An informational interview is simply a conversation with someone in a career field you are curious about. These conversations can help you learn how people got into their roles, what their day-to-day is like, and what skills are most valuable. They are not about asking for a job, but rather gathering insights and building connections. Listen to examples of informational interviews from our own alumni in the Vanderbilt Beyond the Lab podcast series.
For more information on how to conduct your own informational interviews, check out the ASPIRE Informational Interviews slide deck and the NIH OITE Informational Interviews handout for a list of potential questions to ask.
Tips for reaching out for an informational interview:
Whether you are emailing or sending a short LinkedIn message, keep your initial message short, polite, and specific. The goal is to introduce yourself, explain why you are reaching out, and express interest in learning from their experience.
Initial outreach (when exploring careers):
- Introduce yourself briefly (your school, program, area of research, and interest in their career field).
- Mention how you found them (e.g., alumni network, LinkedIn, conference).
- Ask if they have 30 minutes to share their experience or advice about their role or organization.
- This is not the time to ask them for a job, but rather to learn from their perspective.
During an informational interview:
- Be prepared and engaged by reviewing the person's background, role and organization ahead of time so that you can ask thoughtful questions.
- Take notes during the conversation to show you are actively listening and to help remember key points later.
- Be mindful of their time and respect the agreed upon length.
- Avoid treating it like a traditional interview. You are not being evaluated for a position, so focus on learning and asking questions, rather than trying to sell yourself.
What to do after an informational interview:
- Send a thank you note within 24 hours expressing your appreciation for their time and insights. If you haven't already, connect with them on LinkedIn. You could also include a brief thank you message with your connection request. This not only shows professionalism, but also creates a message history you both can refer back to if you reconnect on LinkedIn.
- Summarize your notes and keep them in a central location with notes from your other informational interviews. These can be useful to review if you plan to see this person at a conference or want to reconnect with them in the future. Consider keeping a dedicated folder or document for each person you've spoken to so you can easily refresh your memory on your conversation.
- In addition to summarizing what you learned, jot down your impressions of the company, team dynamics, and whether you could see yourself working in that environment. Reflecting on this while it is fresh can help you understand the company's culture and can provide you with insights into whether you think you'd be a strong fit within the organization or whether that is the type of environment you could see yourself working in.
- Stay in touch periodically by sharing updates on your progress or asking for advice on next steps.
- Engage on LinkedIn by liking or commenting on their posts or congratulating them on new milestones.
- Share relevant articles or resources with them if you come across something that aligns with their interests or work.
- Reconnect with them at conferences if you see they are attending.
- If they are local, reach out and see if they'd like to grab a coffee with you.
Reaching back out during your job search:
When you are actively on the job market, it is a good idea to reconnect with the people in your network.
- Reach out with a short message referencing your previous conversation.
- Provide a brief update, such as mentioning that you are beginning to apply for positions in a specific field or area. You might say something like, "I'm starting to apply for [types of roles] and thought about our earlier conversation about your role at [company/organization].
- If appropriate, ask if they have any new insights about the field, organization, or hiring trends since you last spoke.
- Keep your message professional, genuine, and concise. Your goal is to maintain the relationship, not to directly ask for a job.
- If they respond, thank them for their time and continue to show appreciation to them for being a part of your professional network.