Identify People to Interview for
Informational Interviews
Start with lists of people you already know: friends, fellow students, present or former
co-workers, supervisors, neighbors, etc. Professional organizations, the yellow pages from the phone book,
organizational directories, and public speakers are also good resources.
You may also call an organization and ask for the name of the person by
job title. There's no one in the world who you can't try contacting. People
like to help students out with job information. One student whose dream
job was to run a Fortune 500 company called the president of Levi Strauss
& Co., asked for an informational interview, and got it.
To find a working professional, go to your college career center or alumni office
[at Stetson, you will have more success at Career Services, even though the alumni
database is not up-to-date.] and ask for a list of people who are working in the field
that interests you. Locate alumni, people you've read about, or people
your parents know.
You should be prepared. Research the organization, person you'll be speaking with, product
produced by the organization, etc. If your contact is an alumnus/alumna, look him/her up
in the Alumni Office's biographical material (Be aware, however, that Stetson's
alumni office gives out limited, if any information). Try easily accessible
periodicals, such as local and large metropolitan newspapers.
The more you know, the better you'll be able to formulate questions pertaining to the
organization and job. The more knowledge you have, the more confident you will feel about
your ability to communicate effectively. Write to organizations for brochures
and pamphlets for additional information. Ask yourself what it is you want
to know and then figure out who has an investment in knowing that sort
of information. Use the university library.
