2. What is an Informational?
•A fact-finding meeting between you and a
professional to research a field of interest
•Can last 15 minutes to an hour
• TIP: If you ask for less (15 min.) often the
employer will give you more (30-60 min.)

3. What is an Informational?
•Your goal is to gather as much intelligence as
you can regarding:
 A specific profession (career path)
 A company (public, private, gov’t, non-profit)
 Career development strategies
 Opportunities in the field (jobs & internships)

4. • Remember: your intention is not to ask for a
job, but to simply mine for information
• Use informationals to develop your professional
network during an internship or news job
What is an Informational?

5. A How-To Guide
Step #1: Explore Your Network
•Start with the “low hanging fruit”
• Who do you know?
• Who do your friends or parents know?
• Which career paths do I want to get to know
better?
• Are there industries or even companies I
want to know from the inside out?
• TIP: use LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com)

14. Step #2: Reach Out
• via LinkedIn, email, or phone
 Introduce yourself
 State what you want
 Suggest a meeting time/place
In short, tell the employer…

15. Dear Jane Christen,
I am an economics major at the University of Oregon seeking to learn
firsthand about careers in Human Resources. I am very interested in
talking with you about your role as a Human Resources Assistant and
would love 15 minutes of your time to get your perspectives on this
field.
If you have time in the next two weeks, I would very much appreciate
a short meeting in person, by phone, or via Skype at a time convenient
for you. My schedule is generally open weekday afternoons after 2 pm
and all day on Fridays. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Bill Sherman
(541) 346-3696 | wsherman@uoregon.edu

16. Step #3: The Meeting
•Recommended Questions (choose 5-6):
• How did you get your start in this profession?
• Why did you choose this career field?
• What are the skills and personality traits needed to
do this job?
• What does a typical work day look like? A typical
week? What is the rhythm of the year?

17. • What are the most difficult problems you face?
• How much variety is there in your work? How much specialization?
• What kinds of projects do you manage?
• Where does your position fit on the organizational chart of the
company?
• Looking back, if you had it to do over again, is there anything you
would do differently?
• What major changes or challenges do you see coming in your
industry?
• What is a typical starting salary? After 5 years?
• How is your work evaluated?
• What do you like and dislike most about your job?
• Is there anyone in the company you’d recommend me talking to in
order to learn more? May I use your name as a referral?

18. Questions?