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A contact recently forwarded my resume to a state agency General Counsel office explaining they were holding informational meetings. My contact informed me they are not officially hiring. The office contacted me within 24 hours and has set up a meeting. Since I'm still looking for a job before graduation I gladly welcomed this opportunity. However, this meeting is definitely looking like an interview instead of just a meeting. I will be meeting with the General Counsel, Managing Counsel, and Director for Legislative Affairs.

Question: What should I be expecting in and out of this meeting? I haven't had many informal meetings and am not very sure how they work. Will it be me asking them the most questions or the other way around?

Any advice would be helpful.

If it's an informational interview you should be prepared with enough questions to fill the time. The main difference is that during an informational interview you don't have to worry as much about trying to sell yourself for a particular position. If they're actually not hiring this may just be a courtesy to you (and your contact) so that you can learn about what their jobs are like and the work that they do. Some employers use informational interviews to gain information about potential hires for when a position opens, but others are purely informational without any intention to hire in the future. Nevertheless, making a good impression is still important, so do the same level of prep that you would for a real interview. If you impress them, maybe they'll come back to you when they're actually hiring, but either way you'll hopefully make a professional connection.