How to Conduct Yourself in an Informational Interview

An informational interview is a professional meeting. Review meeting etiquette for additional tips, but here are a few best practices:

• Be prepared for the interview, have an agenda and practice your questions
• Be early for meeting
• Dress professionally
• Be kind, respectful, and friendly to all company representatives you encounter
• Check tech if necessary
• Bring your agenda and questions
• Take notes and ask follow-up questions for clarification
• Display gratitude for the opportunity to meet with your interviewee
• Work to turn your meeting into a conversation; create a connection and share things you have in common
• Be aware of your non-verbal communication; look engaged, have good posture, make eye contact, etc.
• Keep an eye on the time. If your interviewee agreed to fifteen minutes, politely ask for more time if the conversation is going well

Conduct a Mock Interview to Practice

To ensure that you are ready for your meeting, conduct a mock meeting with a friend. This will help you get comfortable with your agenda, give you the chance to practice meeting etiquette, and help you feel comfortable with your questions. Have your friend be the person you are interviewing and have them just make-up answers to the questions you are asking. Practice your listening skills and work to turn the practice interview into a conversation by summarizing their answers and asking good follow-up questions.

This process may seem silly, but it will allow you to be sure that the wording of your questions is perfect and that you won’t stumble over your questions in the real meeting. It also gives you practice with small talk and experience turning a meeting into a conversation rather than just a question-and-answer session.

Conversations involve listening, summarizing, and asking clarifying questions. By role playing with a friend, you will be practicing your conversation skills, and you will be more prepared for your meeting.