Informational Interview: What It Is + How to Prepare

Informational interviews are a goldmine of information for anyone trying to progress in their career and acquire new skills. They’re also a powerful tool for people who want to change their job, transfer to a different industry, or figure out what they want to be when they grow up. Plus, they don’t have the pressure of a real job interview!

Picture this: Last summer, one of my acquaintances was considering transferring to content writing from teaching. She reached out to me for an informational interview over a drink so she could get to know the job a little better.

After that meeting, she gave up on the idea.

But was it a failure? Nope. She was energized at the end of the meeting and said she had one less decision to make. Our conversation helped her understand the industry and that her interests, skills, and long-term goals don’t align with it, after all.

If you’re in a similar place of trying to figure out your next steps, we got you. In this article, you’ll learn:

• What’s an informational interview
• How it’s different from a job interview
• How to prepare for and conduct an informational interview
• Common mistakes to avoid

Don’t waste days compiling overused interview techniques. Get original answers to every single question you could expect.

Get ready for your interview

Understanding Informational Interviews

An informational interview is a short conversation (20–30 minutes) with someone from an industry or a company that interests you.

It’s the perfect chance for you to network and get information and insights about your given field of interest. What you discover could help you decide if you want to pursue a career in the field, if it’s a good fit for your skills and interests, and if you’d fit into that kind of environment.

How are informational interviews different from job interviews?

It’s important to set the record straight and have realistic expectations from informational interviews.

Informational interviews are not job interviews and are most certainly not a backdoor to a job offer.

They’re there to help you get insider insights, understand the business context of a role/industry, expand your network, and refine your career goals.

Sure, sometimes they might lead to a job opportunity, but that’s not their primary goal and should not be your expectation.

Fun fact: I spoke to a lot of job seekers and most were super stressed about informational interviews. Their arguments? These interviews are awkward and they’re wasting other people’s time.

But that’s not true. Don’t let fear get the best of you! In reality, people are usually more than happy to chat about their professional experiences. Consider informational interviews an interesting conversation about something you’re passionate about professionally — held with someone who’s very good at it.

Why informational interviews can make all the difference in your career

As a job seeker, you have nothing to lose when conducting informational interviews (if you properly prepare for them). There’s no pressure of whether or not you’ll make it to the next round or get a job, and you don’t have to worry about unexpected interview questions. Yet, there are so many benefits.

Informational interviews are fantastic for several reasons. They could help you:

Get insider insights

You’d get a lowdown on the industry, company, company culture, role, good and not-so-good things, industry trends, and news. Plus what an average day would look like. This will help you get an idea of what it’s like to work in the field and if that fits with your expectations.

Polish your career goals

By gathering all these pieces of information, you’d have a better understanding of the industry or company and if the role would be a good fit for your skills and career goals. It’ll help you decide whether or not to keep pursuing that passion.

Stand out in job applications

People you speak to could help you realize what skills and experiences are relevant to the role and industry, so you could strengthen your resume and polish up your interview skills. Eventually, this could help you stand out in job applications.

Expand your network

You could nurture the relationship you establish with the person you’re interviewing, and they could further connect you with relevant people from the industry. You never know what the future brings.

“I think people tend to get scared of informational interviews because they’re presented as a cornerstone of networking, another scary concept by itself. And, in reality, both should just be treated as an opportunity for normal human connection with someone interesting and, potentially, relevant to what you do for a living. But the thing is, those people don’t even have to work in your exact field.” — said Michael Tomaszewski, certified professional resume writer and career coach, and a career advice author.

Build confidence

Informational interviews are a low-pressure way for you to gain confidence, practice your communication skills, and build your interviewing muscles. The more you do them, the easier they’ll become. Plus, going on actual job interviews will get easier too.

Land an actual opportunity

Although they are not job interviews, informational interviews might help you land job opportunities (but don’t expect this to happen, and certainly don’t push for that during the interview). If you show up prepared and wow the interviewer, you’ll leave a good impression and they might keep you in mind for future collaborations or referrals.

Have informational interviews ever helped a person land a job opportunity? Certainly.

Bottom line: Let these examples prove that there’s no need to be shy. Ask for informational interviews! You never know where your connections might take you.

How to Prepare for an Informational Interview

You don’t want to ambush people, make your request sound awkward, or completely waste their time. Let’s see how to best prepare for an informational interview so that you can extract as much value as possible and leave the best impression on the people you speak with.

Identify people you want to talk to

Several factors to take into account here:

• The industry and role the people you want to talk to are in.
• The size of the company they’re in — it’s different working for a startup vs. a multinational corporation.
• The seniority levels you want to shoot for. Sometimes, speaking to a senior will be better to see where you could end up at the end of your career. Other times, speaking to your peer will be more fruitful to see where you would be starting.
• Their educational background and career path.

Once you’ve narrowed down your ideal person, you can try finding them in:

• Your private and professional circles. Ask a friend or acquaintance to refer you or approach them directly.
• LinkedIn pages or websites of certain companies (in case you have a particular company in mind).
• LinkedIn groups and events (in case you want to focus on an industry instead of a company).
• Specialized forums and groups.
• Conferences, presentations, or local business events.
• Alumni networks.

✅ Pro tip: Sometimes, you won’t even have to do extensive research. Heard of someone who has a job title you’d like to have in X years? Or have the same educational background as you, yet pivoted to another kind of career? Or they know they do cool stuff and you admire them? That’s your target, reach out to them!

Reach out to relevant people

In case you’d like an informational interview with a person you know, like your friend, relative, or someone from school, you can simply ring them up and explain what’s up.

In other cases, when you want to reach out to a person you don’t know that well (or at all), you’ll want to do a bit of preparation.

Before you reach out, make sure to do the following:

• Craft a short, clear subject line if you’re reaching out via email.
• Briefly explain who you are and why you’d like to meet with them (emphasize common interests or connections).
• Explain what topics you’d like to discuss and what you want to learn.
• Propose a meeting time.
• Be short, direct, and friendly throughout your message.

Sample informational interview invitation #1: Referral

Sample informational interview invitation #2: No referral

✅ Pro tip: If they say yes, make the process of scheduling the call/meeting as smooth and short as possible. Provide a link to your Calendly (or other similar app) where they could schedule a time slot that suits them. And go out of your way to adjust your schedule to theirs — remember, they’re doing you a favor!

Set the agenda

Once you’ve secured the interview, it’s important to structure it so that you can make the most of your (and their) time and extract as much value as you can.

Enter meeting agendas.

Create a focused agenda that respects the interviewee’s time, shooting for a 20-30 minute talk as optimal.

List specific topics you’d like to cover and questions you want to ask. Take some time to carefully think about the questions and do extensive research in advance so that you don’t ask stupid questions Google can answer for you.

Finally, it’s equally important to research the interviewee’s career background to be more informed, ask more relevant questions, and make the conversation feel more meaningful and personal.

For more details and tips, read How to Prepare for an Interview (Best Tips). Although it’s about preparing for job interviews, the majority of the tips apply to informational interviews too.

Sample Questions to Ask During an Informational Interview

In addition to the agenda, prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewees. Remember that they need to be open-ended and carefully thought-out to provide you with sufficient, relevant pieces of info.

Here are some types of questions you can ask.

General questions

These would be the questions that invite them to tell you a story. They can be about how they got into the industry or role, how and when they knew it was the right choice for them, if they see themselves in the industry for a long time, and if their educational background helped them thrive in the role.

• What were the key moments or experiences that made you pursue a career in this industry/role?
• Are there any specific aspects of your educational background that helped you thrive in this industry/role?
• How do you see your career trajectory in the next 5-10 years? Do you plan to stay in this industry/role, and why?

Industry-specific questions

These questions will give you more context about the industry itself. They can be about industry news or trends (but research them beforehand and ask about specific trends, do not ask “So what’s new, what’s happening in the industry”, it’s lazy). Additionally, they can be about innovations, regulatory changes, and long-term industry health and trends.

• Do you have any insights on the industry’s long-term health, considering [regulatory change/innovation/trend]?
• How have [specific events/trends] affected your approach to [aspect of their work]? Did you have to make adjustments?
• I read about [specific events/trends]. Did this have any impact on your team’s performance and results?

Company-specific questions

These questions are reserved specifically for people who want to work for a certain company. If this is your case, ask questions that shed light on company values, team dynamics, and market standing. They can also be about the culture and how it aligns with industry trends, or about recent company successes or challenges.

• Can you share some of the successes and challenges your company faced recently?
• I saw that your company’s key values are [specific values]. How do these align with the broader industry landscape and trends?
• What type of person would fit in with your team? What are some key skills and competencies they’d need to have?

Role-specific questions

If there’s a role you’re interested in (not necessarily at their company specifically), ask about what the role looks like in their company, what some day-to-day duties are, what main KPIs should be tracked, and what kind of people usually thrive in those roles in the company.

• How does this role fit in with the rest of the team and how does it contribute to overall objectives?
• I know this role’s duties usually revolve around [main duties]. Are there any additional tasks and objectives specific to this role in your company?
• What KPIs are crucial for success in this role, how are they tracked, and are people in this role expected to do strategic planning too, in addition to operational things?
• What does a typical workday in this role look like?

Advice-seeking questions

Considering they have more experience in the field, plus first-hand knowledge of the company and the role, ask them for insider advice on entry points, necessary skill sets, industry dos and don’ts, and the best type of education and previous experience that would help a person thrive in a role.

• Based on your journey, what entry points do you think are the most effective for someone who wants to break into the industry/role?
• What skills are key for thriving in this industry and how can I develop them effectively?
• Are there any dos and don’ts that you’ve learned throughout your career in this field? How can I navigate them effectively?

You can also ask about the lifestyle that a certain role would entail, especially if you’re still trying to figure out what to do in life. For example, if you’re a college student who wants a job that makes a difference, you might consider being a doctor, nurse, or nonprofit manager. These are all super different options and the lifestyle of each will play a huge factor in your decision! In this case, you could ask something like “Do you think a person with [a specific lifestyle and sensibility] would be successful in this field?”

✅ Pro tip: Mark a couple of questions on your list that are “less important” so if you’re running out of time you know which ones to skip.

How to Conduct an Informational Interview

Be professional and make a good first impression

This piece of advice goes for any kind of job-related activity — so it’s valid for informational interviews, too.

Dress up appropriately, no matter if the interview is in person or online. If you’re meeting in the company where the interviewee works and the dress code is business formal — you’ll need to dress appropriately. For all other options, business casual or smart casual are a safe choice. Take the context into account and act accordingly.

More tips on how to dress for an interview are below:

Be punctual. Whether the interview is online or in-person, you want to arrive a few minutes early. If you’re meeting in person, arrive 5–10 minutes earlier. It will give you time to decompress from the commute, relax, and adjust to the surroundings. For online calls, a minute or two earlier will do.

In case of a call, make sure your connection is good and that you’re in quiet surroundings with a professional background. In case you’re meeting in person, it depends. It can be in a fancy restaurant, in a company, or in a local coffee shop. Just make sure that the interviewee is ok with the location (and try to follow their lead — ask them where they’d like to meet, but have a few options in case they don’t know).

For tips on what to avoid during interviews (informational interviews included), check out this video:

Communicate clearly and effectively

Be clear about the goal of the meeting and tell your interviewees that they can ask for clarifications any time they’re not sure if they understand your questions. If you make sure they’re 100% clear on everything you say and ask, you’ll get high-quality responses.

Take notes (I can’t stress this enough). If it’s an online call, ask for their permission to record it — it might make note-taking easier. If it’s an in-person meeting, bring a pen and paper to quickly jot down the most important details.

Follow the agenda

Remember that agenda we mentioned in the text above? It’s crucial to have it, as it’ll give structure to the informational interview and help you navigate the conversation.

You should stick to it and try to cover everything you want to talk about (within the agreed meeting time).

However, leave some room for flexibility and allow for small, natural digressions which will give you valuable insights. If you digress too much, gently bring back the focus to the planned topics.

Make the interview a natural, friendly conversation, not interrogation — therefore, avoid shooting questions one after another without creating a mini-convo around each answer.

✅ Pro tip: Yup, an informational interview is a bit more structured than a meeting with your bestie over a glass of wine. And yes, technically you’re talking about work stuff, but you should still focus on the human nature of the conversation. Remember that you do not need to panic or be nervous, as this is not a job interview.

What to Do After the Informational Interview

Express gratitude and follow up

Remember those post-interview follow-up notes you send after a job interview? You need to send one after the informational interview, too.

Sending a timely (within 24 hours after the interview), personalized thank-you note will help you sell yourself and leave a lasting positive impression. You’ll come across as a resourceful, responsible professional with great communication skills.

Stay in touch

Just because your informational interview is over doesn’t mean you shouldn’t speak to that person ever again.

Strive to stay in touch and nurture meaningful relationships with these people.

You can occasionally message them to check in on them or ask about their opinion on a recent article you read. You can go ahead and share an interesting podcast you came across. You can reference them and your conversation in another conversation with someone else (on LinkedIn for example), and tag them. You can ask them to introduce you to other relevant people you could connect with.

Basically, think of the nice little ways to stay in touch and do them small favors — because they did you a favor by accepting to talk to you in an informational interview.

Make the most of the information you gathered

Revisit your meeting notes and try to remember as many details as you can from the interview. Then, find a way to incorporate these findings into your professional plans and goals.

These insights can help you come up with meaningful answers to interview questions, highlight skills and experience you have that are relevant to the industry/role, or help you touch up your resume and highlight a specific achievement or skill.

This is especially important if you’re trying to change careers because you’ll need to mention the main skills required for the new role, as well as how your experiences align with that. If you need help, check out this article: 18 Career Change Interview Questions and Sample Answers.

Based on what you discovered, you can also make strategic plans for additional networking efforts. You’ll get ideas on whom to speak to, which groups to join, or which events to attend.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Informational Interviews

Treating the informational interview as a job interview

Don’t treat the informational interview as a job interview, don’t ask or expect to be recommended for a job because of the informational interview, and don’t schedule an informational interview because a position is opened or will be opened soon.

Doing this will create an uncomfortable situation and potentially put your interviewee under pressure. Plus, it’ll be obvious you have shady intentions.

The only right way to do informational interviews is to come from a place of honesty and transparency. Ask for them only when you want to gather information, without expecting anything in return.

Under-preparing because you think it’s an informal chat

Sure, sometimes an informational interview can indeed be informal, especially if you know the person personally and they’re around your age and seniority.

This doesn’t mean that you can go to the interview unprepared.

No matter who your interviewee is, show respect for their time and come prepared. Bring an agenda, pre-existing knowledge you obtained during your research, and a list of insightful questions you’ll ask.

This is the only way to make every minute of the interview count.

Asking basic questions

If you don’t do your homework and don’t research the industry, company, and person in advance, you’ll end up asking worthless questions that Google could have answered.

This will make you look lousy, tactless, and not respectful of other people’s time.

This is why it’s imperative to do some digging before the call. Spot the difference:

✅ Pro tip: Show that you know the background (or at least the basics) and then ask deeper questions to try and connect what you know with insights you’d like to obtain.

Dominating the conversation

Avoid dominating the conversation and not allowing the interviewee to share their insights at all costs!

It’s called an informational interview because you’re supposed to get information from the other person. How can you do it if it’s you who speaks 90% of the time?

Your main role would be to create an agenda and prepare questions. At the beginning of the interview, you can take a minute to introduce yourself and talk about your background. Then, you should focus on the agenda and act as a moderator, asking questions, contributing to the conversation, and following the interviewee’s lead.

Try to do around 30% of the talking, and allow the person you’re speaking with to do the remaining 70%. That’s the only way to create a meaningful conversation and get the information you need.

✅ Pro tip: If you have a video interview, mute yourself each time you’re not talking. This way, you’re giving them the chance to get everything out, plus it creates a calmer, more professional environment.

Summary of the Main Points

• An informational interview is a short conversation with someone from the industry or role that interests you.
• The point of this interview is to gain information about your preferred field and align your career goals accordingly.
• Informational interviews are not the same as job interviews; therefore, don’t expect to get a referral or a job offer.
• However, they’re a great way to meet new people and expand your network, and they’ll certainly help you polish your communication skills and be clear about your career goals.
• Having an agenda for this interview is crucial, as it’ll help make the most out of the interview.
• Before creating the agenda, research the industry, the company, and the role, as well as your interviewee’s professional background as much as you can (it’ll help you paint the big picture and ask relevant questions).
• Don’t come unprepared, and don’t speak too much — allow the other person to dominate the conversation.

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3. Read about Interview Anxiety: How to Calm Nerves Before an Interview.

FAQ

I’d love to do an informational interview with someone pretty famous in the industry. How do I approach them?

It’s cool that you’d love it, but do you need to do it? What are your goals? What would you like to get from that interview? Would that advice apply to you? What seniority are you? If you’re a junior/medior who’d like to speak to a famous senior, chances are you wouldn’t be able to keep up. Consider your goals and then reassess your wishes and make adjustments so you talk with the best possible person. If you’d still like to interview that famous person, it is totally possible. Approach it just like any other informational interview: do a thorough research of them and their expertise, send a super personalized message/email, explain who you are, why you want to meet, and what you want to discuss, and hope for the best. Good luck!

“In one of my previous jobs, I had to reach out to a lot of people for podcast episodes and community events. I discovered that famous people will respond but you need to super-hyper personalize it. For example, I found out one of the people I needed to contact was really into sending voice notes for cold outreach. Guess what I did to reach out to him? I was really uncomfortable doing it but it paid off, he responded super fast.” — says Bri, our Director of Marketing.

I’d like to change careers. How do I prepare for an informational interview with someone who works in my desired field?

Research is your best friend. Research the industry by googling, signing up for newsletters and webinars, going through Reddit threads, and speaking to people you know personally who work in your desired field. Then, research the person you’d like to have an informational interview with and create a list of questions that would help you deepen your knowledge. The whole point is to get unique expert insights in an informational interview — meaning, you’ll have to research the basic context and background yourself.

Is it OK to ask them about their open positions during an informational interview?

It’s not recommended to ask about job opportunities during an informational interview because it’ll look like you’re trying to wiggle your way to the company through the person you’re speaking with. The goal of an informational interview is to focus on learning and getting expert insights about the industry and the company/role that would help you figure out if it’s the right fit for you. By being diligent and conscientious and building relationships through informational interviews, you might eventually get a referral from that person, if they judge you as a competent and reliable person. But don’t expect this to be the outcome, and definitely don’t schedule informational interviews with this in mind.

Can I do an informational interview with someone who works at my company, just way above me?

Yes, if you’re interested in deepening your expertise and there’s someone you admire in your company who could help, you could approach them for an informational interview. The entire process would be the same as for any other informational interview: you’d need to research the person’s professional development, have clear goals in mind, make an agenda, have a list of questions, and overall have an organized, strategic approach.

Are senior professionals annoyed when people ask them for informational interviews?

It depends on the person. Many people are open to informational interviews and sharing their knowledge and stories with others. People love talking about themselves, it’s just human nature. Of course, you’d have to respect their time and be serious, organized, and transparent in your approach. One thing to note though is to be careful and strategic about whom you’d like to interview. If you just graduated from college, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to ask a senior CEO for an informational interview. Picking a junior or a medior professional with a similar background might give you valuable insights, and later on, as you progress in your career, the pool of potential interviewees will widen.

Is it better to schedule an informational interview online or in person?

As long as you have a clear agenda and defined goals, it doesn’t really matter. It will depend on your and your interviewee’s preferences. Online or in-person, you’ll have to be appropriately dressed, pleasant, and professional.