This document summarizes a tutorial presentation about conducting informational interviews. It includes an agenda covering the course timeline, debriefing a networking event, how to conduct informational interviews, and setting action items. The presentation discusses reaching out to contacts, preparing questions, actively listening during interviews, following up afterwards, and using Interview Stream practice software. The goal is to help students explore careers by learning from professionals' experiences.

1. COMM 202 Tutorial 6:
Informational Interview
Tessa Yin
T01 | T06 | T13

2. Agenda
1. Course Timeline
2. Networking Event Debrief
3. How to Nail the
Informational Interview
4. Interview Stream
5. Action Items

3. Course Timeline
• Tutorial: Info
Interview /
Networking follow-
up, Interview Stream
• Due: Networking
event reflection on
Nov 7th @ 11:59pm
on Turnitin
• Lecture: Interview
prep
• Due: Have your
informational
interview date
and time
confirmed
• Last tutorial (!!!):
Employment
interview questions
• Due (optional for
bonus marks):
Interview stream by
Nov 26th @ 11:59pm
THIS WEEK WEEK 11 WEEK 12

4. Sooo.. How was the networking event?
Check UBC/Sauder clubs, Eventbrite, Meetup, Brainstation, etc.

5. Informational Interviews

6. What’s the point of
informational interviews?
• Not sure what to option in?
Considering a double option?
• Want to know how to get into
a certain field?
• Want to learn what it’s
ACTUALLY like to work in a
certain field?
Informational interviews
are an excellent way to
explore different
career paths, jobs,
options and industries

7. How to your
informational interview

8. STORYTIME! Stella’s 202
informational interview experience
• Considering Marketing AND op-log
• Lululemon distribution tour with UBC Supply Chain club
• Liked the tour guide (eCommerce manager) and connected after the event
#sweatlife #pnw
#vancity #fall

9. Things to include in the email
• You’re a student
• How you heard about them or know them
• What you are looking to learn (their career
progression, advice on how to best
leverage time at Sauder, etc.)
• 15-20 minutes of their time
• Close the email by suggesting two times
you are available to meet
• Tell them you’re willing to meet them at a
location most convenient for them (near
their work, etc.) – do not expect them to
come to you

10. So how did Stella reach out
to Lindsay?

11. Lindsay’s response:
“Hi Stella,
Thanks for the lovely email! I’d love to help you out. I think Friday
morning would work best. I can likely work from our head office in
Vancouver and meet you there? What time would work on Friday
morning for you? ….”

12. Before the meeting:
do your research
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHERE TO FIND INFO
• Their company
• Their major skill sets (job title)
• Work history
• Accomplishments
• Associations
• Common interests
• Internet search
• LinkedIn, Twitter,
Instagram(?)
• Their personal website
• Ask mutual friends

13. Before the meeting:
prepare questions
Examples:
• How did you get into the industry?
• What do you like most about your job and/or field?
• What is one challenge you’re currently facing at work?
• What do you need to do to become successful in this industry?
• What should I be reading?
• What advice do you have for someone starting out?
• Who do you look up to?
• If you could change one thing… what would that be?
• How have you personally changed since starting this job/entering
this industry?

14. Questions that Stella prepped
Common interests
(found on LinkedIn)
Relevant & specific
Qs that show interest
and research
Job/role related

15. During the meeting
• Thank them for their time
• Take charge – you’re the one who called the meeting!
Remind them why you wanted to meet in the first place
• Bring a notebook, ask if it’s ok for you to take notes
• Ask questions and listen to their responses fully – don’t feel
like you need to ask only the questions you prepared for.
The best conversations are those where questions flow
naturally
• 15 mins in – ask if they are okay to continue

16. During the meeting:
reminders
• Eye contact, smile,
handshake, thank you
• Dress the part
• Pay attention to body
language
• If you are taking notes,
make sure you’re not too
focused on the
notebook
• Offer your opinions!
• Be curious
• Respect their time
• Who pays?

17. During the meeting:
emotional intelligence
• Watch out for signals – have they closed their book or
checked their phone? This means they may need to
head back to work and you should ask them if they are
okay to continue
• Acknowledge that they’re busy and you really
appreciate them taking time out of their day for you
• Active listening – essential for having a natural
conversation. This looks like:
• Maintaining eye contact; not looking elsewhere while they’re
talking (DO NOT check your phone)
• Asking relevant follow up questions to what they say

18. Tell your story
• What you would love to do for
companies
• What problem have you identified that
makes you want to work in the
industry
• Why you feel it’s important to talk to
experts in the field
• Use phrases like: ‘I’d like to…’, ‘I
believe...’
• Keep it short, positive and focused
• ‘Now that you know a little more about
me, do you know anyone I can
connect with for advice about XYZ?’

19. “I Owe You”
Offer them help in
some way, and
they will be more
likely to want to
help you.
The act of saying
“how can I help
you” is very
powerful!

20. After the meeting:
follow up
• Send a thank you email
• Thank them for their time
• Mention something you talked about
• Mention when you will follow up with them next

22. The rest of the story…
• Stella emailed Lindsay again two months later – Dec 2015
• Found out she decided to leave lululemon after 5 years and move
back home to Toronto
• They said they would keep in touch and wished each other luck!
• Connected again in June 2016

23. Yes, there’s more to this saga…
• When Stella landed her internship in Toronto, she
updated her LinkedIn headline (in March), and
Lindsay saw it!!
• Stella & Lindsay caught up in Toronto this past July!!

24. Deliverables
• Contact details (name, company,
title, phone, email)
• List of questions asked
• Major insights gained – What did
you learn during your
informational interview?
• Did you request/receive any
information regarding additional
connections?
• Follow up action – What will you do
to maintain this connection?
• What are your next steps having
conducted this information
interview?
• Screenshot of follow-up email
Two-page summary
Family members, professors, staff,
current UBC students are not
allowed!

25. Interview Stream

26. • Practice answering interview questions
• Go back and review your recording to
see what was good and where to
improve
• 5 general questions will pop up on the
screen and then your webcam will record
your answer
• Will NOT be graded and no one will see
your videos. But you can receive 1 bonus
mark if used before Nov 26th!
• You can create your own question sets
• More and more companies are using this
method for first rounds
Optional assignment & practice
tool: Interview Stream
Optional
assignment
due Nov 26th
for 1 bonus
mark

27. Action Items
• Networking event
reflection due Nov 7th
at 11:59PM on Turnitin
• Set up informational
interview
• Next week is lecture!

28. Questions???

29. Extra Stuff
Podcasts
• Finance/Economics/Money
Planet Money, BBC Business Daily
• Marketing/Design
Design Matters w/ Debbie Millman
• Entrepreneurship
How I Built This, Startup Podcast
• My Long Time Favs
Radiolab, 99% Invisible, This American Life
News/Research
• ‘Espresso’ by The Economist
$4.99/month (I think)
• NYT, AdWeek, AdAge, Shareholder
letters – Berkshire Hathaway
• Sustainability – Triple bottom line
https://www.bcorporation.net/
• The Economist Books

30. Bye!!!!!!!
Bye!!!!!!!
Bye!!!!!!!
Bye!!!!!!!
Bye!!!!!!!
Bye!!!!!!!