Concept
TIARA Questions
TIARA questions are a five-part sequence (Trends, Insights, Advice, Resources, Assignments) for informational interviews that invites an insider to share their story and guidance instead of being asked for a job.
Steve Dalton built TIARA for the moment most job seekers spoil. The insider has agreed to talk, and the urge to ask about openings creeps in. That one question turns a helper into a gatekeeper. TIARA keeps the conversation where people enjoy being: their field and their own path. The order is deliberate. Trends and insights start on safe, professional ground. Advice, resources and assignments move gradually toward the personal, where people reveal what actually moved them forward. Every answer also hands you something to follow up on: names, projects, things to read. The goal is that the insider finishes the call having enjoyed it and wanting to help. A referral may come, but only as a result of the trust you built. It is never the agenda. You leave with one concrete next step.
A real-life example
Dana, a teacher moving into instructional design, gets twenty minutes with a learning lead at a software company. She asks what trend is reshaping his team, what surprised him most about the role, what he would do in her position, what she should read, and which project prepared him best. He suggests a portfolio piece and offers to introduce her to a colleague who is hiring next quarter. She never asked for a job.
How to use it
- 1Before the call, write one question per letter, such as "What trend is changing your work most right now?" and "Which project best prepared you for this role?"
- 2Let them do most of the talking. Follow the answers they light up about instead of racing to finish your list.
- 3Close by asking for one concrete next step, such as a person to speak with or a resource to read. Send thanks the same day, then report back later on how their advice worked out.