What You Need to Remember
Research the person’s career path deeply before the meeting. This makes sure every question shows you respect their time and knowledge.
Spend most of the conversation learning from them, not pitching yourself. Let them do most of the talking.
End every meeting by asking for one clear introduction or resource. This makes sure the talk leads to something concrete.
Send a follow-up note within one day showing exactly how you used what they told you. This proves their time investment was worth it.
What Is an Informational Interview?
An informational interview is a short, focused conversation with someone working in a role or industry you want to enter. The goal is not to ask for a job, but to learn, build a genuine connection, and position yourself for future opportunities.
Unlike a formal job interview, you drive the questions. The real payoff is the relationship you build. Research from LinkedIn shows 70% of professionals are hired at companies where they already knew someone. Informational interviews are one of the most direct paths to building that kind of inside connection before a role ever opens.
Informational Interviews: The Smart Way to Connect
Most people ask to "pick a busy person's brain" during informational interviews. This is like asking a busy boss to do free work for you. Asking simple questions like "What’s your day like?" or "How did you start?" doesn't show politeness; it just shows you are a burden. You act like a student needing a teacher, making the leader waste time figuring out if you are even good enough to talk to.
This beginner mistake can hurt your career. High-level hires are risky for companies because one wrong senior hire can cost a lot of money in lost work. For leaders, these meetings are simple tests to see if you are someone worth hiring later. If you show up only wanting something, you aren't just missing a job tip; you are showing you lack the business sense to fix real problems.
To succeed, you need to stop looking for advice and start showing up like a strategy partner. The best candidates avoid the usual hassle by using a method that treats the meeting like a quick strategy discussion, not a classroom session.
When you bring a sharp view on industry issues, the executive gains talking points they can use to recommend you to HR without putting their reputation at risk. The dynamic shifts from you asking for help to you being seen as a peer, making it genuinely difficult for them to let you leave without a concrete next step.
The Three Steps for Smart Outreach
Stop acting like a student asking for lessons and start acting like an expert looking for feedback. By researching the company’s current problems and creating a "thesis"—a smart guess about their issues—you take the work off the executive's plate. You aren't asking them to teach you; you are asking them to react to your professional insight.
Spend one hour looking at the company’s recent news, posts from their leaders on LinkedIn, and industry updates. Find one "problem area" (a specific issue they likely have) and write down a short, three-sentence idea about how this problem might affect their department soon.
"I've been watching the changes in [Industry Trend], and I think it’s causing a [Specific Problem] in your area. I have an idea about how this might change your team’s work next quarter. Is that what you are seeing, or am I missing something important?"
Leaders protect their time. When you start with a smart idea, you move from the "let's help this person" pile to the "this person brings new information" pile. We don't see this as a simple chat; we see it as getting free strategy advice from someone who might join the team.
Prove you can think like you are already on the job by asking questions that show you understand the industry. This changes the dynamic from you asking for favors to you being a respected equal. It makes the executive feel safe recommending you to others in the company.
Follow the 80/20 rule: let the executive talk 80% of the time. Every time you speak, make sure you are either confirming their problems or offering a short, outside view that could make their job easier.
"Most leaders I talk to say that [Specific Problem] is slowing them down right now. Since you are focused on [Specific Goal], are you concentrating on fixing that problem, or have you shifted focus to [Alternative Plan]?"
Hiring is risky; it can cost the company three times a person’s salary if they fail. If an executive sees you can correctly spot "pain points" without being coached, you have basically passed the hardest interview question before you even formally apply.
To get an introduction, you have to remove the risk for the executive. They need proof that if they recommend you to HR, you won't make them look bad. The stakes are real: referred candidates are 4 to 5 times more likely to be hired than applicants who apply cold, and they onboard roughly 10 to 15 days faster, according to data from Exploding Topics (2025). When an executive's name is attached to your introduction, they're putting their credibility on the line. You provide the necessary "social proof" by sending a follow-up so professional that they can forward it directly to the hiring team as evidence of your skills.
Within two hours of the meeting, send a "Perspective Memo," not just a thank-you email. Sum up one main challenge you discussed and include a short paragraph explaining your logical plan to handle that issue if you were on the team now. For more on keeping the relationship warm after the conversation, see our guide on how to follow up after a networking conversation.
"Our talk about [Challenge] opened my eyes to the real scope of what your team is navigating. I wrote up three ways I would approach that bottleneck based on our conversation. I've attached it. Please share it with your team if it helps with the current project goals."
Internal recruiters are often careful about outside contacts. When an executive forwards me a smart memo you wrote, it gives them the confidence to skip normal rules and put you at the top of the list without seeming unfair.
How Our Tool Helps You With This Strategy
Step 1: Build Your Smart Idea
Networking ToolStop asking simple questions. Our AI helps you write great outreach messages that focus on the company's known problems.
Step 2: The Partner Discussion
Interview Practice ToolProve you can think on your feet. Practice using proven methods to confirm real-world problems during your talk.
Step 3: Give Them Something to Share
Note-Taking ToolCapture ideas fast. Our AI instantly creates a short, sharp "Perspective Memo" you can send right away.
Common Questions About High-Stakes Interviews
Does coming prepared with an opinion make you seem pushy?
No. What’s pushy is asking a high-level person to spend half an hour explaining their own job to you because you didn’t research them first. That is wasting their time, and they dislike it.
Coming in with a well-researched thought isn't being arrogant; it's showing you respect their time by doing your homework. Even if your idea isn't perfectly right, the executive will naturally step in to correct you. That correction is exactly what you want—it starts a high-level strategy talk. You stop being a "student" and start being an equal who can handle real business discussions.
How do I form a thesis without insider information?
Stop looking for inside secrets and look at public clues. Read the company's latest financial report, follow the CEO on social media, and look at the jobs they are currently hiring for. If they are hiring many sales people in one area, your smart idea could be: "I see a big focus on the Midwest; I guess the next challenge will be managing regional logistics. How are you planning to handle that growth?"
You don't have to be 100% correct; you just need to be well-informed. A "wrong" idea based on public facts is still much better than asking a generic question. It shows you have the thinking skills needed to solve problems right away, instead of needing someone to always tell you what to do.
How do you ask someone for an informational interview?
Keep your message short and specific. Reference something genuine about their work, explain in one sentence what you want to learn, and ask for 20 minutes. Avoid the phrase "pick your brain." It signals you haven't thought about what you actually want to discuss. A well-crafted note shows you respect their time before the meeting even starts. For outreach templates that get responses, see our guide on how to ask for a referral.
How long should an informational interview last?
Aim for 20 to 30 minutes. Respecting the time boundary you agreed to is one of the clearest signals of professional awareness you can send. If the conversation extends because they're genuinely engaged, let them lead that decision. End on time, and they'll remember you positively for it.
Was the meeting a failure if you still don't get a referral?
No. You succeeded in the most important goal: You Gained an Ally Inside the Company.
HR and recruiters are the gatekeepers, but they work for the business. If the executive truly thinks you are "top-tier" because of how smartly you handled the interview, they will find a way to bring you in later. If HR blocks a specific job because of timing or rules, don't get upset. Instead, give the executive "social proof." Send a note saying: "I understand HR has its process right now. I’ve attached a one-page summary of our talk about [Industry Issue] that you can share with your team if it helps prove why you need someone with my skills later." You have now become a ready-to-use expert that the executive can keep in mind for future needs.
Take Control of the Conversation
Stop asking for permission to be there and start acting like the business partner companies are desperate to hire.
Today's leaders don't want to train students; they want to hire experts who can handle market pressure.
Falling back into the OLD WAY (Amateur) shows you need constant training, while making the NEW MOVE (Expert) proves you are ready to solve big problems.
You are no longer a job seeker asking for a favor; you are a professional bringing a strategic fix.
