What to say when asking for an informational interview
It can often be intimidating to reach out to people you don’t know, sending out that first message. This evening I thought I would share my strategy for connecting and expanding my network using informational interviews. As I said in my last post, I have sent about 200 requests out in the last month and have had success speaking to many different people working in the companies I am interested in. During this process, I have found that if you are able to take the risk and put yourself out there, most people are willing to help you and talk to you.
In another post, I will share how I have been determining who I reach out to on LinkedIn, but for this post, I wanted to share what exactly it is that I am saying. I would love your feedback if you have found another method that works best for you.
Here is a screenshot of a message I sent in April before I finished my master’s degree from USC.
A few things to note.
I start by introducing myself.
I then say what it is that I am requesting.
I genuinely want to know more about people’s backgrounds.
This is not a ploy just to find out if the company is hiring, it is a genuine interest. All of the people I am reaching out to, I am genuinely interested in speaking to, specifically about their backgrounds, career trajectory, and time at their current place of employment. Through these connections, there have been offers to pass my resume along, to review my resume, to connect me with other people, and to keep me in mind for open positions. I do want to be clear though and say that is not always the case. You can’t go into informational interviews thinking people owe you something.
Through these conversations, I have also been able to narrow down my list of companies I am pursuing. When I started this search, I had about 15 companies that I was targeting. Now, I have ten companies that I am actively pursuing. These conversations have also been a great way for me to get the inside scoop and first-hand experience from people who are working in the roles I want.
Often times, the first request for an informational interview might be missed. But don’t give up. I try to send a follow-up request between 5-7 days after I send the initial request and many times people respond with an apology for taking a while to respond. But, you should know, not everyone will respond.
Here is a sample of a follow-up note I have sent.
I wanted to close with two tips that I have had to remind my self of during this process.
Rejection is not personal - not everyone will respond to you, nor can they. People are busy and their lack of response is not a rejection of you or your abilities. It is also not personal. Just because you don’t get a response doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with you.
Remember to say thank you - full disclosure, I HAVE to get better at this. I always say thank you during the informational interview but I am trying to be better about remembering to send a follow-up thank-you note a few days later.
Friends, I am in this with you, struggling alongside you. When this is over, I am hopeful that we will all come out on the other side employed, with the jobs of our dreams.
Keep hoping friends! We can do this!