Virtual Networking 101: How to do a Virtual Informational Interview

Hi everyone! I’m Elane, one of the networking night coordinators on the UCA board. I’m a third year student here at UCLA, and I’m double-majoring in Communications and Economics. 

With the recent drawbacks of COVID-19 on the job market and everyone being issued to stay at home, some of you may be wondering what you can do right now for your career. The most frequent advice I’ve been receiving throughout this time from professionals in my internship class to career counselors, is to do a virtual informational interview. It’s the perfect time to reach out to people for a virtual coffee chat because everyone is at home. Not only can you ask professionals about their jobs in a detailed-manner and find careers that interest you, but you are also building your network at the same time.

About 85% of jobs are filled through networking, so it’s the perfect opportunity to start building your own personal connections.

WHAT IS AN INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW?

An informational interview is basically an interview with a professional working in a career or at a company you’re interested in and asking them about their role in an intimate one-on-one setting. It’s informational for you in a sense that you are able to hear from real-life professionals what a typical work day looks like, what their company culture is like, etc.

GENERAL PROCESS OF DOING A VIRTUAL INTERVIEW    

Step 1: Find people on LinkedIn. 

A good place to start is going to your school on LinkedIn, clicking on “Alumni,” and finding someone you want to do an interview with. You can search for a specific job or company under “Alumni,” so it’s easy to pinpoint professionals you want to talk with. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an alumni, but it may be easier to connect with someone who has the shared experience of going to the same school as you. 

Step 2: Connect with them and send them a nice message. 

When you connect with them, send them a short message introducing yourself and asking them for a virtual informational interview. Not everyone will respond, but don’t be intimidated! I’ve found many professionals enjoy sharing about their jobs and experiences with students. 

Step 3: Schedule a time with them and send them a zoom invite. 

Once you’ve connected with someone, schedule a time with them. The awesome thing about Zoom is that you can schedule meetings and add them to your Google Calendar where you can invite people to the event by email. 

Step 4: Have it!

Make sure to do your research beforehand and prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewee. Don’t ask them questions that could easily be answered by viewing their LinkedIn profile. Instead, look through their profile and take note of any particular experiences, so you can ask them specific, in-depth questions as well as show them that you are well-prepared. However, don’t be afraid to stray away from your questions if anything comes up during the interview that you would like to ask about. 

Step 5: Don’t forget to send a follow-up email. 

This is very important, but make sure to thank your interviewees for doing the interview with you. They are taking time out of their personal schedules to do this, so make sure to thank them not only over Zoom, but afterwards as well. Also, ask them if you can stay in touch. That way you’re building a connection with them! Some ways to stay in contact with them are sending them relevant articles, life updates, and commenting on any recent work they’re doing. It can also be helpful to set yourself a reminder in your calendar two or three months from the interview to keep in touch with them. 

SOME TIPS

This informational interview is about them so don’t make it about yourself. Don’t ask them for an internship or referral unless they bring it up first. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get an immediate opportunity out of this. This is part of building your network which will be beneficial for you in the long run. As my career counselor described it, it’s like planting seeds in many different places. Who knows where this connection can take you in the future? Lastly, take advantage of this opportunity to gauge a realistic experience of how a job is – if it’s a job that interests you even more after the interview, that’s great!

MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

During this quarantine time period, I’ve been able to do three virtual informational interviews with professionals who work at amazing companies including Google, Hulu, and Disney. It was really eye-opening for me as a third year because even though I had a general idea of the career path I wanted to pursue, I didn’t know that there were so many different jobs I could explore. I gained a lot of insight about their day-to-day schedules as well as skills needed for a particular role. It was also really helpful learning to learn what it’s like working at a huge company vs. a mid-sized company with a start-up culture.

Before I experienced networking myself, I had always been intimidated by the idea of it, but I want to assure you that it’s not as scary as it seems. At the end of the day, it’s about building connections with real people who are very willing to help us because they’ve been in our shoes before as students - especially if you share something in common with them like having gone to the same school, having the same major or sharing a career interest. By meeting professionals who all have had very different paths to getting to where they are now, you’ll realize there is no set path to success, and everyone has their own journey to get there.