07. How to Request an Informational Interview

How to Reach Out

There are numerous avenues to reach out to people. You can do a search on LinkedIn and message a few people with interesting backgrounds or current jobs. Or, you can attend a public networking event and ask someone you meet there.

Consider the following tips on how to start reaching to people for informational interviews.

Leverage your existing network.

Friends, former supervisors, colleagues, family, and alumni groups are all communities filled with people who have your best interest at heart. If you've enrolled in a Nanodegree program, you are already a part of a robust community of driven, supportive people - your Nanodegree community!

Asking your community at large is the easiest way to get information. Sometimes, you don't even need to ask a specific person; you can post a message like this on your social media profile:

“Hey! I am currently in the process of transitioning into [x field] and would love to talk to any [y roles or employees at z company] to gain a better understanding of the work and industry. Please send me a direct message, and I’ll be happy to buy you coffee!”

Target meetups, career fairs, public events, and LinkedIn.

Industry professionals are often interested in maintaining an active network and mentoring new talent. While each individual may have their own style and time constraints, being proactive and letting others know you are both interested and dedicated can yield great conversations and future contacts.

Target companies and roles separately.

Consider this example: if you are seeking out a product manager position but your only contact at your dream company is someone in Sales, you can still take the opportunity to learn more about the company culture and vision. They may also be able to provide an introduction to a product manager within the company. On the other hand, speaking with a product manager at a company or in an industry outside of your immediate interests can also be worthwhile as a way to learn about the role’s professional responsibilities.

Request an Informational Interview

An initial email or longer LinkedIn message are two of the most common ways of extending a request for an informational interview. Consider the following when crafting your message:

• Your tone should be gracious; at no point should you assume that they are obligated to offer you their time or attention, regardless of how you know each other.
• Make sure that your email is concise and specific. For example, if you're hoping for a 20-minute phone call, you can say: "If you have time for a 20-minute phone call, I would appreciate the opportunity to learn more about the company."
• Sometimes, you will not get an immediate reply. The person could be on vacation or overwhelmed with messages.
  • Be sure to allow enough time (up to 2 weeks) for a response. If they have not responded within a week, you can send one follow-up inquiry.

If you aren’t able to schedule a live conversation, the contact may be still willing to answer some questions over email or LinkedIn.

Exercise

Complete the exercise below in order to help you draft a good email or message requesting a meeting. In this exercise, we've provided examples of different types of asks and content that you can find in an informational interview request.

Try to get the correct match by dragging each example next to the corresponding content type in the table below.

QUIZ QUESTION::

Are you familiar with the language and tone of an informational interview request? Pair up the content type and answer by dragging and dropping the blue sentences.

ANSWER CHOICES:

My goal is to one day work as an in-house front-end designer for a tech company, and I would really value your perspective on what your experiences have been like so far.

Kathleen suggested that I reach out to you after I saw that you were connected on LinkedIn, and I am writing to ask if I could meet with you for a short informational interview.

I am a computer science teacher with 10 years of experience currently transitioning into becoming an early-career front-end developer.

I am hoping to learn more about Asana and your amazing work with their web design.

Would you be available to meet with me sometime in the next two weeks? I would be
happy to take you out for coffee at a time that would be convenient for you.

Content Type	Example
Reason for reaching out
Your career interest
Explanation of how contact’s position/background connects with your career interest and reason for reaching out
Your connection to the person, if there is any
Details on where, when, and how you would like to carry out the informational interview

SOLUTION:

Content Type	Example
Explanation of how contact’s position/background connects with your career interest and reason for reaching out	My goal is to one day work as an in-house front-end designer for a tech company, and I would really value your perspective on what your experiences have been like so far.
Your connection to the person, if there is any	Kathleen suggested that I reach out to you after I saw that you were connected on LinkedIn, and I am writing to ask if I could meet with you for a short informational interview.
Your career interest	I am a computer science teacher with 10 years of experience currently transitioning into becoming an early-career front-end developer.
Reason for reaching out	I am hoping to learn more about Asana and your amazing work with their web design.
Details on where, when, and how you would like to carry out the informational interview	Would you be available to meet with me sometime in the next two weeks? I would be happy to take you out for coffee at a time that would be convenient for you.