Purpose Professional networking is when you build relationships with other professionals both in your career field and in other related fields.The purpose of an informational interview is to encourage you to gather more information about a particular profession, company, individual or industry. It is an opportunity to approach a professional in order to ask specific questions about such things as skills needed to enter a field, educational requirements of a given profession, or the types of responsibilities that characterize a given job classification. It is also a valuable networking opportunity. Task A Plan for the Informational Interview 1. Refer to How to Arrange and Conduct an Informational Interview | Resume.com 2. Your personal network of family, friends, colleagues, professors, etc. might be able to put you in touch with someone who can help. Otherwise, you can look on social media (e.g., LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram) to find people who can help answer your questions. Ten Thousand Coffees is another option, and Centennial College has its own community. 3. Select a few possible candidates for an informational interview. Send out personalized connection requests to potential interviewees in the Toronto area. All messages must be written in English. Invite them to be interviewed. See sample informational interview request below. 4. Secure an informational interview with 1 individual. 5. The meeting should be in person, over the phone, or virtual (e.g., Teams, Zoom)it cannot be an email or message exchange. 6. When they reply you can ask for their availability time/days (if not already provided). Sample Informational Interview Request from Student Hello, Mr./ Ms./ Dr. _________________________, As a student studying at Centennnial College, Toronto, I am hoping to gather some career information from a professional such as yourself. I located your profile in LinkedIn and found your career path and work at __company__ to be very interesting. I would like to know if we can schedule a 20-minute informational interview in the next few weeks, as I would like to get some advice on how to launch my career in __area of study__.

I would be happy to schedule a phone or virtual interview at your convenience. I look forward to hearing back from you. Sincerely, Your Name Task B During the Interview 1. Have a learning goal in mind. What do you want to learn about from this person? 2. Prepare questions to ask them. Use the resources provided, such as 200 Informational Interview Questions to Ask | LiveCareer. 3. Ask your interviewee at least 5 meaningful questions. Questions could be regarding their work, career journey, advice they may have for you as a student, or their thoughts on the future of their field. 4. Keep an eye on the time. If you are getting close to the 20-minute mark, point it out. They can tell you if they feel comfortable going longer. Task C After the Interivew 1. Always write a follow-up note within 24 hours of the interview to thank the interview for their time and let them know how helpful they have been. 2. Prepare your assignment submission