As I define it, an informational interview is a chance to semi-formally speak with someone in your field (or a field you aspire to be in) and learn what you need to know to be successful. As an IT person you should already know the value of staying "in the know" about what's coming down the pipeline in terms of the next great application, framework, programming language, hardware, etc. An informational interview allows you to not only stay on top of the industry trends but more importantly keep on top of the non-technical aspects of your career.

As more and more jobs head overseas in this flatter planet trend, it is even more important for you to stay on top of more than just the latest optimized code. Unless you're planning to relocate with the off shoring trend, you need to understand what your strengths are and where you fit in with the ever-evolving versatile workforce.

Let me share with you the top 4 reasons why informational interviews are the key to successful transitions (even if you're not yet in transition).

1) You get to gather knowledge from someone who has "been there/done that."

Why recreate the wheel when you can learn lessons from someone already doing the type of work you'd like to be doing? You wouldn't hesitate to surf the net and learn best practices for coding something or configuring a piece of software, so why hesitate when it comes to the intangibles of your career aspirations?

Find someone in your organization or elsewhere that is doing the type of work you'd most like to do in the future. Approach them with the simple request of "Would you be willing to spend 30 minutes talking with me about your success and the work you do?" While some people may say no (don't take it personally, just thank them and move on), you'd be surprised at how many people at all levels of the organization will say yes. After all, at the core, most people like to give back and support others in reaching their goals.

2) It expands your network.

In today's professional environment it is about what you know and who you know. There's no skipping on competence, but all things being equal having connections is more likely to get you new opportunities. At least 60 percent of all jobs are found through networking (http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/networking/a/networking.htm) . An informational interview is about gaining knowledge and expanding your network in a way that benefits all parties involved. It is not all give or take, but a nice mix of both.

3) Gives you real-world knowledge about the work you'd like to do.

Dreaming about and doing are two different things. Wouldn't you like to know the real-world perspective of what it is like to do the type of work you aspire to before you work like a dog to make it happen? You don't want to climb a ladder only to get to the top and realize it was leaning on the wrong wall and you hate it up there. A lot of jobs look and sound more glamorous then they are. We've all seen technical experts get promoted to management and then stink at it (and hate it as well). Why? They thrive working with things and do not enjoy or are not good at working with people. Learn the real deal about the type of work you want to do early on from someone actually doing it so you can assure a good fit.