If you’re a job seeker in today’s market, you’ve probably heard of informational interviews, but may be wondering why they are useful, who to ask, and how to ask for them. I’ll cover the basics here and give you language for your requests to customize based on your audience.
When you’re job searching, you know you need to get to a hiring manager. You also probably know how important getting that inside referral is to getting your application past the ATS to an actual human being decision-maker.
So how do you accomplish that? The informational interview is a great tool to have in your arsenal! It can help you build connections, learn about a company’s hiring process, and better understand what positions, departments, and companies are the best fit for your skills, experience level, and career goals.
Who to Ask
I like to break it down into two primary groups.
One would be your contemporaries, counterparts in similar roles who can shed light on the application process, do’s and don’ts, position hierarchies, and what the actual job is like. These would be professionals in lateral roles to the one you are currently in or applying to and can help you understand what titles you should keep on your radar, how the hiring process works, and what to expect during an interview process.
The other is potential hiring managers. These contacts can give you a broader, more strategic understanding of the company and the industry. Believe it or not, these people are often most open to informational interviews, because they understand and respect your initiative. They have likely had to network and navigate to get where they are today.
How to Ask
This is often the hardest part! I’ve included a bunch of prompts to help you get started below. Send out a few today and see what happens. If you get a positive response, use that as your base for future requests. If you’re not getting anything back, tweak your request and your strategy.
Informational Interview Request (Referral)
Hi Name!
{Name} suggested I reach out to you as a potential contact with expertise in (field). I hope you don’t mind me contacting you out of the blue!
A {title/function} with