1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: Today's tip is about what to ask in informational interviews. 4 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: It is great to meet with people and learn more 5 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:28,479 Speaker 1: about their fields or companies, but certain questions can be 6 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: more helpful with this time than others. Today's tip, like 7 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,240 Speaker 1: another this week, comes from Ashley Stall's book You Turn, 8 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: Get Unstuck, Discover your Direction, and Design your dream career. 9 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,279 Speaker 1: Ashley is a career coach who helps people figure out 10 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 1: what they want to be doing in life. When people 11 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 1: are trying to move companies or fields, career guides often 12 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: suggest setting up informational interviews. People agree to meet with 13 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 1: folks to talk about what they've learned or what people 14 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 1: should know. It is not an interview for a job. 15 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: It's just a way to get helpful information. It is 16 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: a wise idea to take advantage of these if people 17 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: are willing to do them, but if you don't think 18 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: it through, the conversations can be awkward and sometimes people 19 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: wind up doing a lot of these interviews and just 20 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: need some guidance somewhere to get started in any conversation. 21 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: So Ashley suggests two questions. First, do you have any 22 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: suggestions for how I can stand out as a candidate? 23 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 1: And second, do you have any suggestions on companies I 24 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: should look into that are perhaps not on my radar. 25 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: These questions are both helpful for a few reasons. Neither 26 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: are particularly demanding, which is good. Aggressive informational interviews tend 27 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: to make people shy off from doing them. But as 28 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: for the particular is the first question how to stand 29 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: out as a candidate is helpful for the obvious reason 30 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: that it tends to inspire people to offer to pass 31 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: around your resume if they like you. That is a 32 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: very good way to stand out as a candidate. But 33 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 1: even if it doesn't inspire that, it will inspire the 34 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: person to talk about little things that they think matter 35 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: in their field. Most likely, anyone applying for jobs is 36 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: reasonably skilled and credentialed. It is often little things that 37 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 1: help in terms of getting in. The second question about 38 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: lesser known companies tends to inspire people to connect you 39 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 1: to their friends at other companies. It gets the person 40 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: thinking about the whole landscape of their field and opportunities 41 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 1: that might not be so immediately obvious. This is a 42 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: good thing, because again, everyone knows about the big name stuff. 43 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: This question gets a person to say, oh, yeah, I 44 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: got an email this morning about this small tech company 45 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 1: that's really scaling up their marketing division. These questions both 46 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,920 Speaker 1: aren't asking directly for favors. Long time listeners know that 47 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: I'm a fan of Dorry Clark's adage no asks for 48 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: a year. Networking for the long haul means not asking 49 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 1: people to expend political capital for you when they don't 50 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 1: really know you. It can feel draining for people in 51 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: positions of power, but asking for suggestions on how to 52 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: stand out and suggestions for where else to look allows 53 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: people to share their expertise and advice in a very 54 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: non demanding way. These questions also allow people to be 55 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: helpful in other ways if they want to be helpful, 56 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: but there's not as much pressure, and I find that 57 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: this often encourages people to do more, which in the 58 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: long run is what you want. In the meantime, this 59 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making the 60 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 1: most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear 61 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 1: from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 62 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, 63 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's b E the 64 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can also 65 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,599 Speaker 1: shoot me an email at before Breakfast podcast. At i 66 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:30,720 Speaker 1: heeart media dot com that before Breakfast is spelled out 67 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: with all the letters. Thanks so much, should I look 68 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production 69 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 1: of I heart Radio. 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