The person you interviewed has invested time in you, and most likely, they want their investment to pay off. He or she will want to know what you do with the information they have given you, which gives you a great opportunity to stay in touch and build your relationship.
If you’re using informational interviews to look for a new job, chances are no first informational interview with a person will lead to a job interview. But an opportunity could quickly appear.
Staying in touch creates the possibility that a person you interview can refer you to appropriate job openings discovered in his or her own company or at another employer.
To build your credibility, maintain your visibility, and create a healthy give-and-take relationship with those you interview, follow up every 3 to 4 weeks (until you accomplish the goals you have for your informational interviews) by sending something of interest to them, such as:
- Share any outcomes from the actions they recommended in their informational interview.
- Let them know about any additional informational interviews you’ve had and what you learned.
- Update them on your career and job search progress.
- Email an interesting article, report or white paper to them about their industry.
- Let them know about upcoming industry meetings, lectures, and workshops in the area.
- Tell them about a course or program you recently completed that makes you a stronger candidate.
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