Preparing for a Successful Interview

Preparation is one of the most important requisites for a successful interview for information. You've undoubtedly already done that when you were doing library research by skimming through their annual report or reading some general information on the industry.

The second part of the preparation process is developing some questions you need answers to. The questions will be different for everyone. They should be slanted toward what you need to know. If you need to learn more about an occupation, your questions will be oriented in that direction. You might want to ask the interviewee the following types of questions:

1. How did you decide on the career you've chosen?
   
   
   
   
2. What do you do on a daily basis?
   
   
3. What percentage of your time is spent doing what?
   
   
4. What are the jobs you've had that led to this one?
   
   
5. What are the skills that are most important for a position in this field?
   
   
6. What are the entry-level jobs in your area?
   
   
7. What kind of people do you hire to fill these jobs?
   
   
8. What are the advancement opportunities?
   
   
9. What is the salary range?
   
   
10. What types of training do companies give to people entering this field?
    

If you need more industry information, you might want to ask other types of questions, like:

1. What do you like about working in this industry?
   
   
2. What don't you like?
   
   
3. How is the economy affecting this industry?
   
   
4. What is the employment picture like in this industry?
   
   
5. Are there a lot of jobs in this industry?
   
   
6. What is the largest area for growth in the future?
   
   
7. What should a college graduate know about your industry before he or she applies for a job?
   
   
8. What are the professional associations your company belongs to?
   
   
9. Does your professional association sponsor any career day events?
   
   
10. What publications or periodicals should I be reading in order to acquaint myself with what is happening industry-wide?
    

If you need more company information, your questions will be different still. You might want to know:

1. Why did you decide to go to work for this company?
   
   
2. What do you like most about this company?
   
   
3. How does this company differ from its competitors?
   
   
4. What kinds of people work for your company? With what kinds of backgrounds?
   
   
5. What divisions do you have?
   
   
6. How many college graduates do you hire each year?
   
   
7. In which divisions are college graduates most likely to be hired?
   
   
8. What should college graduates know about your company before applying for a job?
   
   
9. Where can you get this information?
   
   
10. What advice would you give to someone who wants to break into your field?
    

Obviously, the questions you ask needn't be segmented the way these questions are. The reason the questions were presented in this way was to show how your orientation should differ as you explore occupations, industries, and companies. You will undoubtedly want to know a little about each area as you talk to different people. And your questions will also differ, depending upon how much information you can uncover during your research. If a company is a public company and has been widely written about, you shouldn't waste the interviewee's time asking questions you might have looked up. In this case, you might want to zero in on the more detailed or personally-oriented questions. If it is a smaller company, or you have been unable to find any information on them, then the sky's the limit. The third part of the preparation is personal in nature. Make sure you're well-groomed and well-dressed. For men, this means a suit (or a sports jacket with slacks) with a tie. For women, it means a suit or a business dress.

The Content

The typical interview for information consists of three segments: the ice-breaking period, the body of the interview, and the closing. The follow-up, which in effect is the fourth segment, occurs after the interview has been completed.

The ice-breaking period

Since you're the person who asked for this meeting, and since many employers are not familiar with the concept of interviewing for information, it's your responsibility to put them at ease. The best way to do this is to explain what the purpose of the meeting is at the start, even though you've already done it in your original letter. After the introductions, you might begin by saying, "Mr. Smith, I really appreciate your meeting with me today. As I mentioned in my letter, I'm interested in the food industry and I'd like to explore the opportunities available in a company like yours. So I've prepared a number of questions. Would you mind if I take notes?'' Mr. Smith won't mind because most people are flattered that you're interested enough in what they have to say to take notes. And now that you've explained yourself, you can move on.

The body

The body of the interview is where you ask the questions you've pre pared. For a 20-minute meeting, you should usually prepare at least 10 questions. Some people give one-word answers; others are more verbose. You don't need to ask all the questions you've got, but you shouldn't run out of things to say, either.

A good policy for establishing a comfortable relationship with the per son you're interviewing is to start out with questions that aren't threatening. For instance, a good way to begin is by saying, *'How did you decide on the career you've chosen?" Or, "Can you tell me what someone in your position does on a daily basis?" A bad question is, "How can I break into this field?"

An important aside here: don't become so intent on asking all the questions you've brought with you that you fail to listen to what the interviewee is saying. Although there may be certain questions that you really want answers to, there should be room for spontaneous dialogue. There should be room to follow the interviewee's lead, and discuss related issues that you never thought of.