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Tackling the Informational Interview

By October 21, 2019September 21st, 2020No Comments
J. Kelly Hoey - Build Your Dream Network

Informational interviews are networking gold when you’re pursuing a career change or searching for a new job. Don’t flub this golden opportunity by taking a casual networking approach when setting up those meetings.

Key takeaways:

  • Spend more time thinking and less time firing off requests for coffee dates
  • Ask smart questions
  • Find mutual connections and keep them in the loop
  • Preparation pays off

What to listen for:

  • 00:56 Why what you’ve been told is wrong
  • 02:56 How to prepare, even before you are introduced
  • 04:58 How to utilize mutual connections
  • 06:42 How to ask for an informational interview
  • 08:07 Execute the meeting
  • 09:06 What to do after the interview

Quotes:

“The reason for the all that prep work before you ask for a meeting is you can ask a better question and the more specific and precise you are, the more likely you are to get an answer.” [07:42]

“This additional follow up is the glue that makes a relationship sticky. That first meeting or conversation may have occurred simply as a favor to someone else, by following up you make the relationship yours.” [10:04]

J. Kelly Hoey

J. Kelly Hoey is a problem solver who believes that most professional challenges—whether funding, landing a board position or getting a new job—are solved by tapping into networks.Kelly is a popular speaker on networking, community building and investing issues, especially as they relate to women, and has worked with the IEEE, PGA, Bank of America, Apple and countless others. Follow Kelly on Twitter @jkhoey and on Instagram @jkellyhoey and join the #BYDN community at www.buildyourdreamnetwork.com