How to Ask for an Informational Interview and Get a Yes

Last spring a student I mentor sent forty LinkedIn connection requests to people at companies she admired. Three replied. Then she rewrote one message, sent it to twelve people, and got seven yes answers for a twenty-minute call. The people had not changed. The ask had.

Learning how to ask for an informational interview is one of the most useful early-career skills, because it turns strangers into people who know your name before a job is ever posted. It is also widely done badly. This guide covers who to contact, the exact structure of a message that gets replies, and how to run the call so it leads somewhere.

What an Informational Interview Is and Is Not

An informational interview is a short conversation, usually fifteen to thirty minutes, where you ask someone about their job, their path and their industry. You are gathering information and building a relationship. You are not asking for a job.

That last part is the reason it works. A professional who would ignore "Can you refer me?" will often say yes to "Could I ask you three questions about how you moved from research into product?" The first is a favour with risk attached. The second is a chance to talk about themselves, which most people enjoy.

Choose People Who Are Two or Three Years Ahead

New graduates often aim for vice presidents and founders. Those people get dozens of requests a week and rarely reply. The best contacts are usually people two to five years into their careers.

They remember what it was like to be where you are.
Their advice on applications and interviews is current, not ten years old.
They have more time and are flattered to be asked.
They are often the people who sit on interview panels for entry-level roles.

Good places to find them: your university alumni database, LinkedIn searches filtered by your school and a target company, speakers at small industry meetups, and people your former classmates now work alongside. A shared connection, even a weak one like the same university society, roughly doubles your reply rate in my experience.

The Message Structure That Gets Replies

Keep the message under 120 words. Long messages feel like homework. Every message should contain five things, in this order:

The connection: how you found them or what you share.
Who you are in one line: year, subject, and what you are exploring.
Why them specifically: one detail from their profile or work.
A small, specific ask: "fifteen minutes by phone or video in the next few weeks".
An easy out: "No worries at all if now is a busy time."

An example

Hi Priya, I found your profile through the Leeds alumni network. I am a final-year economics student trying to understand data analyst roles in healthcare. I saw that you moved from a hospital admin role into analytics at your current company, and I would love to hear how you made that switch. Would you have fifteen minutes for a quick call in the next few weeks? I am happy to work around your schedule. No worries at all if now is busy. Thanks, Daniel

Notice what is missing: no CV attached, no mention of open roles, no paragraph about your passion. Writing clear, short messages like this is a skill in itself, and the basics in writing your first professional email apply here too.

Stop Sending the Same Template to Everyone

Plenty of career advice recommends writing one strong template and sending it to as many people as possible, playing the numbers. That approach is why my student got three replies from forty messages.

Professionals can spot a mass message in one line. "I came across your impressive profile" with no detail signals that you have not looked at their work and probably sent it to fifty others. The reply rate drops, and worse, some of those people will remember your name for the wrong reason.

Sending ten tailored messages takes about an hour, since only the third line changes each time. That hour usually produces more conversations than a hundred copy-paste requests. Quality also protects your reputation in small industries, where people talk to each other more than you would expect.

Running the Call So It Is Worth Their Time

Prepare five or six questions, expecting to use about four. Good questions are specific and can only be answered by this person.

Weak question	Stronger version
What do you do?	What did your last week actually look like, hour by hour?
Do you like your job?	What part of the job surprised you most in the first six months?
How do I get hired?	What did the strongest entry-level candidates on your team have in common?
Any advice?	If you were in my position now, what would you do in the next three months?

Watch the clock. If you asked for fifteen minutes, say "I want to respect your time" at the fourteen-minute mark. They will often offer to keep going, which is a good sign. End with one question: "Is there anyone else you think I should speak to?" That single line is how one conversation becomes three.

The Follow-Up That Builds the Relationship

Send a thank-you message within 24 hours. Mention one specific thing they said and what you plan to do with it. Then, weeks later, follow up again with a short update when you act on their advice: "You suggested I learn SQL basics, so I finished a short course last month. Thanks again for the push."

This second follow-up is the one most people skip, and it is the one that makes you memorable. It shows their time had an effect. For the full timing and wording, see how to follow up after a coffee chat without sounding desperate.

If they mention an open role later, or offer to refer you, that is a natural outcome. Do not push for it.

FAQ

How many informational interviews should I aim for?

Two to four a month is realistic while studying or working. Fewer, well-prepared conversations build more useful relationships than a rushed dozen.

What if someone does not reply?

Send one polite follow-up after about a week. If there is still no answer, move on without taking it personally. People are busy, and silence rarely means anything about you.

Is it acceptable to ask about salary?

Ask about ranges for the role or industry rather than their personal pay. "What is a typical starting range for analysts here?" is usually fine; "How much do you earn?" is not.

Send Three Messages This Week

Pick three people who are a few years ahead of you in a role you are curious about. Write each a five-part message under 120 words with one detail that is only true of them. Prepare four specific questions, and plan your thank-you note before the call even happens. Small, consistent steps like this build a network faster than any event. For more on growing your contacts, browse the networking section.