LinkedIn Convos: Informational Interview

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_separator type=”transparent” position=”position_center” thickness=”1″ up=”20″ icon_pack=”font_awesome” fe_icon=”arrow_back” icon_type=”normal”][vc_column_text]Since sharing my story of my journey of going on over 100 interviews before finding employment, many people have reached out to me for further exploration on some of the topics that I mentioned in the article. I’m going to start posting some of my tips for some of the questions that I receive from others in a series called LinkedIn Convos.

 

I mentioned in my article that people should secure informational interviews to help see if they are a good fit for a company. I received the following question from a reader:

During the article, you suggested to ask for informational interviews with the company you’re interested in prior job applications or job interviews. Would you mind to be a little bit more specific and briefly explain how this can actually be done/asked? For instance, should I contact the company switchboard and ask to be put in contact with an hiring manager and then talk to them? Or, which other suggestion could you provide?

Informational interviews are a great way to find out if you are a good fit for a company. Not only will you have the opportunity to impress hiring managers and learn about their day-to-day activities, but you will also have a chance to find ways you can improve your interviewing skills or discover what opportunities the company may currently have now or in the near future.

 

The best way to secure an informational interview is to email a hiring manager or human resource manager at the company of your choice. The way I find emails for the people that I am looking to connect with is by using LinkedIn and Google. Some tricks for obtaining hard to find information on individuals is to call the company and ask the front desk for the email address or Google a press release or media alert from the company and find the press contact in that document. There you will see the formula for how that company sets up employee emails.

 

Next, you will need to draft an email to send to the hiring manager. In that email introduce yourself. Make a connection with the person that you are reaching out to. Congratulate them on a recent award or mention something that you may have in common with that person in the email. Tell them about your interest in the company and seek more information on whether a meeting can be scheduled. If you don’t immediately hear back for the hiring manager, follow up with them.

 

Once your meeting is schedule, put your best foot forward to impress, to be informed and to foster new relationships. Use this opportunity as a stepping stone to get the job you want!

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