Informational-Interview Career Entry
Explore an industry through conversations before choosing a role
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 93%
The method treats career choice as a structured research process. First, map the major functions within the target industry rather than treating it as one homogeneous career. Then conduct informational conversations with practitioners from each function, asking about responsibilities, skills, constraints, and career paths. Compare the answers to understand both the industry and personal fit. Repeating the process produces two direct benefits: deeper knowledge and a better-informed decision about whether and where to enter. It also creates relationships naturally; because the candidate demonstrates sustained curiosity and develops relevant context, one of the people interviewed may eventually become a hiring connection. The mechanism works best when learning is the primary goal and employment is a possible by-product.
Origin
Luis Berruga offered this process to graduates interested in investing, asset management, or ETFs during Masters in Business.
Core principles
- 01Learn an industry directly from people doing its different jobs
- 02Sample multiple functions before choosing a career path
- 03Use consistency to compound knowledge and relationships
- 04Treat networking as informed exploration rather than immediate solicitation
How to run it
- 1
Map the industry
Break the target industry into its major teams, functions, and career paths. Identify the areas you understand least.
Pro tip Include operational and product roles, not only the industry’s most visible jobs.
Watch out Talking only to one function can create a distorted picture of the whole field.
- 2
Build a varied contact list
Find practitioners across junior, mid-level, and senior roles in each relevant function. Prioritize diversity of experience over prestige.
Pro tip Ask each contact to suggest another role or person you should understand.
Watch out Do not approach every conversation as a disguised request for employment.
- 3
Conduct focused interviews
Ask what the person does, what skills matter, what surprises newcomers, and how the function interacts with other teams. Keep the conversation concise and prepared.
Pro tip Use a common core of questions so answers can be compared across roles.
Watch out Generic questions waste the access and produce generic answers.
- 4
Synthesize the evidence
After each conversation, record recurring themes, trade-offs, required skills, and signs of personal fit. Update your understanding as patterns emerge.
Pro tip Separate what one person prefers from what appears consistently across interviews.
Watch out Do not make a career decision from one unusually positive or negative account.
- 5
Choose and follow through
Use the accumulated evidence to select a role, reject the industry, or identify skills to build first. Thank participants and maintain the relationships without forcing an immediate outcome.
Pro tip Share a brief update when someone’s advice materially shapes your next step.
Watch out Networking loses credibility when contact stops as soon as no vacancy appears.
In the wild
A graduate speaks with portfolio managers, product-development professionals, and research analysts. The conversations reveal that the graduate enjoys translating research into investable products more than daily portfolio operations, so they target product-analyst roles and build relevant skills.
→ The candidate makes an informed role choice and enters interviews with a realistic understanding of the industry.
A banking employee interviews people in engineering, compliance, partnerships, and product management at fintech companies. The interviews reveal that product management best matches their domain knowledge and communication strengths.
→ The employee narrows the transition, closes specific skill gaps, and gains several credible industry relationships.
Common mistakes
Interviewing only prominent leaders
Senior executives provide valuable perspective but may be far removed from the daily work an entrant will perform. Include practitioners at several levels.
Asking for a job immediately
Leading with a request for employment weakens the learning process and can make the conversation feel transactional.
Collecting conversations without synthesis
Networking activity alone does not improve a decision. Capture patterns and use them to revise the career hypothesis.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for graduates and career changers who know an industry interests them but do not yet understand where they fit.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for someone seeking an immediate shortcut to a job without investing in genuine learning and relationship building.
From the transcript
“I think it would be to just try to talk to as many people in the industry as as you can.”
“One is that you will learn a lot about the industry too. Whenever you make the final decision of entering the industry, that decision will…”
“I would not be surprised if you end up working for one of the people that you actually interviewed over that kind of networking process”
From the episode
Luis Berruga on ETF Investments
Luis Berruga