Hey there!
Welcome to The Intern Hustle’s hub on YouTube.
I’m Jenna Rein, and in this video you’re going to learn how you should be reaching
out to the people that you would like to connect with for an informational interview.
'Cause you do want them to say yes when you reach out, right?
Then stick around and take note of my 6 tips on how to reach out for an informational interview.
Do you find yourself watching this and thinking "what is an informational interview?"
Not to worry - I’ll cover that too.
Hey there!
I'm Jenna Rein from theinternhustle.com, and this is Initiative Muscle Monday.
Helping you to start each week with an intentional step toward a successful future.
Let's do this!
So, what is an informational interview?
In the most basic of explanations, it is an interview where the tables are turned.
You are interviewing the other person and you're asking them to share “information”
with you about their career, their company, their industry, how they got their start,
and lessons that they’ve learned along the way.
Informational interviews are a great tool to help you determine professional fit in
your own life.
I have 6 tips for you today on how you should be reaching out when you request an informational
interview with someone.
And stick around to the end of this video for a special bonus email template that I'm
going to be sharing with you.
This is a template that you're going to be able to use when you're sending those emails
requesting your informational interviews.
Alright, are you ready?
Let’s dive in!
Show that you've done your research.
You want to be specific with your ask.
Because people can tell when you just copy and paste an email to them that you’ve already
sent to 10 other people.
And I can tell you from experience, that I’m much more inclined to respond to someone when
they ask me specific questions about my career, or they're looking for specific advice.
Now, it’s easy to just say I’d like to learn more about your career path.
But show me that you took the time to actually research my background and that you want to
know about a specific experience with a company or an individual that has shaped where I’m
at today.
Mention mutual connections or shared experiences.
Did a family member or friend suggest that you connect with this person?
Great - let them know.
Or are they an alumni from the school that you attend?
Make the connection.
Or, did you just read about something in their bio that you share in common with them?
Maybe it's a favorite band or place that you enjoy traveling to.
These are all things that you want to incorporate when you reach out in order to establish a
deeper connection up front.
Make it convenient for them to say "yes".
Suggest a phone call or offer to meet them in a location of their choice.
But the amount of emails that people get today on a daily basis, it's insane.
If they're getting an email from you and it's not clear that you are flexible and that you're
going to make the time and the place very convenient for them, then they're likely going
to put the email aside and deal with it later.
And chances are your email is going to then get lost in the depths of their inbox and
you may never actually hear from them after all.
So, you want to make it easy for them to give you an instant reply, and an easy one, and
tell you yes.
Respect their time.
Informational interviews should be no more than 30 min. (20 min. is really what you're
shooting for here).
This goes along with my last point on making it easy for them to say yes.
Make sure that they understand that you know how busy they are and that you’re coming
prepared to make this a good use of their time.
Include your availability for several dates and times.
Don’t make them do the scheduling work.
If you offer up a few different options that work for you on when you can meet, then they
can easily check their calendar and get back to you.
Or better yet, they can go hands off all together and pass it on to their assistant for all
of the scheduling work.
Again, how can you make it as convenient as possible for them to say “yes” to you.
Close your email with a call to action to drive next steps.
Guide their next action.
Which should be responding to your email and the request that you've made for an informational
interview.
Say that you are looking forward to hearing from them.
Ask them to let you know which of the options that you suggested works best for them.
And then offer to send out a calendar invite once they confirm.
If you follow these 6 tips when reaching out to request an informational interview, your
chances of actually getting the interview are going to be much higher.
Now I mentioned at the beginning of this video that if you stuck around til the end, I have
a bonus email template for you to use when you actually reach out.
Check the description below this video for the link to download this free email template.
The worksheet also includes a recap of the 6 tips that I shared with you in today’s
video.
So go grab it now and best of luck with your informational interviews!
If this video gave you some new insights today, please give it a like and share it with a
friend or two.
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In support of your hustle...I’ll see you next Monday!