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Informational Interview Handbook: Essential Strategies to Find the Right Career and a Great New Job
An informational interview is an opportunity to gather insightful career recommendations and job search advice from qualified professionals by asking the right questions.
Whether you’re entering the workforce or an experienced professional, Informational Interviews are perfect for discovering great career options, assessing your career ideas, finding unadvertised job openings that have little or no competition; and getting insider advice and recommendations on how to land a job in a specific field or industry.
The Informational Interview Handbook is the first book that gives people everything they need to succeed with informational interviews, including:
• 12 little known, step-by-step strategies they can easily use right now to find the precise people who can support their career success
• 6 ‘done for you’ sample informational interview requests letters
• How to prepare for an informational interview
• Great questions to ask during an informational interview to get the exact career advice and support they want
• Thank you letter templates that can be easily duplicated
• A remarkably simple ‘keep-in-touch’ strategy and five templates students can copy word for word - They’ll keep students’ new networks motivated to help them find and land the right new job
Informational Interviews are an effective way to build a motivated army of people who will help you find a new job or career that you will enjoy and excel at.
Whether you’re entering the workforce or an experienced professional, Informational Interviews are perfect for discovering great career options, assessing your career ideas, finding unadvertised job openings that have little or no competition; and getting insider advice and recommendations on how to land a job in a specific field or industry.
The Informational Interview Handbook is the first book that gives people everything they need to succeed with informational interviews, including:
• 12 little known, step-by-step strategies they can easily use right now to find the precise people who can support their career success
• 6 ‘done for you’ sample informational interview requests letters
• How to prepare for an informational interview
• Great questions to ask during an informational interview to get the exact career advice and support they want
• Thank you letter templates that can be easily duplicated
• A remarkably simple ‘keep-in-touch’ strategy and five templates students can copy word for word - They’ll keep students’ new networks motivated to help them find and land the right new job
Informational Interviews are an effective way to build a motivated army of people who will help you find a new job or career that you will enjoy and excel at.
- GenresBusiness
101 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2014
174 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 16, 2014
Honestly I didn't realize that there was a difference between interviews, I figured they were all the same but then again I have never had a steady job, just odd ones that I am mildly interested in. So when I eventually get off my butt and get a real job, I imagine me landing a job that I really like will have something to do with this book right here.
Informational Interview Handbook shows a great many ways to set yourself up as a potential employee even if you don't know anyone in the 'business'. Gives advice on what to ask your potential employer, and great deal of other things including networks that can help set you up to get to know people and establish contacts.
The copy of the book that I have has a free consultation offer in the back, which I thought was very nice and in the future I plan to use it.
There's a skill worksheet in the novel to help you identify where exactly you belong in the workforce. It useful and easy to use.
There's a great deal on the website called LinkedIn, some of it feels like overkill but it all seems useful and I'll probably be setting up a profile on the website and using the tip in the book to help get the job I want. Not sure what job I want but this is another thing that the book can and probably will help me with.
Informational Interview Handbook shows a great many ways to set yourself up as a potential employee even if you don't know anyone in the 'business'. Gives advice on what to ask your potential employer, and great deal of other things including networks that can help set you up to get to know people and establish contacts.
The copy of the book that I have has a free consultation offer in the back, which I thought was very nice and in the future I plan to use it.
There's a skill worksheet in the novel to help you identify where exactly you belong in the workforce. It useful and easy to use.
There's a great deal on the website called LinkedIn, some of it feels like overkill but it all seems useful and I'll probably be setting up a profile on the website and using the tip in the book to help get the job I want. Not sure what job I want but this is another thing that the book can and probably will help me with.
November 23, 2018
I would recommend this book to anyone who is unsure, or having trouble with a job interview.
December 25, 2015
I received professional training in informational interviews in 2000, and Neil's guidelines were far below those I'd learned. The two purposes of informational interviews are to develop a professional network and to find a job in the field that interests you. You do both by networking with humans, beginning with the ones you know and having those individuals give you referrals. You don't do it by going to LinkedIn and trying to find people who will speak to you. It's about stacking and connecting relationships, not praying someone will talk to you.
The book also lacked information on how to maintain records and relationships, and it's suggested communication tools were weak. The book also lacked personal stories, indicating that the author had never conducted the interviews for his own use. I'm always suspicious of teachers who haven't walked through the muck.
I'm sorry for the bad interview, but after doing informational interviews for years, and getting training, I was very disappointed in this text.
The book also lacked information on how to maintain records and relationships, and it's suggested communication tools were weak. The book also lacked personal stories, indicating that the author had never conducted the interviews for his own use. I'm always suspicious of teachers who haven't walked through the muck.
I'm sorry for the bad interview, but after doing informational interviews for years, and getting training, I was very disappointed in this text.
July 5, 2014
Most career planning books I've read help you to identify your skills, personality traits and interests, but they don't tell you how to take that self-knowledge and discover career options that are a good match.
What distinguishes Informational Interview Handbook from other books of the same genre is the Jeff Neil's `nuts and bolt's, practical strategies to help you discover good career options that `fit' you.
This book has several excellent chapters on how to use LinkedIn to find people who can give you the career advice and assistance you want. I knew LinkedIn could be helpful to my career, but these chapters were incredibly eye-opening and I finally understand how I can use LinkedIn to find many people who can help me identify good career options for me.
If you want to use Informational Interviews to help you achieve your career goals, put this book at the top of your reading list.
What distinguishes Informational Interview Handbook from other books of the same genre is the Jeff Neil's `nuts and bolt's, practical strategies to help you discover good career options that `fit' you.
This book has several excellent chapters on how to use LinkedIn to find people who can give you the career advice and assistance you want. I knew LinkedIn could be helpful to my career, but these chapters were incredibly eye-opening and I finally understand how I can use LinkedIn to find many people who can help me identify good career options for me.
If you want to use Informational Interviews to help you achieve your career goals, put this book at the top of your reading list.
February 25, 2015
I received this book from a Goodreads Firstreads Giveaway.
I didn't find this book helpful at all. There was way too much repetition in the first half of the book and it focused too much on LinkedIn, and the second half I fell asleep while reading, and couldn't focus over all the repetition to actually read.
The parts I could read, It read like it was supposed to be an e-book of some kind, with things like 'click here'. And when it referenced color in images, they should have used color in the images instead of black and white.
Seemed more like a pitch for selling services more then a helpful how-to book, and the 'ways to find people regardless of their settings on LinkedIn' was just down right scary. People use those settings for a reason after all.
All in all I think I'll go to another book. This one was just not well written in my opinion, and down right creepy.
I didn't find this book helpful at all. There was way too much repetition in the first half of the book and it focused too much on LinkedIn, and the second half I fell asleep while reading, and couldn't focus over all the repetition to actually read.
The parts I could read, It read like it was supposed to be an e-book of some kind, with things like 'click here'. And when it referenced color in images, they should have used color in the images instead of black and white.
Seemed more like a pitch for selling services more then a helpful how-to book, and the 'ways to find people regardless of their settings on LinkedIn' was just down right scary. People use those settings for a reason after all.
All in all I think I'll go to another book. This one was just not well written in my opinion, and down right creepy.
July 31, 2014
The best book ever! This book came to me at absolutely the right time! For anyone who wants to transition into a whole new profession, change employers in the same field, or simply get a job that is right for them, this is your book. 5 stars doesn't even begin to cover the ease of use, or the information contained within. Most people associate finding a new job with stress, a lot of hard work, and frustration. I used to be one of those people, however, the format, the easily laid out information was right on. I cannot wait to utilize the information on my next days off, when I can put in effort and see results. I am game and ready for a new profession that is right for me. I was a Goodreads winner of this book, and am very grateful it found it's way into my job seeking hands!
August 5, 2014
I received a copy of the Information Interview Handbook for an honest review. I am set in an IT job going on 28 years so I have the job down. This book would be perfect for college and grad students who have yet to have a career or a career plan. It's harder than you think for good jobs. I thought the book provided a lot of insights that are useful for people not tracking these type of questions job seekers should be asking. Actually, I am at a point it may be fun to go in a new direction so it's gratifying to review with this book and practice tactics I need to use and plan for my next phase in life. Changes take a leap of faith + preparation and doing your homework. This book provides a good start. Great refresher course for people like me thinking to make a career change.
June 10, 2014
I love that this book has extra value with the free bonus training videos. This valuable resource covers informational interviews, how to make the most of LinkedIn, how to effectively network
It also covers how to figure out a good career for yourself instead of just jumping from job to job just because there was an opening and you happened to ace the interview. It covers so much more that will assist you on your road to success, including how to put a good system in place for following up, which is the most important part after the interview.
I wish I had this book in my 20s … would have saved a lot of unhappiness along my career route!
It also covers how to figure out a good career for yourself instead of just jumping from job to job just because there was an opening and you happened to ace the interview. It covers so much more that will assist you on your road to success, including how to put a good system in place for following up, which is the most important part after the interview.
I wish I had this book in my 20s … would have saved a lot of unhappiness along my career route!
September 26, 2014
The Informational Interview Handbook is essential for someone who would love to do a career change and is not quite sure how to go about it. The author uses LinkedIn.com as a great source for finding ways to get informational interviews and information on what to look for in a job. Using this book, I am going to develop my LinkedIn account and all of its valuable information to find out what my niche is in this working world. The author has included so much information of how to use LinkedIn to your best ability to find the perfect sources to succeed.
I recommend this to anyone who would like to advance in the workplace, or even strike out on their own with an entirely new career.
I recommend this to anyone who would like to advance in the workplace, or even strike out on their own with an entirely new career.
August 7, 2014
It's difficult to rate a book like this. Some will find it more useful than others. There are definitely some good tips and samples in this slim book. Helpful for navigating LinkedIn, which is a large part of the book.
Want to read
August 12, 2014I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads and will rate once I have read the book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews