An informational interview is an informal conversation, usually 20 to 30 minutes, with someone who works in a career field, role, or company you’re curious about. The goal is to learn, not to ask for a job. You’re the one driving the conversation, asking questions, and gathering insight that you can’t get from a job posting or company website. It’s one of the most effective ways to explore a career path, build your professional network, and prepare yourself for the job market before you ever submit an application.
How It Differs From a Job Interview
In a job interview, the employer holds the cards. They ask the questions, evaluate your answers, and decide whether to move forward. An informational interview flips that dynamic entirely. You’re the one requesting the meeting, setting the agenda, and choosing what to ask. The person you’re speaking with is a resource, not a gatekeeper.
This distinction matters because it changes how you should approach the conversation. You’re not trying to impress anyone into hiring you. You’re trying to understand what a job, industry, or organization is really like from someone who lives it every day. If you blur that line and start pitching yourself or asking about open positions, you’ll make the other person uncomfortable and shut down the very openness that makes these conversations valuable.
What You Can Learn
The real power of an informational interview is access to information that doesn’t exist anywhere public. Job descriptions tell you what a company says a role involves. A person doing that job can tell you what their actual week looks like, which skills matter most, how people get promoted, and what frustrates them. That kind of firsthand detail helps you figure out whether a field is genuinely a good fit before you invest months applying or years training for it.
People use informational interviews to discover career paths they didn’t know existed, understand what education or experience they actually need, learn the culture inside a specific organization, get insider tips on how to break into a field, and build relationships with people who may eventually share job leads. Even if a conversation doesn’t lead anywhere directly, it sharpens your sense of what you want and gives you language and context you can use in future applications and interviews.
How to Request One
Most informational interviews start with a short, clear email or LinkedIn message. The key is making it easy for the other person to say yes. A strong outreach message has five elements: who you are, how you found them, why you’re reaching out, what you hope to learn, and a specific time commitment.
For example, you might write that you’re a junior marketing professional interested in transitioning to product management, that you came across their profile on LinkedIn, and that you’d appreciate 20 to 25 minutes to hear about their experience making a similar transition. Keep it concise. People are busy, and a three-paragraph message with your full career history will get skipped. A few sentences that show genuine curiosity and respect for their time will get a response.
Where do you find people to contact? Alumni networks are a goldmine. People who share a school connection are significantly more likely to respond. LinkedIn, professional associations, industry events, and mutual contacts all work too. If someone you know can make an introduction, even better.
Questions That Get Useful Answers
The best informational interview questions are open-ended and encourage storytelling. Avoid anything that can be answered with a yes or no. Instead of “Do you like your job?” try “What are the greatest rewards of your work, and what are the biggest frustrations?” Instead of “Is this field growing?” try “How has the industry changed since you started, and where do you see it heading?”
Some questions that consistently produce valuable insight:
- On daily reality: “Can you describe a typical workday or week?” This reveals whether the job matches your assumptions.
- On career path: “How did you get started in this field? Is that typical?” This shows you the actual routes in, not just the official requirements.
- On skills: “What skills and personal qualities are most important for success in this role?” This tells you what to develop or highlight.
- On evaluation: “How is success measured in your position?” This explains what the job actually optimizes for.
- On advancement: “What does a typical promotion path look like?” This helps you understand long-term prospects.
- On lifestyle: “How much evening, weekend, or overtime work is expected?” This is something no job posting will tell you honestly.
- On advice: “If you were my age and thinking about entering this field, what would you recommend I do right now?” This is the single best question you can ask. It invites specific, actionable guidance.
You can ask about typical starting salary ranges for new professionals in the field, but never ask someone what they personally earn.
During the Conversation
Arrive (or log on) a minute or two early. Have your questions written down but be ready to go off-script when the conversation gets interesting. The phrase “tell me more about that” is your best tool. When someone shares an anecdote or a surprising detail, follow that thread rather than rushing to your next prepared question.
Stick to the time you requested. If you asked for 20 minutes, start wrapping up at the 20-minute mark. If the other person wants to keep talking, they’ll say so. Respecting someone’s time is the fastest way to earn their respect in return.
You can bring a resume, but don’t pull it out unless they ask to see it. The moment you hand over a resume unprompted, the dynamic shifts from “casual conversation” to “job pitch,” and most people will pull back. If the conversation goes well and they offer to pass your name along or connect you with someone else, that’s the natural opening to share it.
Following Up Afterward
Send a thank-you email within 24 hours. Reference one or two specific things they said that you found particularly helpful. This shows you were genuinely listening, not just checking a networking box. If either of you committed to any follow-up actions during the conversation (sharing an article, making an introduction, sending a resource), mention those too.
The thank-you note is important, but what happens after that matters more. An informational interview should be the beginning of a relationship, not a one-time transaction. As you act on their advice, let them know. If they recommended a book and you read it, tell them what you thought. If they suggested you look into a certain company and you applied there, share the update. These small touchpoints keep the connection alive without being pushy, and they give the other person the satisfying sense that their time actually made a difference.
Over time, some of these contacts will become genuine professional relationships. They’ll think of you when they hear about opportunities. They’ll introduce you to others. That kind of organic network-building is exactly what makes informational interviewing worth the effort, even when no single conversation leads to an immediate result.
Who Should Do This
Informational interviews aren’t just for college students, though career centers push them hard for good reason. They’re equally valuable for mid-career professionals considering a pivot, people returning to the workforce after a gap, or anyone trying to understand a new industry before making a move. If you’re facing a career decision and relying only on job postings and online research, you’re working with incomplete information. A few 20-minute conversations with people who actually do the work will teach you more than hours of browsing.