Informational Interview & job shadowing
Benefits of Informational Interviewing
Firsthand knowledge about the realities of working within a particular field, position, or organization.
Advice on how to prepare for certain careers
Meet people who may help you get a job in the future.
Six Steps of Informational Interviewing
Research Career Fields
Do some initial research on the career field.
Identify people to interview
People love to talk about themselves and what they do.
Pursue your "network". People you already know, even if they aren't in fields of interest to you, can lead you to people who are. This includes family, friends, friends families, teachers, coaches, and former employers.
Identify E.L. alumni to contact; they often take a special interest in "giving back" to E.L. students. Maybe use the LinkedIn to find them.
Prepare for the interview
Develop a brief introduction of yourself and your hopes for the meeting.
Plan open-ended questions to ask.
Initiate contact
Contact the person by email, phone, twitter, drop in, etc.
Mention how you got their name.
Emphasize that you are looking for information, not a job.
Ask for a convenient time to talk for 15-20 minutes.
Be ready to ask questions on the spot if the person says it is a good time for them.
Nervous? Write a script! ... "Hello. My name is Jenny Smith, I'm a junior East Longmeadow High School, and I’m considering getting into the physical therapy field and had some questions. Would you be willing to set up a time to talk about the field of physical therapy so I can ask a few questions and get your advice on how best to prepare to enter the field?"
Conduct the informational interview
Dress neatly and appropriately, as you would for a job interview.
Arrive 15 minutes minutes early.
Bring your list of questions and take notes if you like.
Restate that your objective is to get information and advice, not a job.
Give a brief overview of yourself, your education, and work background.
Be prepared to direct the interview, but also let the conversation flow naturally, and encourage the interviewee to do most of the talking.
Respect the person's time. Limit the meeting to the agreed-upon timeframe.
Ask the person if you may contact them again in the future with other questions.
Ask for names of other people to meet so as to gain different perspectives.
Follow-up
Keep records. Write down what you learned, what more you'd like to know, and what your next steps should be.
Send a thank-you note within 1-2 days to express your appreciation for the time and information given. Based on whether the informational interview was relatively informal or more businesslike, this may be a brief handwritten note, an email, or a business letter.
Keep in touch with the person, especially if you had a particularly nice interaction; let them know that you followed up on their advice and the outcome. This person could become an important part of your network.