Just came out of a coaching session with a brilliant, gorgeous top credentialed lawyer who was dizzy from all the vague career advice that she’s been getting. Once I got her into a chair, gave her something to drink, she breathed heavily, stared deeply into the glass of cold water I gave her, she paused silently for a while and then she suddenly looked up at me with wide eyes and asked "What EXACTLY IS an *($%0 Informational Interview and why would ANYONE ever agree to giving me one!!???

Well, that was the impetus for this little article. Informational interviews…hmmm..lately it seems like the universal panacea for everything from baldness to career nirvana. So I thought I’d try to set the record straight about the I.I.

In my view there are a couple of ground rules about I.I: First, when asking for one, don’t use the term I.I; it makes people squirm, wring their hands and feel guilty. “Interview” means “I wanna job” and if they cannot offer you one, they may feel uncomfortable wasting your time. Ask for a 15 minute meeting or coffee to talk about what they do. People love to talk about themselves and are more likely to agree. Second, you should go into an I.I. with one of four goals in mind: 1) making a new connection with someone in your desired practice area (1 Point: Networking); 2) finding out if that person may be able to suggest someone else you should speak with or connect with (2 Points: Now you are really networking; 3) making a memorable impression so that if something does open up you are on their mind (3 Points: networking and getting a toe in the door); or 4) gently exploring whether there is an “internal opening” and who you should reach out to about it (4 Points: networking, foot in the door plus a contact person). My thought is…think about the I.I. like a strategic conversation that is always a win-win for you..because you are connecting and widening your sphere of knowledge and influence.

From the interviewer’s perspective, there are a couple of bonuses that motivates them to meet you. First, believe it or not, people like to help other people; especially when the expectations are very low and the upside for feeling good about yourself is so high. Everyone at some point got a break; people like to pay it forward. Secondly, many people are isolated in their jobs. This gives THEM a chance to mentor, be a leader, give advice o or meet someone new and expand their sphere of influence. Finally, all successful people know that talent can sometimes be found in the most unlikely of places. The person who is “doing you a favor” might actually be able to present you to someone and make themselves “look good.”

All reasons to schedule that…well you know…that “coffee”.