Informational Interviews: How to Ask, What to Ask, and Follow Up

You want to know what a job is really like before you spend months chasing it. Job posts are vague, company pages are polished, and online forums are full of extremes. The fastest way to get a straight answer is to ask someone who does the work. That's what an informational interview is for.

An informational interview is a short, informal conversation where you ask a person about their role, their path, and their field. You're not applying for anything. You're learning, and you're building a relationship with someone who may remember you when an opening appears.

This guide shows you who to ask, the exact emails and messages to send, the questions worth your limited minutes, a 20-minute agenda, and the follow-up sequence that turns one conversation into a lasting contact.

What an informational interview is (and what it isn't)#

An informational interview is a conversation you request to gather information. The other person is the expert. You ask the questions, take notes, and leave with a clearer picture of a career path, plus names of other people to talk to.

USC Bovard College describes it as an informal conversation that helps you learn about a career path, get job search advice, and build a professional connection, and it's explicit that you shouldn't expect a job offer. That's the right frame. The moment you treat it as a back-door application, the conversation gets awkward.

Informational interview vs job interview vs coffee chat#

People blur these three. The differences matter because they change who leads, what you bring, and what you can ask for.

What you can realistically get out of one#

Set expectations before you send a single message. A good informational interview can give you:

• Ground truth about daily tasks, pace, tools, and the parts of the job no one advertises
• Language to use on your resume and in interviews, because you'll hear how insiders describe the work
• A reality check on whether your background is a fit, and what gap you'd need to close
• Two or three new names, which is how one conversation becomes a network
• A warm contact who might mention you, forward a posting, or offer a referral later

What you shouldn't expect is a job offer, an immediate referral, or a resume rewrite. Those can happen, but they're side effects, not the goal.

Why informational interviews still work#

Most job seekers default to the same channel: applying online. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey data shows how lopsided that is. In 2025, among unemployed people actively looking for work, 56.1% sent out resumes or filled out applications, while only 23.7% contacted friends or relatives. The average jobseeker used just 1.8 search methods.

That gap is your opening. If most people compete in the application pile, a handful of good conversations puts you in a smaller, warmer pool.

Weak ties matter more than you think#

You don't need close friends in your target field. A large study run with LinkedIn data, co-directed by MIT Sloan's Sinan Aral and published in Science, tracked about 20 million users over five years. It found that moderately weak ties were the most useful for job mobility, and that usefulness dropped once two people shared more than about 10 mutual connections.

In plain terms: the alum you've never met, or the friend of a former coworker, may help you more than your closest contacts. Those people move in circles you don't, so they hear about openings you won't. Informational interviews are the most natural way to create and strengthen exactly those ties.

What makes them different from cold applications#

An application asks a stranger to judge you in seconds. An informational interview asks a stranger to share what they know for 20 minutes. The second request is easier to grant, and it lets the other person see how you think, how prepared you are, and how you handle a conversation. That impression is what they carry into any later referral decision.

Who to ask for an informational interview#

Your best targets are people one or two steps ahead of where you want to be. Someone who got the job you want within the last few years remembers the path clearly. A senior executive can offer perspective, but they're harder to reach and further from the entry point.

Map your network in three rings#

Start close and work outward. Each ring has a different response rate and needs a different kind of message.

Work the first three rings before you go cold. An introduction from a mutual contact does most of the persuading for you.

How to find the right people#

• Search your school's alumni directory or LinkedIn's alumni view for people in the company, role, or city you're targeting.
• Ask every contact the same question: "Who's the best person you know in [field]?" One good answer can open a whole branch of your network.
• Look at who speaks, writes, or posts about the work you want. People who share publicly are often open to questions.
• Check professional associations and meetups. Members tend to welcome newcomers, especially ones who've done their homework.

Who not to ask first#

Don't open with the hiring manager for a role you've just applied to. That reads as a pressure tactic, not curiosity. Likewise, skip the CEO of a 5,000-person company unless you have a real connection. Start with practitioners who do the work today, then let them introduce you upward.

How to ask for an informational interview#

A good request is short, specific, and easy to say yes to. People decline vague asks ("Can I pick your brain?") because they can't tell how much time or effort you want.

The five parts of a strong request#

1. Connection or reason. Say how you found them or what you share: a school, a former employer, a mutual contact, a talk they gave.
2. Who you are, in one sentence. Your current role or situation and what you're exploring.
3. Why them, specifically. Name the thing about their path that makes their view valuable to you.
4. A small, bounded ask. Request 15 to 20 minutes by phone or video at their convenience.
5. An easy out. Make it clear that a no, or a later date, is completely fine.

Keep the whole message under 150 words. If it needs scrolling, it's too long.

Template: request through a mutual contact#

Template: alumni outreach#

Template: cold outreach to someone you found online#

Subject lines that get opened#

Your subject line has one job: make the email look personal and safe to open. Lead with the strongest connection you have.

Avoid subject lines like "Quick favor" or "Networking request." They sound like mass outreach and get skipped.

Shorter version for a LinkedIn message#

LinkedIn messages need to be much tighter than email. LinkedIn's Help Center says a personalized invitation note can be up to 200 characters, and members without Premium can personalize only three invitations a month. Lead with the shared link, name your ask in one line, and save details for after they accept. Our guide to LinkedIn connection request messages covers wording for notes, and the LinkedIn Connection Message Generator can draft a short version for you.

What to do when they don't reply#

Silence is normal. People get buried in email, miss LinkedIn messages, or mean to reply and forget. A polite follow-up recovers a surprising share of those requests.

A simple follow-up cadence#

Never send more than two follow-ups. Three or more messages without a reply crosses from persistent into pushy. If you want help drafting these, the Networking Email Generator writes outreach and follow-ups for alumni, referrals, and informational interviews.

How to prepare for an informational interview#

You need about an hour of preparation for a 20-minute conversation. That sounds like a lot, but it's what separates a useful call from a generic one.

Research checklist#

• Read their LinkedIn profile, including past roles, education, and recent posts
• Skim their company's recent news, product launches, or annual report highlights
• Look up the occupation on O*NET OnLine, which lists typical tasks, skills, and software for over 1,000 occupations
• Check the role's pay and outlook in the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook so you don't spend minutes on facts you can look up
• Write your 20-second introduction
• Draft 8 to 12 questions and star the 5 or 6 that matter most
• Test your video link, audio, and camera if the call is virtual

Doing the basic research yourself shows respect. It also frees your questions for the things only an insider can answer: judgment, culture, trade-offs, and what actually gets people hired.

Write a 20-second introduction#

They'll almost certainly ask about you. Have a short answer ready that covers where you are, what you're exploring, and why. The elevator pitch examples guide walks through the structure, and the Elevator Pitch Generator can give you a draft to trim.

The best questions to ask in an informational interview#

Prepare more questions than you'll use. Conversations wander, and the best ones follow the other person's energy. Group your questions so you can jump to the right set quickly.

Questions about the day-to-day work#

• What does a typical week look like, and how much of it is meetings versus focused work?
• Which tools or software do you use most?
• What part of the job surprised you most when you started?
• What kinds of problems take up most of your time?

Questions about their career path#

• How did you get into this role, and was it a planned move or a lucky break?
• Which past experience turned out to be most useful here?
• If you were starting over today, what would you do differently?
• What did your first year in this role teach you?

Questions about the field and company#

• How is this field changing, and which skills are becoming more valuable?
• What separates people who do well here from people who struggle?
• How do teams like yours usually hire: referrals, recruiters, or postings?
• Which companies or teams are known for doing this work well?

Questions for career changers and new grads#

• Looking at my background, what would you see as my biggest gap?
• What's the most realistic entry point for someone coming from my field?
• Which certifications or courses actually matter, and which are noise?
• What would make a resume like mine stand out to you?

Questions to close with#

Always end with these two. They create your next step without asking for a job.

• Is there anyone else you think I should talk to?
• May I follow up with you if I have a question later?

How to pick which questions to use#

Not every question earns a slot. Use this table to decide which ones to prioritize based on what you need most.

Questions to avoid#

Some questions waste time or damage the impression you're trying to make.

How to run a 20-minute informational interview#

Treat the agenda as a guide, not a script. The goal is a real conversation that happens to cover your priorities.

A minute-by-minute agenda#

1. Minutes 0 to 2: Thank them, confirm how much time they have, and give your 20-second introduction.
2. Minutes 2 to 9: Ask about their path and daily work. Let them tell stories and follow up on anything interesting.
3. Minutes 9 to 15: Move to the field, the skills that matter, and how people get hired.
4. Minutes 15 to 18: Share your situation briefly and ask what they'd do in your position.
5. Minutes 18 to 20: Ask who else you should talk to, thank them, and end on time.

At minute 18, say something like, "I want to respect your time. Before we wrap, is there anyone else you'd suggest I speak with?" If they want to keep going, they'll say so.

Virtual, phone, or in person#

Pick the format that's easiest for them, not you. Each has its own small rules.

Taking notes without losing the thread#

Ask once at the start: "Do you mind if I take a few notes?" Jot keywords, not sentences. Right after the call, spend ten minutes writing up the details while they're fresh: the advice you got, any names they mentioned, and anything you promised to send.

Informational interview etiquette#

Small courtesies decide whether people remember you as thoughtful or as one more person who wanted something.

Do#

• Confirm the day before with a one-line message and the meeting link or location
• Start and end on time, even if the conversation is going well
• Listen more than you talk; let them do most of the talking
• Mirror their formality in dress, tone, and how you address them
• Offer something back, such as an article on a topic they mentioned or a contact they'd value

Don't#

• Arrive unprepared with questions you could answer from their profile
• Pitch yourself for more than your short introduction
• Record without asking, and if you do ask, accept a no gracefully
• Ask for confidential information about their employer
• Disappear afterward, which wastes the goodwill you just earned

How to follow up after an informational interview#

The follow-up is where most people stop, and where the real value starts. A thank-you closes the meeting. An update weeks later builds the relationship.

The thank-you email (within 24 hours)#

Reference one specific idea you'll use. That proves you listened and gives them the satisfaction of having helped.

If you're writing several of these in a week, the thank-you email after an interview guide covers timing and tone in more depth.

The update email (3 to 6 weeks later)#

This is the message that makes people want to help you again. Report what you did with their advice and what happened.

When and how to ask for a referral#

Ask for a referral only when three things are true: you've had a real conversation, you've followed up at least once, and there's a specific opening that fits you. Make it easy to say no, and give them everything they need.

Our networking email templates include more versions for referrals, reconnecting, and alumni outreach.

Keep a simple record of every conversation#

After five or six informational interviews, details blur. Log each one with the date, what you learned, names they suggested, and when to follow up. The free Networking Tracker works as a lightweight contact log, or a basic spreadsheet does the job.

Informational interviews in specific situations#

The core approach stays the same, but your angle changes with your situation.

Students and new grads#

You have one big advantage: people like helping students. Use your school's alumni network first, and be honest that you're early in your career. Ask about entry points, internships, and what they'd study if they were in your position. Our guide on how to get an internship shows how to fold these conversations into a broader plan.

Career changers#

Your goal is to test whether the switch is realistic and to learn the vocabulary of your new field. Ask people who made a similar move, not just people who've always done the job. Then use what you learn to reframe your experience. The career change resume guide shows how to translate past work into the new field's language.

After a layoff#

People are often generous after layoffs, especially former colleagues. Be direct about your situation without dwelling on it: "My role was eliminated in a restructuring, and I'm using the time to explore where I fit next." Then focus the conversation on the future. Our guide to job searching after a layoff covers the rest of the plan.

If you find networking draining#

Informational interviews suit introverts better than most networking because they're one-on-one, structured, and short. You know the agenda before you start. Schedule no more than two or three a week so you have energy for each, and give yourself recovery time after. For more ways to make networking feel manageable, see how to network.

Common informational interview mistakes and how to fix them#

These mistakes show up again and again. Most are easy to avoid once you know them.

What success looks like across many conversations#

Don't judge your effort by a single call. Think in batches. Here's an illustrative example of how 20 requests might play out for someone exploring a new field.

The point of the example isn't the exact numbers. It's that each conversation tends to produce new names, so your network grows faster than your outreach. Warm introductions also convert better than cold requests, which is why the third ring of your network matters so much.

Your next steps#

You don't need a big plan to start. You need three names and one good message.

1. List 10 people across your warm, alumni, and introduced rings who do work you're curious about.
2. Send three requests this week using the templates above, each with a specific reason you chose that person.
3. Prepare for each call with an hour of research and a short list of starred questions.
4. Follow up twice: a thank-you within 24 hours and an update a few weeks later.
5. Ask every person for one more name, and add them to your list.

When a conversation points you toward a specific opening, make sure your resume reflects what you learned. Use the terms insiders used, lead with the skills they said matter, and tailor it to the posting. If you keep separate versions for different paths, Resume Maker lets you store multiple resumes and download each as a PDF, which helps when you're exploring more than one direction. Then send the referral request, and keep the conversations going.