Resources | Snapp - Skilled Newcomers and Professionals Partnership

An informational interview is a casual chat with someone working in a field that you'd like to learn about. The goal is to meet with someone who works in a particular industry or company, to get information about their job, career path, work culture, challenges, industry, or company. This is not a job interview. Local professionals are invited to share advice and experiences, rather than job offers.
Even though it is a casual chat, we encourage you to use professional communication, and use email unless you have expressed consent from your matched partner to use other communication channels. Keep confidential any personal or professional experiences shared by your matched partner.
In setting up your meet-up, be mindful of time. Be sure to communicate with your matched partner in a timely manner, and show up on time. Keep your number of questions to what is answerable within the suggested 1 hour timeframe.

Conversation tips

Lead the conversation: Prepare to introduce yourself, where you are in your employment journey, and why you're participating in Snapp. Remember, you've been matched with this person because they are eager to support you. By providing them some context on what information you are looking for, you help them understand how they can support you.
Prepare questions: You are matched with your partner to discuss specific employment advice areas. Prepare questions before the meet-up to help you dive into these areas. You may want to email your questions in advance. Below are some sample questions. For certain advice areas, you can ask if your partner would like to help review certain documents (eg. resume, cover letter, etc.). You may want to share these supporting documents in advance.
Thank them for their time: Thank your matched partner for taking the time to share insights with you, and complete the feedback survey on what they did well and what they can work on. This helps them to also learn from the experience!

Start by asking: Conducting informational interviews or coffee chats can be foreign and nerve-wracking. You can make the conversation feel safe with open-ended questions like "What can I do to make this meet-up helpful for you?" or "What interests you about my field?" Also, ask permission before providing feedback, eg. "You mentioned... May I provide some feedback?" In advance of the meet-up, you can also ask your matched partner if they have questions they want to discuss for the meet-up.
Be curious about the differences: Because we all come from different cultures, some accepted practices from one's workplace may be entirely new or different from another's. It can be helpful to uncover blind spots by checking in with your matched partner about what work culture is like from their country of origin and how it compares to what you know.
Share resources: When you complete the feedback survey after the meet-up, you have the opportunity to share any additional resources or tips with your matched partner. This helps them to get even more out of the experience!

What is your typical workday like? How would you describe your workplace culture?
What do you wish you had known when you were job-seeking or starting out?
What do you recommend I do or read to stay current in this field?
What might I be missing?

What would you like to accomplish?
What have you tried so far? What progress have you made? What do you think is stopping you?
What do you think you need to do next? What could you do differently?
How will you go about it? What resources can help you?

In your field, what qualifications are you typically looking for in a resume or cover letter?
What are some key skills I should highlight?
What are the important keywords to include in a resume or cover letter when job hunting in the field?
Which of my skills are strong compared to other job seekers?

What are some common interview questions or formats? How do you recommend preparing?
Can we run through some mock interview questions? How would you respond to [this interview question]?

What steps are necessary to break into this field (eg. exam, union membership)? How important are certain certifications or association memberships?
What is the recertification process like? How much does it cost? What do you recommend?
What are some related or alternative occupations?

What events or groups to you suggest I check out? What professional organizations or groups should I follow?
What do you recommend for meeting other professionals in this field?
Can you suggest others who might be valuable sources for me?
How do you approach networking? What are your best practices for getting the most out of networking events?

What kinds of courses or educational programs do you recommend before or while I proceed with my job search? Which ones are must-have? Which ones are nice-to-have? How much do these cost?
What degree or certificate do employers look for?
What skills are required in your position? How can I build these skills?

What salary range can I expect if I entered this field? What is the long-term potential?
How does it work for me to become self-employed in this field? What do I need to know about starting a business?
What should I know regarding labour regulations in this field? What should I know about: getting fired or laid off, hurt at work, holidays, vacation, overtime, not getting paid? Who should I talk to?

How are the employment prospects in this city? Where are the best employment prospects?
Is this field growing? How has the industry changed?
What changes in this field do you think could affect future opportunities?
How does your company compare with others in this industry?
Where can I get up-to-date information on salaries, employers, and other industry insights?

As a skilled newcomer, what did you find most helpful for you in your job search?
How did you get settled here?
What do you wish you had known earlier?
What advice can you share from your experience?