Informational interviews
You can use informational interviews to talk with people in the working world, build a network of contacts and gain a better understanding of an occupation, field or industry.
Benefits of the informational interview
- Access information about a particular occupation, field or industry directly from working professionals (which can be more detailed and up-do-date than what you'd find from online or print sources)
- Discover career options you may not have known or thought about
- Open doors to other opportunities like internships, volunteer positions, summer jobs, part-time work, contract work, or paid work experience
Before the interview
Finding working professionals to interview
Many UBC resources can help you connect with people in a specific field or industry.
- Attend our career-oriented speaker panels to meet UBC alumni who are now working in your field.
- Attend Career Days and employer information sessions to meet recruiters and potential employers.
- Book a career advising appointment with a Career Educator for more ideas and resources.
You can use a variety of other strategies to connect with working professionals.
- Change your status on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn to "[Your name] would like to talk to someone who ..."
- Attend events held by professional associations for industry professionals.
- Read Business in Vancouver, a weekly newspaper with articles and profiles on companies, professionals, and job-related events. Follow up on leads from these articles and profiles.
- Read The Vancouver Sun's "Working section" for career-specific information.
Requesting an informational interview
Once you've identified someone to interview, begin by sending them an email. A lot of people in the workforce are open to sharing information about their careers – especially if it can help someone else map out their own career path.
- If this is your first contact, begin with a professional salutation – e.g., "Dear Ms. Grayson."
- Briefly introduce yourself, your university degree and major, and career interests and goals.
- Explain how you found their contact information.
- Be clear about what you're requesting – e.g., more information about a job or profession.
- If you want to meet them in person or speak by phone, tell them how much time you'll need – e.g., 15 to 20 minutes. Unless you have met with this contact before, do not ask your questions by email. Request to speak with them.
- Ask them to recommend other people or sources of information if they can't speak with you.
During the interview
Tips for success
- Don't treat an informational interview like a job interview: be clear that you only want information. You can discuss your skills and experience, but do not fish for opportunities.
- Come prepared by doing some background research on:
- the person you're interviewing
- the organization they work for
- the work they do
- Manage your time and respect theirs. Arrive on time. Only take as much time as you scheduled with them.
Questions to ask
- What are some tasks or projects that you are working on?
- How much of your time is spent on ...?
- Are there some skills that can help one excel in this field/industry/job?
- What would entry-level work involve in this field?
- How does one advance in this field? What is the typical career path like?
- How would this job experience transfer to other related roles?
- What advice would you give to someone with my educational/professional background?
- What is the work culture like in your industry? What kinds of people are you in contact with regularly?
- Is there anyone else that you would recommend that I talk to?
- Are there any resources, such as websites, industry associations, or organizations, that I should look use?
- What is the most effective way to stay connected to current events and industry news?
After the interview
- Send a thank-you letter right away.
- Move forward with two ideas from your interview – e.g., people to talk to, volunteer opportunities to look into, or websites to visit.
To learn more about informational interviews
Book a career advising appointment with a UBC Career Services Career Educator.
