: The Power of Informational Interviews","rendered":"Selling U: The Power of Informational Interviews"},"content":{"raw":"
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Learning Objective<\/h3>\r\n
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  1. Learn about informational interviews and how they can help your career search.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\u201cFind someone who does what you want to do, then go talk to them.\u201d That\u2019s the advice that Ike Richman, vice president of public relations at Comcast-Spectacor consistently tells students when he is a guest speaker. That is the essence of what an informational interview<\/span><\/span> is: one-on-one communication that helps you learn about different industries and potential careers. You learned about the power of networking in the Selling U<\/em> section of Chapter 3 \"The Power of Building Relationships: Putting Adaptive Selling to Work\". And informational interviews are one of the best ways to network. They are the ultimate in business communication because you are \u201ctrying on jobs for size to see if they fit you,\u201d according to Richard Nelson Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute?<\/em> and the person who coined the term \u201cinformational interview.\u201d[footnote]\u201cInformational Interviewing Tutorial: Background Information about Informational Interviews,\u201d Quintessential Careers, http:\/\/www.quintcareers.com\/information_background.html<\/a> (accessed July 12, 2009).[\/footnote]<\/span>\r\n
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    What Is an Informational Interview?<\/h2>\r\nAn informational interview is exactly what it sounds like; it\u2019s an opportunity to learn about a particular profession, industry, or job.[footnote]\u201cInformational Interviewing Tutorial: Background Information about Informational Interviews,\u201d Quintessential Careers, http:\/\/www.quintcareers.com\/information_background.html<\/a> (accessed July 12, 2009).[\/footnote]<\/span> That means that if you are interested in sales, you might meet with an account manager for a software company and talk to her about what it\u2019s like to be in sales. Or, if you think you want to pursue a job in advertising, you could meet with someone who works at an advertising agency. This gives you the chance to learn the inside story about what it takes to start a career and work in your target industry.\r\n\r\nYou\u2019ve probably learned about several different professions in your classes; you most likely heard from guest speakers. And through your networking activities, chances are you\u2019ve met people who do what you think you want to do. But it\u2019s impossible to know exactly what career you want to pursue without getting some one-on-one information. What does the job entail? Will you be working with people out in the field or sitting at a desk? What kinds of opportunities are available for personal development? What kind of skills and experience do you need? Is this really a career you will enjoy? What\u2019s the best part of the job? What\u2019s the worst part of the job? All these are excellent questions to ask during an informational interview. Learn more about informational interviews by watching this video.\r\n
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    Video Clip<\/h3>\r\nInformational Interviews\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/oWyQlPLTksc\r\n\r\nLearn how to maximize them.\r\n
    \r\n\r\nSource: Susan Ireland\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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    Ask for Information, Not a Job<\/h2>\r\nInformational interviews are an excellent source of information and insight. In fact, you can gain knowledge through informational interviews that you might not be able to gain in any other way. It\u2019s important to note that informational interviews are not<\/em> the place to look for an internship or job.[footnote]\u201cInformational Interviewing Tutorial: Never Ask for a Job,\u201d Quintessential Careers, http:\/\/www.quintcareers.com\/information_job.html<\/a> (accessed July 12, 2009).[\/footnote]<\/span> A job or an internship could result from an informational interview because it is a time to make an impression on someone, demonstrate your skills, and network. However, it\u2019s best to keep in mind that when you ask for an informational interview, you are asking for someone to take the time to share insights and information with you. If you ask the interviewer for a job, you misled the interviewer about the purpose of the meeting.[footnote]\u201cInformational Interviewing Tutorial: Never Ask for a Job,\u201d Quintessential Careers, http:\/\/www.quintcareers.com\/information_job.html<\/a> (accessed July 12, 2009).[\/footnote]<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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    Informational Interviews Made Easy<\/h2>\r\nInformational interviews are an excellent way to gather real-world information about your career direction. Here\u2019s a guide to everything you need to know to get the most out of informational interviews using the tenets of journalism. As a guide, remember the five W<\/em>s and an H<\/em>: who, what, when, where, why, and how.\r\n
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    Why<\/em> Go on Informational Interviews<\/h2>\r\nYou might think that if you shouldn\u2019t ask for a job, why bother going on an informational interview? There are plenty of reasons to pursue informational interviews.\r\n