Happen To Your Career - Meaningful Work, Career Change, Career Design, & Job Search Why Informational Interviews Fail and the Career Change Strategy That Works Better
Aug 21, 2025
Discover why traditional informational interviews might be hindering your career progress. Learn about 'Test Drive Conversations'—a transformative approach to networking that builds genuine connections without directly asking for a job. This strategy not only increases your success rate significantly but also helps you validate your career direction quickly. Get practical tips for preparing effective conversations, fostering rapport, and exploring diverse career paths with insightful questions. It's all about creating meaningful relationships in your career journey!
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Why Informational Interviews Backfire
- Informational interviews often signal to people that you're implicitly asking for a job, which triggers guarded responses.
- Scott Anthony Barlow argues this perception makes them less effective for career pivots and senior professionals.
Test Drive Conversations Over Info Interviews
- Use Test Drive Conversations to intentionally test career hypotheses and gather rapid feedback.
- Treat them as short experiments to validate your Ideal Career Profile before committing.
The Four Milestones For Career Change
- Career discovery requires four milestones: set the stage, create an ICP, experiment, and make it happen.
- Experimentation reduces risk and reveals what actually fits you versus what you imagine.
