The Information Interview and Networking As a Job Search Tool

By Bruce Dowdle

There are two main uses for the Information Interview:

1. To get a personal referral to a person who is just the right person to make the decision to employ you.

2. To get information about a career path or job role you may be considering entering into.

The information Interview is based on the premise that everyone in the world is connected by at least six contacts, otherwise known as 'six degrees of separation'.

So if you want to know some inside information about a job or an employer the Information Interview concept is a powerful tool.

The Information Interview is a proactive approach to job search and career development. It means you have to get out there and talk to people off your own bat. But you're not doing a sales pitch. For people who are a bit shy when approaching people, the mindset is research.

Always keep in mind that you are asking for information and a referral to somebody who might know somebody or something you want to know about.

There are two important pretexts here.

One: In tough economic times, employers will be reluctant more than ever to spend money on recruiters and employment agencies. Managers and business owners will be relying more on unsolicited approaches from job seekers and will be digging into the files to retrieve applications from people who have done so, to save money.

Two: When you are asking for information from somebody you are rarely refused. 99.0% of the time there will be two outcomes. You get either some information or a referral to somebody who can give you the information you are after, usually both.

There is an important message in the following story.

There's a guy who has run out of fuel and he's leaning against his car with his thumb out to hitch a ride. Time goes by and cars just keep passing by. Nobody stops and helps. After a while he gives up and starts pushing his car down the road. Immediately people start pulling over and stop to help.

The moral of the story is that if you are seen to be motivated to help yourself to reach a goal, not just expect help, you will be helped. This is a good thing to remember when you're approaching people using the Information Interview strategy.

When using the Information Interview strategy it's important not to ask for a job but some information.

Back to the six degrees of separation and establishing a network of referrals to get you to where you go.

What you want is personal a referral to other people who might know other people that you want to talk to. So it's best to start talking to people who are known to you like friends, relatives, acquaintances, ex-coworkers, social club contacts.

There are others you can also approach like the people who may not be close to you but you may deal with on a daily, weekly a monthly basis. Even a retail assistant may know somebody you might want to talk to.

The aim is to get a personal referral to a person who can make an employment decision, like a line manager, not a middle person in the Human Resources department.

So ask your people in your network, "Do you know anybody who works at XYZ Company?", or "Do you know anybody who works in the ABC industry?

Or, "Do you know somebody who may know somebody who......etc?

When you get a referral to somebody you say, "I was talking to your friend Joe Blogs the other day and he/she said that you may me able to help me with some information. I want to talk to line manger at XYZ company do you know who that is? Or "Do you know somebody at your company who knows who that is?

In reality it should only take a few phone calls or emails to get the name of an employment decision maker your targeted company or industry.

When you have the contact, approach them over the phone and say, I was talking to Jane Plain the other day and he said you might be able to help with some information. I was wondering what kind of skills and attributes you are looking for in your employees, say in the role of.........?"

Start with open questions and then get more specific. The idea is to quickly build rapport and turn the interview into a conversation. That's when the Line Manager will start asking you questions and you'll be in the best position to be offered the next best job in that organization.