Please upgrade your web browser

These pages are built with modern web browsers in mind, and are not optimized for Internet Explorer 8 or below. Please try using another web browser, such as Internet Explorer 9, Internet Explorer 10, Internet Explorer 11, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari.

Looking to set up some informational interviews, but don't know what to do.

Advisor

Spencer Lopez Hopatcong, NJ

I am trying to add another tool in my job search tool bag and am looking to start reaching out to people for information interviews. My goal is to get into a project/account management role in the advertising/public relations/media world. I want to learn more about the industry, the various agencies, and learn more about the day-to-day of those roles. Also I want to find out what I should focus on as I continue towards my bachelors degree (is Econ the right major, should I change to marketing/advertising or consider something else, etc.).

So my question is, how do I go about setting up an informational interview? Is it best to reach out to HR personnel, people in the career paths I am looking at? What should my approach be? What should I say? I have never asked and gone on an informational interview, so I just want to make sure I do it right and make the best impression possible.

11 August 2013 9 replies Interviews

Answers

Advisor

Tarek Elmasry Los Angeles, CA

As someone who is also transitioning right now I have done literally a couple hundred informational interviews. Katie's advice above is spot on. To this I would add:

1. You will probably screw up your first few informational interviews so do them with people at companies or geographies you are not interested in first. Informational interviews feel ackward at first but after a few you will quickly get the hang on how they go.

2. Make sure you write a good intro email. I usually go on LinkedIn and look up the interviewer's background and will usually include something about how I want to learn about the interviewers experience at a specific company (current or past) and/or job role. Make sure the email is concise, no more than 8-10 sentences. People do not like to read long emails. Within the email explain, who you are, why you want to chat, and try to convey how you have been preparing for a career in the field you are interviewing in (internships, reading, independent research, etc...)

3. Lastly, remember to treat the informational interview as a real interview. You may not realize it during the meeting or call since informational interviews tend to be more casual but you are selling yourself one way or another.

27 August 2013 Helpful answer

Advisor

Brad Love Austin, TX

Hi Spencer,
Good for you for developing a focused idea of where to take your future. Beyond the thoughtful comments above, let me also suggest that you attend meetings of useful professional associations and shake some hands.

At professional association meetings (ad federation, IABC, anything for communication professionals), you can easily walk up to other attendees, introduce yourself, and start the conversation to learn about different professional roles. People will be very receptive to you at these meetings; they'll be honored that you want to know about their experience.

13 August 2013 Helpful answer

Advisor

Tom Cal, CFA San Francisco, CA

Spencer,
Great question. Perhaps post a new thread on this and other boards directly requesting help with scheduling informational interviews . (I am hoping and estimating that among the professional and personal networks of the volunteer Advisors on this boards and the New York City staff of ACP, there exists the network to help you set up 10 or more interviews in the New York City area.

A related topic is networking. Research posts and other resources that discuss networking.

12 August 2013 Helpful answer

Advisor

Paul Trejo Austin, TX

Spencer, it appears that you've settled on a specific goal (advertising) and that in itself is a distinct advantage. In civilian industry, experience is the element of your resume most scrutinized, so seek an advertising internship ASAP. Tailor your education to your goal; e.g. change your major to marketing/advertising. Now is the time to narrow your focus and to specialize. Also, select the five top companies in your chosen field; then read as much as possible about those five companies. Find the names of their Ad executives. Identify their best projects. Identify their biggest challenges. Which company has the largest market share? Why? Which company is their biggest challenger? Why? As an intern you'll earn more points by knowing the inside scoop on the most admired Ad executives. Stick to your goal no matter how bumpy the ride, and eventually you'll be in demand. Best wishes, --Paul

12 August 2013 Helpful answer

Veteran

John Lawson Saint Louis, MO

Spencer,

If you are able to arrange an informational interview, it is in your interests to do so and understand that it is an actual interview. With the economic winds of today, many recruiters and/or persons within a particular field just simply do not have the time in between the additional tasks they have taken on. There are some that really do enjoy the mentoring process, however. As some have mentioned previously your best chance at finding those types are at industry association meetings/gatherings/seminars, etc.

When you do land an interview, yes, do have questions. They should be relevant to the conversation though. I am not impressed with someone who can ask a question that is easily answered by browsing our website or just plain gimmicky. I am impressed with genuine curiosity and pointed questions. The best advice I can give is to market yourself to fill a niche business sector.

Best of luck to you.

Advisor

Heather Gillbanks Houston, TX

If you can, attend a few trade shows where companies you'd like to work for are represented. That gives you an informal opportunity to observe their respective trade show teams (admittedly, a subgroup of Marketing). However, it may enable you to get your FACE in front of a live person from the company. If you impress them (often, simply presenting a professional in-person appearance is enough for that) - then they may be willing to help you with informational interviews. Most growing companies want to keep a talent pipeline, and this is one way of doing that.

Advisor

Katie Tamarelli Newport, KY

Hi,

Just wanted to throw my two cents to the arena as we were expected to do quite a few throughout school.

1. Start with someone junior and slowly work your way up the pole as it will best allow you to impress senior executives.
2. Once you have an interview, you should always ask at the end of the interview if there is someone else that they could recommend they speak to.
3. Do as much research (company, industry, person) as possible as you will be expected to "drive" the interview. There is nothing worse than having one of these scheduled with me and the person does not have any questions prepared for me.
4. Consider putting a time frame in your email ie. 30 minutes of your time, so that people know what you are looking for.

I realize these are very tactical, but make a big difference.

Best,
Katie

Advisor

Spencer Lopez Hopatcong, NJ

Hello everyone,

Thanks for responding!

Paul,

I agree that I will probably switch my major to Marketing. I take online courses through Thomas Edison State College and unfortunately they don't offer the full course load in Economics, so I would have to take classes at other schools in order to fulfill the major anyway. Probably going to transfer to the University of Maryland - University College (partly for name recognition also) in November.

When I initially enrolled I had to select a major and was unsure of where I wanted to take my career. So I picked Econ, because it is interesting to me. UMUC offers Marketing as a major and Econ as a minor so I will probably choose those.

Brad,

Good ideas that I have not thought of. I am going to look up different groups and see about attending any meetings in my area. Thanks!

Alan,

Yes a big part of it is to find out more about the agencies themselves. I have a mentor though ACP who is a creative director as an agency in NYC. He always mentions other agencies that he thinks are doing great work. Other people I've met do the same thing. So I think by speaking with people about the industry in general , career paths and their agency, maybe I can get a clearer picture on who the up and coming agencies are and what direction the ad world is going in the long term and focus my search there.

Thanks again everyone!

Advisor

Alan J. Zell Portland, OR

Spenser, I agree with Brad's advice as one way to work one's way into a job in advertising. Casual conversations about now what you want to do but what they do is a start. Remember, they have to sell their firm to you as much as you do to them. It is not just a job, it is a job with a firm one would feel comfortable working for.

When you say "informational interview" do you mean that you want to get your information in front of a prospective employer or is that you want the interview, as above, tto learn more about the firm? I hope it's the latter and not the former as they get too many for the former reason.

One of the questions anyone, be it in a casual or formal conversation, will be asking you what your background and/or education is as it relates to advertising.

So, my question to you is what niche in advertising do you want to work in. There are a lot of niches that fall into the general term "advertising" but each one has different needs and criteria.

Example,
* besides what is thought as being an advertising agency, there are PR, digital, print, traffic, art direction, copywriting to name a few. Traffic management in an agency is a form of project management.

* outdoor advertising and other types of signage

* photography, graphics.

So, you have to narrow your search first of what aspects of advertising you want to go into before asking for a job interview . . .and even before going,you need to learn as much as you can about each firm and their clientele. If the HR person perceives that you have not done this, why should (s)he waste the time?

Even then, the HR person is not the person doing the hiring! The HR person has to sell you to those you will be working with i.e. answering the questions they have about you, your skills, experience, education. i.e. the HR person is your "unpaid salesperson" to the others in their business. If the HR person cannot or does not do a good job of selling you, the door closes fast.

In my book, "Elements of Selling" one element is "What Customers Need to Know" which lists the questions that may come up in any interview and from others in their business.

Good luck, I hope this will help you.

Alan

Your Answer

Please log in to answer this question.

Sign Up

You can join as either a Veteran or an Advisor.

An Advisor already has a career, with or without military experience, and is willing to engage with and help veterans.
Sign Up as an Advisor.

A Veteran has military experience and is seeking a new career, or assistance with life after service.
Sign Up as a Veteran.