The Info Interview Podcast captures the messages of a real informational interview and makes it available to an unlimited number of listeners. But what are info interviews?

Informational interviews are useful networking and job hunting tools at many stages of a career in which a job seeker approaches and invites an employee of a firm or field to meet over the phone or coffee to chat.

Without a current job opening or a promise of future employment, seekers can gain useful information about a company, market or field from meeting with someone in the business. The meeting also establishes a professional network connection between the seeker and a potentially influential person in the a future hiring decision or a person who can make additional introductions to other potential employers.

Benefits to employers who agree to interviews are a little more limited. They tend to be more beneficial to the job seeker, but they may do it to be nice, show good-will in the community or as a favor to a mutual acquaintance of the seeker.