NAIROBI, KENYA: There are many types of interviews. They include screening interviews, group interviews and behavioural interviews. An informational interview or informational conversation is a meeting where a potential job seeker seeks advice on their career, industry, and corporate culture of a potential future workplace.
An employed professional learns about the job seeker and judges their professional potential and fit to the corporate culture, that way building their candidate pool for future hiring.
An informational interview is conducted to collect information about a career, a job, a company or an institution and is often initiated by the job seeker or a person who wants to make an important career decision.
This interview is helpful to those who want to explore new careers but are unsure of what a position entails and have to make arrangements to meet people who are working in area they are interested in to get this information. The major difference between a normal job interview and an informational interview is that the latter is less taxing to both the interviewer and the interviewee. Both parties are at ease and information is provided without restraint.
Before conducting an informational interview, do some backgrounds research so that you can have a general idea of what the work or working in the company entails so that you can make informed decisions. Devise the most effective ways to reach out to the people you will interview. You can use various methods to reach out to them: the Internet, company profiles or visit the company.
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After establishing your contacts, be clear to them on what you want from the outset. Let them know that your interest is only to get advice and learn more about the job or industry where they work so that you can make important career decisions.
Handle the interview professionally and with dignity. Prepare well, be focused and be polite. Ensure you stick to the scheduled time. Be guided by the purpose and objectives of the interview. To maximise on the information that you anticipate to collect, make the session formal. Do not wear casually. Formal attire is appropriate. After the interview, do not forget to write a ‘thank you’ note.
-kamuri@benchmarkpublishers
