Informational Interviews: What They Are and How to Use Them Strategically

What an Informational Interview Actually Is

Strip away the formal-sounding name and an informational interview is simply a purposeful conversation. You reach out to someone working in a role, company, or field you want to understand better, and you ask them to share their experience. There is no job posting attached, no hiring manager evaluating you, and no pressure to impress in the traditional sense.

That distinction matters. Because the stakes feel lower, both parties tend to be more candid. The professional you speak with can share honest opinions about a company's culture or the real day-to-day demands of a role. You can ask questions you would never risk asking in a formal interview — like what they wish they had known before entering the field, or what they would do differently.

Think of it as field research. The information you gather from even two or three of these conversations can help you make smarter decisions about which roles to pursue, how to position yourself on paper, and where to focus your energy. See our annual career audit checklist for a structured way to turn those insights into concrete goals.

How to Request One Without Being Awkward

The most common barrier is the ask itself. Many job seekers worry that reaching out to a stranger feels presumptuous. In practice, a well-crafted message gets a positive response far more often than people expect — especially when it is short, specific, and low-pressure.

A strong outreach message does three things: it explains who you are in one sentence, states clearly what you are asking for, and makes it easy to say yes. Here is a reliable structure:

1. Open with a specific connection point. Mention a shared alma mater, a mutual contact, a piece of their work you found genuinely useful, or a specific aspect of their career path that caught your attention.
2. State your ask directly. Something like: "I would value 20 minutes to hear about your experience at and how you made the transition into ."
3. Remove friction. Offer to work around their schedule and note that a phone or video call works perfectly — no travel required on their end.

Send your message on LinkedIn or, when available, via a professional email. Avoid generic templates; personalization is what separates messages that get responses from ones that get ignored. For additional low-pressure approaches to initiating professional contact, see our guide on networking when you hate networking.

Questions That Make the Conversation Worthwhile

Showing up with prepared questions signals respect and keeps the conversation focused. Aim for five to eight questions, knowing you will not get through all of them — the conversation will naturally branch in useful directions.

Questions worth asking:

• What does a typical week look like in your role?
• What skills or experiences do you think matter most for someone entering this field today?
• What surprised you most about this industry once you were working in it?
• How did you find your current position — through a formal application or another path?
• If you were starting over, what would you do differently?
• Who else do you think it might be worth speaking with?

That last question is particularly valuable. A referral from a contact carries more weight than a cold outreach, and it extends your network organically with each conversation.

The insights you gather about roles, salaries, and skills can directly inform how you present yourself on paper. For a system that translates those insights into a customized resume efficiently, see our guide to tailoring your resume for each application.

Turning the Conversation Into Career Momentum

The value of an informational interview does not end when the call does. What you do afterward determines whether it becomes a one-time exchange or part of a growing professional network.

Within 24 hours, send a brief thank-you message. Reference something specific from the conversation — a piece of advice that landed, a book they recommended, or a point that shifted your thinking. This small act separates you from everyone else who has ever asked that person for their time and disappeared.

Over the following weeks, apply what you learned. If a contact mentioned that a particular certification is valued in their field, research it. If they described salary ranges that differ from what you expected, factor that into your preparation. For grounded salary research, our guide to salary research before the interview can help you verify and contextualize what you hear.

Revisit your contact list every few months with a light, value-adding message — not asking for anything, just staying visible. The professionals who are most likely to refer you when an opportunity arises are the ones who remember you as engaged, courteous, and genuinely curious. Informational interviews, done well, create exactly that impression. They also give you an edge that online applications rarely provide — compare the two approaches in our article on applying online vs. reaching out directly.