08. Ways to Connect

Now you know how to reach out to someone for an informational interview! The two most likely ways for you to connect with someone is over email (you got their business card, or someone introduced you both) or over LinkedIn. Although email and LinkedIn are different platforms, the structure of how you reach out and start a conversation is the same. See the examples below.

Sample Email Template

Hi [Contact Name],

1st Paragraph - Self introduction including the following information:

  • Your career interests
  • Reason for reaching out
  • How contact’s position/background connects the first 2 pieces of information
  • Your connection to the person you’re writing to, if there is any

2nd Paragraph - Details on where, when, and how you would like to carry out the informational interview

Sincerely,

[Name]

[LinkedIn profile URL -- make sure to set your privacy settings to public!]

Example LinkedIn Conversation

Sometimes, you may not be able to email somebody. Platforms like LinkedIn make it easy for people to find and connect with each other. When you connect with someone, make sure to write a note in the request. You only have 300 characters in a connection request to make a first great impression. Below is an example of how a conversation can flow.

Once they've accepted your invitation to connect, you can move forward with sending your request to meet for an informational interview.

Don't forget: ** people like being reached out to! ** There's no reason to see your informational interview request as an inconvenience to the other person. Like you, other people are interested in improving professionally, which can revolve around sharing their own experiences and knowledge or discussing current topics of interest in the industry.

Over time, you will become deeply familiar with conducting informational interviews. You may feel nervous or unsure at first, but with practice and frequent networking interactions, you will soon become a networking pro.

We hope that you now feel equipped with the knowledge and confidence to successfully conduct an informational interview from start to finish.

Good Luck!

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