In an era of LinkedIn DMs and job boards, the informational interview remains underused. It is a 20–30 minute conversation with someone doing a job you are curious about — not a job interview, not a pitch, just a structured conversation. Done well, it gives you career intelligence that no job description can provide.
What You Actually Learn
- The real day-to-day — job postings describe responsibilities, not reality. An insider can tell you what takes up most of the week, what causes stress, and what gets rewarded.
- Unwritten entry requirements — which certifications actually matter, which ones are just nice-to-have, and which internal projects lead to promotions.
- Cultural signals — how decisions are made, how much autonomy people actually have, and whether the stated values match the lived experience.
How to Ask Without Being Awkward
Most people say yes to a genuine, low-pressure request. A short message works best: explain who you are in one sentence, say specifically why you chose them, and make the ask easy to accept or decline. Offering a 20-minute video call over a 60-minute coffee meeting increases response rates significantly.
Avoid asking for a job in the same message. The moment you attach a job ask, the conversation shifts from exploration to evaluation, and many people will simply not respond.
What to Ask When You Are There
Prepare five to seven questions but be ready to follow the conversation. Useful questions include: What does a strong performer in this role do differently from an average one? What do you wish you had known before taking this path? What skills become more valuable the longer you are in this field?
Avoid questions that are answered on the company’s website. That signals you did not prepare and wastes both your time and theirs.
Following Up Without Overstepping
Send a thank-you note within 24 hours. Reference one specific thing they said that was useful. Then stay in occasional contact — share an article relevant to their work, congratulate them on a promotion, or update them when you take an action they suggested. This is how a one-time conversation becomes a long-term professional relationship.
Informational interviews compound over time. Each one extends your network, deepens your industry knowledge, and builds the kind of visibility that eventually puts your name in front of hiring managers before a role is ever posted.