How to Ask for an Informational Interview: Templates and Examples

Look for someone whose current work, transition, or industry experience matches the question you are trying to answer. An appropriate contact might be an alum, a professional introduced by someone you know, or a person whose public work helped you understand a field.

You do not need to find the most senior person. Someone two or three steps ahead may remember the decisions and trade-offs that are most useful to you. Check the person's current role before writing and avoid asking them to explain a field they no longer work in.

Ask for 15 to 25 minutes and name the subject you want to understand. Offer a phone or video call, and make it clear that an email answer is also welcome if that is true. A specific request is easier to accept than "Can I pick your brain?"

Do not lead with a request for a referral. The purpose is to learn about the work and the person's path. If a conversation develops naturally into an application discussion, follow the contact's lead and the employer's process.

An informational interview is not always the best next step. If the person has already answered your question publicly, is a recruiter handling a formal process, or has clearly asked applicants to use a specific channel, use that information instead of requesting a separate conversation.

You can also choose a short email question when a call would create more work than the issue requires. The goal is to learn something specific, not to turn every relevant contact into a meeting request.

Alumni template: "Subject: Current Queen's student with a question about consulting. Hi Taylor, I found your profile through the alumni directory. I am a second-year commerce student exploring consulting and noticed that you moved from Queen's into healthcare strategy. Would you be open to a 20-minute conversation about the skills you used in your first role? I would be happy to work around your schedule, and I understand if the timing is not right. Thank you, Sam."

Target-industry template: "Hi Morgan, I am a recent graduate learning about accessibility work in software. Your work leading inclusive design systems is close to the area I hope to explore, and I would value hearing how you built that experience. Would a brief call in the next few weeks be possible? I can send questions by email instead if that is easier. Best, Aisha."

Second-degree template: "Hi Chris, Elena Park suggested I contact you after I asked her about careers in municipal finance. I am preparing for an analyst search and would appreciate 15 minutes to learn how you approached your first year. I am not looking for a referral; I would simply value your perspective. Thanks for considering it, Ben."

Prepare more questions than you expect to use, then let the conversation develop. Ask about decisions, skills, and trade-offs rather than facts you could find on the company's website.

Join or call on time, state your purpose briefly, and start with the question that matters most. Listen for details and ask a thoughtful follow-up instead of rushing through a list. If the person offers a different perspective from what you expected, explore it rather than trying to steer them toward a predetermined answer.

End a few minutes early if you have covered the main questions. Ask whether there is anyone else they suggest you learn from only if the conversation has earned that request. A contact is not obligated to make an introduction.

Send a thank-you within a day or two. Mention one useful point and say what you plan to do with it. "Your suggestion to compare implementation work with research work helped me narrow my course project" is more meaningful than a generic thank-you.

Record the advice, any promised action, and the person's preferred timing. If you later use their suggestion or see a relevant opening, a short update can maintain the relationship without turning every contact into a request.

These mistakes are fixable. Narrow the purpose, make the time commitment clear, and treat the person's experience as something to learn from rather than a shortcut around a hiring process.

A thoughtful informational interview begins with a relevant contact and a modest request. Prepare questions, listen carefully, thank the person with specific detail, and follow through. The relationship may lead nowhere beyond one useful conversation, and that can still be a successful outcome.