Transitions at Work

An exploratory interview occurs when you are gathering information about a possible career, networking to meet decision makers in an industry or profession, or meeting someone who could be of help in a job search. An exploratory interview is not a formal job interview—it is meant to be more of a discussion and investigation of possibilities.

For example, your contact may have no interest in hiring at the moment, or they may be more valuable in introducing you to others in the field. At the same time, you want to impress them, so be prepared and have an idea of the topics you want to cover.

Here are ten tips—in the form of questions you can ask during an exploratory interview. Note that these questions are open-ended (which cannot be answered simply by a “yes” or “no” and stall the discussion).

1. How did you get your start in the business/industry?
2. When did you decide this industry/field/occupation was what you wanted to do?
3. What part of your college experience has been most helpful in your career?
4. What additional training and education have you pursued, if any? Why?
5. What on-the-job experience (sales, trading, managing large groups of people) do you think is most important?
6. What have been the keys to your success?
7. If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?.
8. What advice would you give to a newcomer to your business/industry? What mistakes do you think newcomers make when they start in your business/industry?
9. Besides your firm/business, what other companies are leaders in your field/industry?
10. Who would you suggest I should talk to if I want to pursue a career in this industry? Would you be comfortable introducing me to them?

Exploratory interviews are a great way to find out if a given industry or profession is a good fit. At the same time they can introduce you to decision-makers and industry leaders: remember that organizations are driven by people, and networks are made up of people. Finding like-minded people who share your interests and who can help can be a valuable part of an exploratory interview.

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