Information Interview: Friend or Foe?
An interesting discussion took place on Julie Rusciolelli’s PR Maven blog a couple of months ago regarding PR students and information interviews.
Being a public relations student, I’ve heard the term “information interview” float freely through the lobbies and lecture halls of my college since I started school back in January. From what I understand, academia has been having a love affair with the information interview for a long time. It’s a great way for students to tap into the knowledge of an experienced practitioner and make valuable connections in the PR community.
But is the information interview becoming outdated?
As pointed out in the post on PR Maven, the internet has become an excellent source of information for students looking to get into public relations. The increasing popularity of social media is making it easier for students to tap into the thoughts of industry leaders without actually having to meet with them.
Has technology transformed the information interview into nothing more than a job interview in disguise? Are students really going in for information, or are they just looking for the quickest way to get a foot in the door?