Informational Interviewing: Obtaining Important Information from Other People

Course Description:

Informational interviewing is a process of obtaining important information from other people. Built on practices employed by good journalists, informational interviewing is a powerful method of finding out what's really going on. Journalists, however, are not the only people engaged in informational interviewing. Every day, whether for fifteen minutes on the telephone or three hours in someone's place of business, professionals from various lines of work are conducting informational interviews to explore new careers, to assess customer needs, to learn about best practices, or to pursue a wide variety of other interests.

This one day workshop focuses on the skills needed to practice effective informational interviewing. Regardless of participants' backgrounds and experience, the program will offer participants the information needed to organize, manage, and apply learning in practical and creative ways.

Key objectives:

Learn the benefits of good interviewing skills

Identify the organizational and interpersonal skills of good interviewers

Develop an awareness of how to conduct an effective interview and to realize when an effective interview has occurred

Refine and test learning prior to on-the-job application

Create methods that inspire confidence and that engender enthusiasm for and enjoyment of informational interviewing.