One of the most valuable ways to network is to build and nurture relationships through informational or exploratory interviews, even if you’re not looking for a new job. It’s important to always keep your eyes and ears open for new opportunities, especially when you’re happy in your current position. When you interview while you’re happy in your current job, your confidence is at an all-time high, which will show when meeting with the recruiter and they will know the opportunity would need to be stellar for you to leave.
Informational interviews can play a pivotal role in you furthering your career path and reaching your professional goals. No matter if you’re happy at your current company or aggressively pursuing new options, seeking out informational interviews should be a part of your networking process. Here are a few tips to keep top of mind:
[See: 7 Ways to Crush a Phone Interview.]
Do your homework. Research the person you’re meeting with as well as the company and its culture — read previous press releases on the company, see how they fit in the scope of the industry, look at their most recent earnings report to see their growth trajectory and be sure to check out their social media feeds. During the meeting, you should ask questions, listen, take notes and, if you’re meeting at his or her office, observe the culture. Consider these conversations as pre-interviews with nothing on the line other than making an excellent impression, gathering information and practicing your ability to convey who you are, what you’re looking to do and why they should want you to be a part of their team.
Set a specific time frame and respect it. Everyone seems busier than ever right now, so the fact that you landed a time and place on the other person’s calendar alone is reason for celebration. When you block out time, be sure to make a good impression by showing up on time (which means a little ahead of time), sticking to the allotted time you have scheduled (an hour is usually good) and being respectful of their (and your) time during the process.
[See: 8 Ways Millennials Can Build Leadership Skills.]
Be prepared to give. Networking isn’t a one-way street; some of the most valuable and rewarding relationships you’ll encounter will likely be the ones that are mutually beneficial. In conversation, be on the lookout for ways to present yourself as a resource for them and offer to be a connection for them as well. If there’s anyone you can introduce them to, or if there’s anything you can help them with — and it may not even need to be work-related — lay it out on the table.
If the conversation naturally swings this way, connect on a personal level, such as providing the name and number of your lawn service person if they mention in small talk they’re looking for someone. Be that go-to person who can provide them with a name and number. Yes, your goal of the informational interview is for your purposes, but make them feel like this was valuable for them as well.
Remember, good networking works both ways.
Prepare your ask. It’s critical to get the most out of the time you have scheduled so be prepared with your elevator pitch — who you are and what you’re looking for.
Instead of flat-out asking for a position, you can more subtly say what you’re looking to do and what you’re looking to learn. It would be rare for the person to say, “As a matter of fact, we are hiring,” or, “We’re opening a position this month and would love to interview you!” So, keep expectations realistic, but go into the meeting prepared to sell yourself in a natural and conversational way.
[See: 10 Ways Social Media Can Help You Land a Job.]
Get to know whom they know. When wrapping up a meeting, indicate you’d like to stay in touch and then actually make an effort to do so. Create an automated system for yourself, such as reminders in Outlook every two months to send them a relevant article, engage with them on Twitter or send an email to say hello; mix up the routine so it doesn’t get redundant (or feel automated) for both you and the recipient. Most importantly, pay attention to whom they may be able to introduce you to.
Get specific. Before the meeting, identify what you want to come out of this: Is it a connection to someone within their company or department who makes hiring decisions? Is it someone outside their network, perhaps in a professional organization they’re a member of? Get granular but pay attention to what they say during your meeting as well.
If they mention a potential company or path for you, ask whom they know or whom they can introduce you to. It’s a simple ask, but an important one — if they don’t know off the top of their head, when you send a thank-you email you can refresh their memory to kindly send you a note when that person comes to mind (and then follow up to that end as well).
Connections are valuable — both yours and theirs. And the more you grow your network of connections and feed into others, the more you open yourself up for new opportunities. So set up some interviews, garner contacts, get to know them and don’t be afraid to name drop a little when you’re on the job search. You never know what might come of it.
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5 Things to Know About Informational Interviews originally appeared on usnews.com
