Career Services: Your Resource for Career Success

Tips For Informational Meeting

(a.k.a. Informational Interviewing) ....When to use it and what should be gained from it.

This is the tool you use as part of your job search process when you have obtained contacts as a result of networking, in-depth research, etc. that you have done.
Advice, information, and referrals should be gained from each informational meeting.

Call contact or write contact. Introduce yourself --be brief (name, year law student, where). Then always mention next the person who recommended that you call or write. If you elect to write the contact (don't send your resume with your letter).
You want a meeting with the person, but you must be diplomatic. State your interest in the practice area and that you're seeking advice and information then ask to meet with contact.

Research. Find out everything you can about contact you're going to "interview" and the employer as a whole.
Dress professionally (like a "real" interview)! Take resume along, but don't disclose it until the right opportunity presents itself (see below).
At no time during the meeting should you mention anything about a job (even though that's the ultimate purpose). The idea is to "woo" the person so should there be a job opening with contact's firm/company he/she will automatically think of you or refer your name to others.
You must ask the questions. Focus on open-ended questions: Why contact chose his/her practice area? How he/she got in the practice area? What his/her day usually entails? What type of work experience did he/she gain while in law school, etc.? Use information from research to formulate other questions. Pay attention to contact's answers for other possible questions.
Don't forget to tell about yourself and your interests.
Near the end of the informational meeting ask the contact if he/she would please review your resume. You would like comments from a "Legal" viewpoint.
At the very end ask for referrals, but state something such as "Is there anyone else you think would be good for me to talk to about x field of law?
Thank contact for taking time to meet with you, for referral, and for reviewing your resume.

Make notes on your contact card/sheet (you should develop some system to keep up with information about every single contact, i.e. 5x7 index card, contact sheet, etc.) any and all information gained from the informational meeting should be recorded.
Send contact a thank you note and attach your resume. Include in cover note thanks for taking time from busy schedule to meet with you to review your resume, etc. Indicate you have enclosed your resume incorporating the changes they suggested (if any) and if they hear of any openings in the areas you are interested in to please feel free to forward your resume.
Contact the referral(s) given. Start the informational meeting process again.