by Beth O’Sullivan
Lecturer in Professional and Engineering Communication
Last week’s Tuesday tip introduced the value of talking with experts to learn more about a field or job using an informational interview. We reviewed step one: how to choose someone to interview, and step two: how to develop a list of questions to ask. Today we review steps 3 and 4, conducting the interview and following up with a thank-you note.
On the day beforeyour call, email your contact to confirm your appointment (be aware of time zone differences). Include your phone number in case anything comes up requiring a change in the time for your call.
Conducting your conversation
Call your contact on time. If you are using Zoom, pay attention to how the room looks behind you. During your call, do more listening than talking! You don’t have to stick to prepared questions – let the interview flow and see what you learn. Respect the 15-minute boundary; if it seems like the person wants to talk more, say, “I see that our 15 minutes is up, do you have five more minutes?” Follow your interviewee’s lead, but don’t’ keep them for too long.
Writing a thank-you note
After the call, write a thank-you email to your contact. Remember that the thank-you note is simply that – an expression of appreciation. You will NOT be attaching a resume unless, during the conversation, the person has offered (without prompting) to review your resume.
To develop rapport and express appreciation, your thank-you note should say more than simply, “I appreciate your taking the time…” Mention something he or she told you that was of particular interest, include how you might use or apply the advice you heard, express appreciation for the time, and close your email appropriately.
Keep track of your informational interviews. If you conduct one each month, by the time you graduate you will have a good idea of what you want to do, and perhaps even some networking contacts to help.
Beth O’Sullivan is a Lecturer in Professional and Engineering Communications in the Rice University School of Engineering, as well as Senior Lecturer in Communication in the Rice University Jones Business School.
Presented by RCEL faculty, the RCEL Tip Tuesday Series addresses a variety of topics applicable to young engineering leaders, and encourages them to learn more and improve.