An informational interview (aka coffee chat) is an informal conversation with someone working in an area of interest to you. It is not a job interview and the objective is not to explicitly request employment opportunities.
You can perform an informational interview to:
High school and college alumni are great contacts to interview. You have common ground established already because you both attended the same institution. If you have a LinkedIn and list your previous educational institutions, LinkedIn.com/alumni is a great place to search for fellow alums.
While you might not want to be a college professor or a staff member, you’d be surprised at the number of connections they have! Connecting with instructors in the industry you’re looking to break into let's them know your career goals, how they can assist you, and might point you towards some great resources to network.
This is probably the easiest connection to establish early on. Have an aunt that works in your industry? Does your friend group have connections with someone in your area of interest? It never hurts to ask and lean on the relationships you already have established.
Although LinkedIn markets itself as the “professional Facebook”, don’t forget about the other social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and even TikTok. There are industry professionals utilizing all of these platforms and could prove to be great interviewees.
Research the field, industry, and positions you’re interested in learning more about. Make a list of questions you’d like a potential interviewee to answer. Decide what information you would like to obtain about the occupation/industry. Make sure to have an updated resume handy (just in case!)