Although it has an imposing name, informational interviewing is nothing more than talking to people to gather more information about a particular job. It is a critical part of your research and job-search process, and it’s the best way to find out if a job is actually of interest to you. Talking to people will give you information that you cannot learn from reading. You might ask people about what they do, their career path, their industry, or their company. Most people want to be helpful, and many people enjoy speaking to others about what they know. If you are interested in learning more about a certain career path or what it is like to work for a particular company, you need to find people who know something about those things. Ask everyone you know for introductions to people who could give you the kind of information you are looking for. Ask every person you speak with to help you find additional people to speak with. The process of talking to as many people as possible can help you narrow down what you want to do.

People often ask me how to contact someone for an informational interview. For most people, sending them an e-mail, if you have their address, is fine. If not, a telephone message will work just as well. If you got their name and contact information from someone else, say, “So-and-so suggested I call you. I am looking for information about [job or company], and I was wondering if we could find some time to have a...

If you don't even know how to start, follow this well-defined process for finding your career direction.

1. Identify your values. The first step in finding a fulfilling career  is to get clear on what is important to you—in other words, identifying your values. Remember that the set of values you hold dear today will change during your life. For example, when you first get out of college, you may identify adventure, intellectual stimulation, and friendship as strong values. At another time in your life, you may prioritize family, learning, and friendship. It’s likely that no one job will honor all of your values, but it is important to understand what your values are so you know what trade-offs you are willing to make.

2. Identify your interests. You can identify your interests by paying attention to what you like to do. Spend some time reflecting on what you really enjoy. Notice what you enjoy talking about. What sorts of newspaper or magazine articles do you like to read? What television shows do you enjoy watching and why? Do you have hobbies? What is it about these activities that you like? Keep lists of these things and notice the themes that arise. Some of these themes may translate into a career.

3. Identify your skills and strengths. Everyone has some. As you start to identify yours, make sure you recognize the things you like to do—and don’t like to do—as well. For example, you may be...

Networking. The word seems to instill fear in most people’s hearts. I like to think of it as consciously creating relationships. As you network, you really are creating relationships with people. You never know where these relationships might lead. The people you are meeting may be in your life for just that one meeting, or they could become your new best friend, introduce you to your partner, hire you when they move to their next job, send you a listing for a job you get—or you might hire them in five years. You just never know.

Who is your network? Everyone you know is the beginning of your network. Your friends, your family, friends of your parents, people from your church or synagogue or volunteer life, your cousin’s wife’s brother-in-law, people you sit next to at a dinner party. Your job is to tell everyone you know that you are looking for people to talk to about your area of interest. For example, if you are interested in health care, ask if they know anyone who works in the field and whether they will introduce you.

How do you use your network? Keep talking to everyone (see the page on informational interviewing in the first chapter). Ask everyone you speak with to suggest other people for you to contact. Sometimes, people you have never met before will open their entire Rolodexes to you. In fact, it’s only when you get to two or three people outside of your familiar circle (according to those who study...

In today’s world, you should absolutely use the Internet to get leads for your job search—just be sure not to rely on it as your only source of job leads. Company Web sites, job search sites like Monster.com, your alumni network, and others are all sources of leads—and, of course, great sources of research about what kinds of jobs are available and who is hiring. Just remember, when you respond to a lead from the Internet, yours may be one of several hundred faceless résumés someone is reviewing. It can be discouraging to send résumés out and receive only silence in response, but if you’re not called, don’t take it personally.

Keep in mind, however, that personal connections are still the best way to get a job. In fact, 80 percent of job seekers find their jobs through personal connections. People you know will introduce you to hiring managers, and then your résumé will no longer be faceless. That’s why you cannot rely on the Internet as your sole source of job leads—but don’t ignore it as a possibility.

When applying for a job many people take the risk of exaggerating their education, skills, knowledge, ability, and experience. Perhaps they think they’ll never get caught in a lie, but they’re wrong. Lying, or even overstatements, can cost you the job.

Today, most employers conduct a background check on all applicants. Depending on the employer and the nature of the job, the background check may include verification of the applicant’s prior employment, education, credit history, criminal conviction history and other sensitive information. Even if an employer finds out negative information about an applicant through a background check, he still may consider the applicant for employment. But if the employer learns that an applicant has not been honest in the application process, he probably won’t hire the applicant at all. Despite the temptation to misstate or enhance information, the applicant will benefit more from being honest and straightforward.

Try to turn negative history into a positive statement: “I have a lot of experience and am proud of my ability to manage corporate budgets. If I had put half of this corporate diligence into the management of my personal affairs my credit rating would not be anywhere near as bad as it is.”

1. Practice, practice, practice. Look at lists of potential questions and write out your answers. Know what case you want to make for yourself; be specific about what strengths, skills, and experience you have; and be prepared with examples of how you used them and how that relates to the position you are interviewing for.

2. Study. Read the job description and know your résumé. Find out about the company and about the field you are interested in entering. If you can, read up about the people you are going to interview with.

3. Prepare stories. Go through your résumé and prepare at least three or four stories that you can tell about your experience. These stories should illustrate how your background qualifies you for the job you are interviewing for.

4. Prepare to turn the negative into a positive. Everyone has something in their background they don’t want to address. Prepare to counter the negatives you may have to address with a positive outcome or interpretation.

Dress professionally and appropriately for a job interview. My rule of thumb is to dress one step more formally than the style of clothes people generally wear at the place you are interviewing. If the dress code is formal, wear a business suit. If the dress code is business casual, dress slightly more formally than that. Do not wear flip-flops, jeans, low-cut tops, or T-shirts—unless, of course, you are interviewing to be a lifeguard or camp counselor.

Remember that dress code, in addition to being variable by industry and company, is also variable by geography. The Northeast—particularly New York City—tends to require more formal business attire than Silicon Valley in California. Make sure you do a little research before your interview to find out what the dress code is. You want to make a good impression, showing your interviewers that you are an adult, ready to work in the adult world.

I’ll never forget my first on-campus interview when I was graduating from college. When the interviewer said, “Tell me about yourself,” I started with where I grew up and told my life story from there. I didn’t get the job.

When interviewers say, “Tell me about yourself,” they aren’t giving you carte blanche to tell them every little thing. You should prepare for this question and its sibling: “Walk me through your résumé.” Essentially, you want to build a story that explains how your background has given you a unique set of experiences that qualifies you for this job. You don’t want to go into too much detail; they can ask for more detail in the interview. Start with something like, “I’ve always wanted to do ... ” or “The reason I am here is ... ” Then, begin walking them through your relevant experience (relevant being a key word). Make specific points about how your experience qualifies you for the job. And be succinct, but ask if they want more detail about any particular point.

At some point in an interview you will be asked, “What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?” My college’s career center recommended that you state a weakness that could also be seen as something positive for the company, like, “I’m a perfectionist. I work too hard to make sure my projects are 100 percent.” When I interview people, I’m actually looking for evidence of self-reflection and an ability to learn—although I am not looking for what you are working on in therapy. My recommendation? Choose one of your strengths, talk about how you rely too much on it, and then explain what you are doing to address it. For example, if you are a perfectionist, talk about how perfectionism both serves you and sometimes gets in your way, and what steps you are taking to recognize the difference.

… after each interview. Do not agonize over the content; a thank-you note will not get you a job. Most people will have decided whether or not to offer you a job before you even leave the building, but occasionally, the lack of a thank-you note will be noticed. So, just do it, quickly, with good grammar and perfect spelling. Thank your interviewer for spending time with you, and briefly (in three to four sentences) make the case again about why you are qualified for the job. You may want to make a specific reference to something you discussed in the interview. If there is something you think you forgot to tell about yourself, and you believe it is important, briefly mention it. And reiterate your interest in the position. For most jobs in most industries these days, it is perfectly acceptable to send a thank-you e-mail. Make sure you get the interviewer’s business card so you have the right title and both snail and e-mail addresses. And send it quickly—at least by the following day.

In your job interview,  you will be asked if you if you have any questions. In addition to specific questions about the job and company, ask about your prospective boss and his or her management style. While you may not like the answers you receive, you will probably get a sense of whether someone would be a good boss for you.

Some possible questions are:

• What would your expectations be of me if I were working for you?

• What is your management style?

• How would you measure success?

• What are the other people I would work with like?

When interviewing with prospective co-workers, ask similar questions. Specifically, ask, “What is it like to work for this person?” You’ll learn a lot from the answer.