Panic, fear, uncertainty, nervousness and an urge to get over the interview at the earliest is common among candidates facing an interview – especially the ones attending it for the first time. There have been several measures formulated and introduced by counsellors and experienced recruiters to help candidates get over this feeling of anxiety so that they can prepare well, be confident and perform their best in the interview. One such way to prepare in advance and gain confidence for the interview day is to attend an informational interview. An informational interview is different from a normal interview because here, the prospective employee questions the prospective employer. You can either request your friends at responsible positions to arrange for an interview for you or you can make use of other contacts. The purpose of attending this kind of interview is to seek useful information about a particular industry, especially relating to the field of work you are interested in. However, you need to frame these questions well in order to get the maximum information within the limited time. Mentioned below are few informational questions you can ask in an interview.
Examples Of Informational Interview Questions
How Did You Get Into The Field?
The answer to this question can provide you with a rough idea of the professional life of the person interviewing you and the growth path that you can take in this profile. Not to mention, the answers provided can be quite inspirational and motivating and can help increase your focus.
What Do You Like Most About What You Do?
Why not ask the employer about what he/she likes and dislikes about their line of work. You will be surprised to learn that even the most renowned workaholic you know feels like relaxing and not working on certain days, projects or areas.
What Is Missing In Serving Your Field? OR What Kind Of Support Do You Need And You Can't Find?
This question can give you an in-depth look into the actual scenario of the field of work you are applying for. You can also get to know the chain of command and the kind of support that the company provides to its employees and what is it that you can do to have a flourishing career in the field.
What's The Biggest Misconception About What You Do?
This is another question that will provide you an insight into your prospective employer’s professional life. This question can also help you build a rapport with your interviewer and can even bust some of your own myths about the job.
How Do You Get/Find/Keep Customers Or Clients, And How Much Time Do You Spend On It?
The answer to this question can teach you critical business strategies which can be applied in order to reach success in hard times. To track and then maintain customers and clients is the most difficult but undoubtedly the most important aspect of an entrepreneur’s success – no wonder so many executives are dedicated to this task. You can also get familiar with the various problems posed by the unsupportive market conditions so that you are not in for a shock in tough times.
How Do You Get Paid? And Would You Be Willing To Share The Range Of Annual Income?
Now that’s a question which most employers avoid answering. The salary range or the mode of payment differs from person to person in the company. This provides you with a realistic approximate figure that a person can possibly earn given a particular position. This answer can help you brace up for the financial condition that awaits you.
What Advice Would You Most Want To Give Someone Who Is Interested In This Job, Field Or Industry?
This is one of the most essential answers that you can gather from your prospective employer. They are the people who deal with the kind of profile you applied for and they would surely be aware of the traits required to make it big in the business.
Other Questions To Ask
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What would you say is the best path to this career?
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What do you enjoy most about this industry, the company and your job?
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What aspects of your career have you found most and least rewarding and why? Any regrets?
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What are your primary responsibilities? How do you spend your time?
It is always better to go prepared for an informational interview with questions that you can pose to the employer in the interview without sounding too blunt. This article provides you with some useful informational interview questions to assist your quest to knowledge.
