Like Referral Interviewing, Informational Interviewing became a relatively effective indirect method to meet with a decision maker and then obtain a referral to the decision maker's personal network. The effectiveness of Informational Interviewing as a job search strategy has diminished greatly over time through overuse and a changing job market, and is minimally effective today. In addition to the candidate being perceived as less than forthright about his or her intentions, the candidate may also be seen as less than clear about his or her career goals, thus making the candidate a greater employment risk. It is not a valid career planning tool when it is used as a job search ploy. Typically you would start with a letter or e-mail for all but the closest contacts to prepare them and allow some thought to your situation, and then follow up with a more personal call or meeting.
Personal referrals can be very valuable in a job search when they lead to appropriate contacts.
Ideally, cultivating a network of career-related contacts is something that should be done throughout your career, rather than started at the onset of a job search. However, don't disregard networking if you haven't started early, include it along with other job search strategies. The emphasis here is on mailing, e-mailing, or faxing large quantities of personalized letters and resumes to decision makers. This is different from the less effective traditional strategy of mass mailing letters and resumes to generic recipients like the Human Resources Department. The approach to the decision maker you would take is straightforward, i.e., you are in fact looking for a job.