Interested in a strategy to help you network, build champions, get referrals, and ultimately have a more successful job search and career?

Well look no further than the informational interview (or coffee chat)!

What is an informational interview?

An informational interview is a conversation where your goal is to learn more about a person, their field or industry, their company, or their career journey. It’s a great way for job seekers to network while also learning more to help them be successful in their own job search.

It’s really important that you focus on the other person when conducting an informational interview. One misstep people make is to go in and then focus on selling themselves or asking for a referral. This may work, but more often, it will leave the other person feeling pressured, and make them less likely to want to maintain the connection.

If you set up the conversation as a chance to learn about the other person and their career, then that’s what you need to focus on.

Go into any conversation as a chance to learn about the other person, not to teach them about yourself or show off.

Who do I do informational interviews with?

Well, the short answer is anyone!

But try targeting:

• People who have job titles that interest you now, or in the future.
• People who work at companies that you’d like to work at.
• People who have had career trajectories that interest you.
• People who may be decision-makers, like a hiring manager or department leader.
• People in your network that you’ve lost touch with but can learn from

Your goal is to build connections with people who can act as guides and mentors.

✨Tip✨ Connections from your network such as alumni of a program or school you attended, or even people who worked at the same company as you are 2-3x more likely to respond!

How do I set up an informational interview?

Option 1: Leverage a mutual connection

Reach out to a mutual connection (LinkedIn can help you see who your shared connections are!) and ask them to make an introduction.

Make it easy on your mutual connection by giving them talking points or even a draft message they can send.

Option 2: Reach out directly

Send a short message where you:

• Share 1-2 sentences about yourself and your background
• Share what about their background makes you  interested in connecting with them
• Preview a bit about what you hope to discuss in the convo

✨Tip✨ If it’s in the budget, offer to buy them a coffee and then send a $5 gift card to a nearby coffee shop. And most of the time, people will actually decline, but the offer will increase the chances of them saying yes!

Unsure of what to say? Here’s a sample message you can use as a starting point!

Hi <contact name>!

My name is <your name>, and <share a little about yourself and what you’re looking for ex. I’ve worked in recruiting for the past few years, but am interested in making a move into sales in the next few years>

I noticed that you made a similar move a few years back - I would appreciate the opportunity to learn from you about how you made this transition, what skills were most transferable, and what experiences helped prepare you to make this move.

I’d love to buy you a (virtual) cup of coffee and set up 15-20 minutes to chat in the next few weeks!

Looking forward to learning from you!

Bonnie

But what if they say no?

Well, chances are they will say no, not see the message, or see it and ignore it. So be prepared for this outcome. Don’t take it personally.  If 1 out 10 requests say yes, you’re doing great!

And remember, even if you never hear back, you’re going to be more familiar to them - just your name in their inbox builds a connection.

You can maximize your chances of a yes by targeting people with whom you have mutual connections, or shared experiences in your backgrounds, or by leveraging a mutual connection to make an introduction.

They said yes! What do we talk about?

Congratulations!!

Here’s a general agenda you can use for the meeting.

2 minute introduction (your elevator pitch + what you hope to get out of the conversation)

10-15 minutes of questions

3 minute wrap-up (thank them and share a few takeaways)

Unsure of what to ask? Here are some questions that you can use as a starting point - you’ll want to adjust them to make them specific to your field.

If you want to learn more about their industry:

1. Can you tell me about your career path and how you got to where you are today?
2. What does a typical day look like in your position?
3. What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your job?
4. What skills and qualifications do you think are necessary for someone who wants to succeed in this industry?
5. How do you see this industry evolving in the next few years?
6. Can you recommend any resources, certifications, courses, or professional associations that would be helpful for someone interested in this industry?
7. Are there any skills or experiences you think I should gain before pursuing a career in this industry?
8. Is there any other advice you would give someone who is interested in pursuing a career in this field?
9. Are there people you’d suggest I network with?

If you want to learn more about their company:

1. What led you to pick this company?
2. Can you describe the company culture and what it's like to work there?
3. What supports are in place for new hires to help them succeed?
4. How can someone stand out in an interview process?
5. What are some of the major challenges you all are currently facing?
6. Are there people at your company that you’d suggest I network with?

And to close out the meeting, make sure to:

• Thank them for their time and express appreciation for the conversation
• Ask if they’re open to keeping in touch - they’ll almost always say yes, and this makes it easier to check-in in the future!
• And if you want to work for the company, you can always add something like, “just so you know, COMPANY is at the top of my list of places I’d like to work one day; if you ever see an opening that might be a good match for me, don’t hesitate to reach out!

How do I keep the people I meet with in my network?

There are a few steps you can take to continue networking with people following your interview.

1. Send a thank you message the day after your meeting, sharing a few key takeaways or even actions you’ve taken (like reaching out to a person, looking into a certification, etc.) If there were any next steps (like they promised to intro you to someone else), you can include these as well.
2. Continue to engage with their content (if they are active on LinkedIn) - this will help keep your name top of mind.
3. Assuming they said it was OK to keep in touch, share occasional updates with them. Keep these low-pressure and not too frequent (no more than once a month), and try to connect to your conversation. For example, if they recommended a certain course, let them know that you completed it and how helpful it was.
4. If you ever decide to apply at their company, you can always share an update - they may be willing to offer a referral or make an introduction!

Consider creating a spreadsheet (or even a simple CRM) where you can track people you’ve met with, key points from your conversation, and a few things you can reference in the future. It can be hard to keep up with all the details over time, so this can be an easy way to keep up with your network, and you can go back and search from time to time when you’re looking for a connection with specific experiences.

(Shout out to Dave Heal for this great idea!) 

A final thought:

Informational interviews should be a fun, low-pressure way for you to expand your networks. Some may provide you with valuable insights even if you never hear from them again. Some may just be a fun conversation even if you learn nothing new. And if you’re really lucky, some conversations may result in someone offering to keep in touch, to make referrals, to make introductions to others, and ultimately to be an advocate for you in your search!

All of these are good outcomes - don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself, and just enjoy the opportunity to connect with someone new!