Allison O’Kelly gives advice on informational interviewing in Elizabeth Garone’s Careers Q&A column.
Q: I’m thinking about a career change and would love to go on a few informational interviews to learn more about the fields I am considering. But I rarely hear anyone talk about informational interviews anymore. Are people still giving them or are they too worried about their own jobs to take the time? How would I go about setting one up? Who should I target? Are certain questions off limits?
Los Angeles, CA
A: Informational interviews are still a big part of the job market landscape, but nobody likes to talk about them. That’s because the people giving the interviews fear being inundated with requests and the people looking to land said interviews probably want to keep anyone they find to themselves.
Elizabeth Garone
The Wall Street Journal