Informational interviews

1. COMM 202 Tutorial 6:
Informational Interview
Tessa Yin
T27 | T32

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

3. Course Timeline
• Tutorial: Informational
Interview & Interview
Stream
• Due: Networking
event on March 13th
6-8PM in CPA Hall
• Lecture: Interview
Prep & Emotional
Intelligence
• Due: Networking
reflections due
March 21st at
11:59PM on
Turnitin
• Last tutorial:
Employment interview
questions
• Due (optional for
bonus marks):
Interview stream by
Apr 2nd @ 11:59PM
THIS WEEK WEEK 11 WEEK 12

4. Informational Interviews

5. 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

6. How to your
informational interview

7. What can an informational
interview look like?
• In person at a coffee shop or the
professional’s office
• Over Skype, Google Hangouts
• Over the phone

8. What can an informational
interview look like?
• In person at a coffee shop or the
professional’s office  this course
• Over Skype, Google Hangouts
• Over the phone

9. 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

10. 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

11. So how did Stella reach out
to Lindsay?

12. 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? ….”

13. 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

14. 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?

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

16. 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

17. 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?

18. 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

19. 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

20. “I Owe You”
“Is there anything
I can do for you?”
Offer them help in
some way, and
they will be more
likely to want to
help you.

21. 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

23. 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

24. 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!!

25. 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!

26. Interview Stream

27. • 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 Apr 2nd!
Optional assignment & practice
tool: Interview Stream
Optional
assignment
due Apr 2nd
for 1 bonus
mark

28. Action Items
• Networking reflection
due March 21st at
11:59PM on Turnitin
• Set up informational
interview (if not done
already)
• Next week is lecture!

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. Questions???

31. Bye!!!!!!!
Bye!!!!!!!
Bye!!!!!!!
Bye!!!!!!!
Bye!!!!!!!
Bye!!!!!!!