INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWING

Informational interviews are effective career conversations that allow you to learn more about a
particular career path and/or organization. During these conversations, you may also have the
opportunity to make a good impression and promote your skills by sharing your experiences and
accomplishments. As such, informational interviews are great for career exploration, networking,
and even job hunting.

Professionals are busy people, so informational interviews typically last only about 15-30
minutes. You can approach a variety of professionals for these interviews: industry experts,
current practitioners, human resources representatives or recruiters, etc.

I have never heard of informational interviews before. Do people really do it in Canada or

in my professional field?

Absolutely! Informational interviews are very common in the Canadian workplace. While some
professional fields may be more familiar with the concept than others, informational interviewing
is definitely a legitimate tool for career exploration and networking. It is gaining momentum in all
professions. Just take the first step to initiate contact, and remember that there is no harm in
asking.

What are the steps to conducting an informational interview?

1. Ask yourself what you are interested in learning more about (e.g. a particular occupation
or company).
2. Identify individual(s) who can tell you more about that occupation or company. (See
“How do I find potential interviewees?” below for tips.)
3. Introduce yourself to the individual, and mention how you found their contact information
and what you want to ask them about; then request a meeting. (See “How do I introduce
myself?” below for tips.)
4. Research the company and/or the individual’s career path to generate well-researched
questions for the interview: you have limited time with this person so be prepared.
5. Practice articulating your own skills and accomplishments — there may well be
opportunities for you to tell this individual a bit about yourself.
6. Contact the person the day before the interview to confirm your appointment time.
7. Dress appropriately (business-formal or business-casual), be on time, and respect the
time limit of the informational interview; always remain professional.
8. Thank the person for their time with a follow-up email within 1–2 days of the interview,
maintain the connection, and schedule a follow-up meeting if appropriate.
9. Evaluate the information you have gathered (e.g. are you still interested in this
occupation/company?) and your performance at the interview (e.g. are there questions
that you can ask in future interviews?). Develop an action plan of next steps.
How do I find potential interviewees?

You can always start by approaching people in your existing personal and professional networks
(e.g. professors/instructors, placement coordinators, various student groups, friends and family,
etc.) to see if they can answer your questions, or introduce you to someone who can.

There are various social media platforms that can connect you to an exciting world of
professionals from various fields and disciplines in your local area. LinkedIn and Meetup are just
a few examples. You can also identify interesting organizations and individuals in your field for
informational interviews through industry directories and professional associations.

Even job posting websites such as Indeed can help you identify companies of which you were
not previously aware. From there, you can dig a little deeper by visiting each organization’s
website to see if you can find the contact information of the central office or individual staff
members.

As you can see, finding potential interviewees for informational interviews requires some
investigative work. It’s the perfect opportunity to put the research skills you gained through
academic work to use!

How do I introduce myself?

You can request for an informational interview in person, via email, or by phone. Sometimes, a
combination of different communication channels is required (e.g. following up by phone or
email after initially asking someone in person for an informational interview at a networking
event).

You should always be open and upfront about why you want to conduct an informational
interview with this individual. Keep in mind, you should personalize the notes to fit your own
voice. This will help your personality come through. Just remember to be courteous and
professional in all your communications.

What if they say no to my interview request?

As with any networking effort, it is perfectly natural that some people will reject your request for
an informational interview for various reasons. Don’t be discouraged, and be reassured that
there are many others who will be willing and available to help you out by answering your
questions.

If your request for an informational interview is rejected, politely thank the person for taking the
time to respond to you. If it is appropriate, you can also ask them if they could recommend
someone else to whom you could talk.
What are some good questions to ask during informational interviews?

What questions you ask during informational interviews will really depend on what you want to
learn more about. The key to generating excellent questions is to be well-researched and clear,
but here are some examples of general questions to consider:

About the Occupation:

● What is a typical workday like for you and what are your working conditions like?
● What are the most rewarding/challenging things about your job?
● What are some industry trends that are affecting your occupation right now, and how will
it evolve in the next few years?
● How does your job contribute to your organization’s overall goals or mission?

About the Company:

● How would you describe the culture and environment of your organization?
● What kind of professional development opportunities does your organization offer its
employees?
● How does your organization support its employees’ work-life balance?
● What are some skills/qualities that your organization values in its employees?

About the Individual You Are Interviewing:

● What kind of education and training did you receive to enter this field?
● Can you tell me a bit about your own professional journey/transitions, and how you got
to where you are today?
● What advice do you have for a student/recent graduate who is looking to enter this
field/join this company?
● I am interested in learning more about ______. Who else do you think I could benefit
from talking to? Will you feel comfortable making an introduction?

Can I ask employers for a job during an informational interviews?

Informational interviews are not job interviews. Asking for a job during an informational interview
is like asking someone you just met whether they could help you move to a new house — you
probably don’t know that person well enough to be asking for such a big favour yet.

Before someone feels comfortable enough to offer or recommend you for a position, they need
to know and trust you. This kind of relationship building takes time, but informational
interviewing is a great first step to introduce yourself to others and start cultivating these
professional relationships to generate or learn of job leads.
 INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW REQUEST

Example #1 - Post Panel Discussion:

Dear Leanne,

It was so great speaking with you at the Nutrition and Food Academic Orientation Session
Event. I found the panel enlightening, full of energy and so engaging with us all. Love to hear
what you thought!

Leanne, you have such an interesting Nutrition and Food background with experience in a
variety of different spaces. I would love to get your advice on how I can learn more about
Nutrition in Clinical Practice. Would you have 10-15 minutes to meet with me?

Happy to meet you at a date, time, and place convenient for you.

Kind regards,
Mairi Kalam

P.S. I think you may find the following article on ‘Can Changing What Foods You Eat Improve
Your Mental Health?’ interesting: goo.gl/mkBuEJ.

Example #2 - Cold Connection

Dear Anna-Marie,

My name is Samantha Whis, and I am a second year Professional Communications student at

Toronto Metropolitan University. During my academic career, I have had multiple opportunities to
get my feet wet by getting involved with our on-campus newspaper, The Eyeopener.

Anna-Marie, I would love to get your advice on how you were able to transition from studying
Professional Communications to working at a SaaS company and perhaps get some tips or
suggestions.

Would you have 15-20 minutes to meet with me? I am happy to meet you at a date and time
suitable to your schedule. However, if you are unable to, I completely understand. Thank you so
much for your time.

Regards,
Samantha Whis
Example #3 - Pre-existing Relationship:

Dear Amy,

How are you? I hope your week is off to a great start.

My name is Mahmood and I volunteered with you at FoodShare Toronto during the winter.

I recently saw a posting for a Research Analyst - Co-op at CAMH, and I am extremely interested
in applying. With that being said, I was hoping to connect with you to better understand the
culture at CAMH. Would you have 15-20 minutes to meet with me? I’m happy to meet you at a
date and time suitable to your schedule.

I would greatly appreciate it and would be happy to help you in any capacity as well in the
future. Thank you, Amy.

Kind regards,
Mahmood Ahmad

Example #4 - Post Networking Event

Dear Ms. Paten,

I hope you are well. I enjoyed speaking with you at the ‘Grab a Slice and Get Advice’ event at
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), I found you full of energy and so engaging with us all.

My name is Fouzia Khan, and I am a 2nd year mechanical engineering student at TMU. During
my time at TMU, I’ve had multiple opportunities to work on labs and academic projects, for
instance, this fall I led a team of four to reverse engineer a wheelchair to improve its mobility
and comfort for users.

As a TMU alumna of the civil engineering program and a current Manager at ABC Company, I
trust you have valuable insights about transitioning into the workforce as well as what you would
expect from an entry level employee in your team. I would love to meet for 20 minutes to ask
you questions about the industry. Please let me know if a brief meeting would work with your
schedule.

Kind regards,
Fouzia Khan
Example #5 - Cold Connection: LinkedIn:

Hello Adit Signh,

After reading your profile, I see that we both share an interest in creating killer designs on
Photoshop and are both members of GDC.

I know this is a little straightforward, but would you be willing to spare 20 minutes to share
insight about your experience working as a Graphic Designer at MLSE on one of the following
dates:

● Wednesday, March 7
● Friday, March 9

If both dates do not work with your schedule, please let me know what day works best for you.

Best regards,
Vivian Tam

Example #6 - Warm Connection: LinkedIn: (Note to first degree connection to request

introduction to second degree connection)

Hi Nahid,

I hope you are keeping well. I am currently doing some research on Shopify, and I noticed that
you are connected to Annie Patel works there. Would you be open to contacting her to ask if
she can spare 15 minutes of her time to answer a few quick questions?

Thank you,
Jen

Example #7 - Over the Phone (Referral)

Good morning, Carolyn.

My name is Sophie Wise. Your contact, Jay Lee, mentioned that you would be a good person to
speak with to learn more about what it is like working at Hydro One.

If you have the time to meet, I am happy to accommodate your schedule. Please send me a few
dates and times that work for you. We can also have a conversation over the phone.
Example #8 - Informational Interview - With Industry Association (Career Exploration)

Hi. My name is Ahmed and I am engaging in career exploration at the moment. One of the
occupations that I am looking into is working as a Project Manager. Would I be able to set up an
informational interview to talk with someone over the phone for 20-30 minutes to ask some
questions and get some advice please?

Example #9 - Informational Interview - With Industry Association (Labour Market

Research)

Hello. My name is Shahzaib and I’m a second year Food and Nutrition student at Toronto
Metropolitan University. I am doing some industry research to learn more about trends in food
insecurity. Would I be able to set up an informational interview to talk with someone over the
phone for 20-30 minutes to ask some questions and get some advice please?

Example #10 - Telephone Call (Leaving Voicemail)

Hi John!

My name is Adrienne. I was wondering if you could help me out.

I am a second year Industrial Engineering student at Toronto Metropolitan University and I’m
now seeking to expand my professional network in order to learn more about the construction
industry.

I wanted to ask you, as a seasoned professional with experience working with employers like
Gillam Group and Bronte Construction, if you would be willing to look over a list of organizations
that I am interested in working for to determine if I am missing any well-known and established
organizations.

If you have a moment to connect my number is 647-111-1010. I look forward to speaking with
you, John.
 FOLLOW-UP ON AN INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW REQUEST

Example #1:

Dear Deepika,

I hope all is well. I know how busy you are probably are, but I wanted to follow up to see if you
would be open to meeting for 15-20 minutes to discuss which skills you have used the most in
your position as a Project Coordinator at ABC Inc. and what you would expect from an entry
level employee in your team.

I am happy to meet whenever and wherever is convenient for you. However, if your schedule is
too full, I completely understand.

Best regards,
Margarita Payne
 THANK YOU NOTE POST-INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW

Example #1:

Hi Sean,

Thank you again for speaking with me today. Your insights were helpful and confirmed what I
need to do to break into the field of Policy Development.

That said, I conducted some research on the Toastmasters membership and it appears
members pay dues of $45 semi-annually.

I will follow up in the near future to let you know about my progress. Thank you again for your
support, please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you in any capacity as well in
the future.

Have a wonderful week!

Best,
Ben Nguyen

Example #2:

Hello Nadun,

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with me. I greatly
appreciate your advice on how to find a summer internship at ABC Inc. At your suggestion, I
connected with Rachel Gloss, Manager - Research and Development, and I will meet with her
next week for coffee.

I hope you have an amazing trip to the Bahamas. I look forward to speaking with you when you
return. Again, thanks for your help. I will keep you posted on my job search progress.

Kindest regards,
Katie Bell