By Meg Guiseppe

Informational interviews are ones that you pursue yourself, to learn more about your target companies, which again, is part of your due diligence.

They are informal conversations with people working at the companies and in the fields in which you want to work, or people who are within a few degrees of separation from them.

This is not a job interview and these people do not hold the reins on any particular jobs, so asking for a job is never part of the conversation.

Once you’ve set up (probably virtual) meetings with the people you want to have these conversations with, prepare questions such as these suggested by job search expert Hannah Morgan:

• Did anything surprise you about working in your role or in this industry?
• What does a normal day look like for you?
• What types of decisions are most important for someone in your role?
• What made you want to work in this industry?
• Have you found it difficult to maintain a healthy work/life balance in this industry?
• Are you involved with any notable projects you can tell me about?
• What part of your work is the most rewarding?
• What do you like least about your job?
• What is the most challenging thing about your job?
• Do you have any unconventional skills or experiences that help you today?
• What is the company culture like?

Read more in my Guide To Informational Interviews for Executive Job Search