Informational interviews can be a great vehicle to research your chosen field as well as the marketplace in your area.  While searching online is a great way to gather basic information, talking with professionals doing the work you are interested in, in your marketplace, can create a personal, real world connection.

Informational interviews also help you “get known” by the other party, offering them a glimpse of what education, experience, competencies, and abilities you can bring. This can be invaluable for a job search as it helps you gain allies in organizations where you might hope to work.

For more information about this topic, utilize the informational interviewing on-demand tutorial, or if you prefer to learn by reading written material, read the informational interviewing section of the Career Center.