How to Network: Informational Interviews That Actually Help

Plenty of people dislike the word "networking" because it sounds like handing out business cards at crowded events. In practice, useful networking is quieter: a short message to someone whose work interests you, a focused conversation, a thank-you, and a light touch every few months. This guide covers the method step by step, with message templates, a question list and a simple routine.

It is general career education, drawing on guidance from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), not personal career or legal advice.

Why talk to people at all?

Job postings tell you what an employer wants written down. People tell you what the work is actually like: the parts that are harder than expected, the skills that really matter, and how people got in. The BLS's career-change guidance recommends exactly this: learn about an occupation from people already doing it. The informational interview is the simplest tool for that.

An informational interview is a short conversation, often 15–30 minutes, in which you ask someone about their role, field or organisation. You are there to learn, not to ask for a job. That distinction is why so many people say yes.

Step 1: Start with who you already know

Most people overlook their existing network: former colleagues, classmates, teachers, neighbours and friends of friends. They are the easiest people to approach, and they can introduce you to others. Write a quick list:

• 5 people you know who work in or near the field you are curious about
• 5 people who might know someone in that field
• 2–3 professional associations, alumni groups or communities where people in that field gather

If you are changing careers and have no direct contacts, the associations and alumni groups are your starting point.

Step 2: Research before you reach out

Before contacting anyone, spend 20 minutes on basics you could look up yourself: what the occupation involves, typical training and outlook (the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook is a good starting point), and what the person's organisation does. This lets you skip obvious questions and ask about things only an insider can answer.

Step 3: Write a short, specific outreach message

OPM's communication guidance stresses being clear, concise and aware of your audience, and the same applies to a first message. A good one has four parts: who you are, why you chose them, what you would like, and a small time request.

Template: someone you know slightly

Hi Sara, it's Ali, we worked together on the onboarding project at Northline two years ago. I'm exploring a move into product operations and saw you've been doing that for a while. Would you have 20 minutes in the next couple of weeks to tell me what the role is really like? Happy to work around your schedule.

Template: a stranger (cold outreach)

Hi Daniel, I read your post on running supplier reviews and it was the clearest explanation I've found. I'm an operations coordinator considering procurement roles, and I'd value 15 minutes of your perspective on what the day-to-day involves. I'll keep to time.

Names and details in these templates are illustrative. Keep messages short, specific and easy to say yes to. Avoid long career histories, and never open with a request for a job or referral.

Step 4: Prepare questions you cannot look up

Pick 5–6 from this list and adapt them:

1. What does a typical week actually involve?
2. What surprised you most when you started?
3. Which skills matter most day to day, and which matter less than people think?
4. How did you get into this role, and how do people get in now?
5. What does someone new usually struggle with in their first six months?
6. If you were in my position, what would you do in the next three months?
7. Is there anyone else you'd suggest I speak to?

Notice what is missing: "What does your company do?" (look it up) and "Can you get me an interview?" (wrong conversation).

Step 5: Run the conversation well

• Keep to the time you asked for. If 20 minutes is up, offer to wrap up. If they want to keep talking, that is their choice.
• Listen more than you speak. Take brief notes.
• Share a little context about your background when asked, but don't pitch.
• Close clearly: thank them, mention one thing you found useful, and ask whether they know anyone else you should talk to.

Step 6: Follow up within two days

The DOL's interview tips recommend following up with a thank-you after interviews, and the same courtesy applies here. Keep it short and specific:

Thanks again for your time on Tuesday, Sara. Your point about learning the reporting tools early was really useful. I've signed up for the introductory course you mentioned. I'll let you know how it goes.

If they suggested someone else to contact, ask whether they'd be comfortable making an introduction, and make it easy by drafting a two-line blurb about yourself they can forward.

Step 7: Make it reciprocal and keep in touch

Professional relationships last when they are two-way. You can:

• Share an article or event relevant to their work
• Congratulate them on a promotion or project
• Make an introduction that could help them
• Send a brief update when you act on their advice

To reconnect with someone you haven't spoken to in months, recall where you met and lead with something relevant, not a request. Reaching out only when you need a favour makes contacts feel used.

A worked example: a career changer's first month

Situation: Aisha is an admin assistant interested in HR roles, with no HR contacts.

• Week 1: She lists three people she knows who might know someone in HR and joins a local HR professionals' group online. She reads the BLS profile for human resources specialists.
• Week 2: A former classmate introduces her to an HR generalist. Aisha sends a three-sentence message asking for 20 minutes.
• Week 3: In the conversation she learns that payroll and HR software skills are commonly expected and that an entry route often goes through HR assistant roles. She sends a specific thank-you the next day.
• Week 4: She has two more conversations, notices the same advice repeated, and picks a concrete next step: a short course on HR software, then targeted applications to HR assistant roles.

Aisha is a hypothetical example. The point is the pattern: several short conversations, compared with occupation data, lead to one concrete action.

Referrals: when and how to ask

A referral is a current employee recommending you for a specific role. It can help your application get noticed, but it never guarantees an offer and does not replace meeting the requirements. Ask only after some rapport exists, for a specific posting, and make it easy: send the job link and two or three lines on how your experience matches it.

A 30-day networking routine

• [ ] Week 1: list 10 people you already know and 2 communities in your target field
• [ ] Week 1: research the occupation's basics
• [ ] Week 2: send 3 short, specific outreach messages
• [ ] Weeks 2–3: hold 1–3 conversations using prepared questions
• [ ] Within 2 days of each: send a specific thank-you
• [ ] Week 4: compare what you heard and choose one concrete next step
• [ ] Monthly from then on: reconnect with two contacts by sharing something useful

Frequently asked questions

What if I'm introverted? One-to-one conversations suit quieter people well, and they matter more than large events. A steady routine of small contacts is enough.

What if someone says no or doesn't reply? Thank them politely if they decline, and don't send repeated follow-ups. People are busy, so move on to the next contact.

Should I ask for a job in an informational interview? No. Ask to learn. If a suitable opening exists, the person may mention it, and you can ask about a referral later once rapport exists.

How many conversations do I need? Enough to see patterns. Often three to five in a field is more useful than one long one.

If you live outside the United States

Networking norms differ between countries, industries and cultures: how formal a first message should be, whether cold outreach is common, and how referrals work. The core method (short, respectful, specific, reciprocal) travels well, but adapt the tone to local practice.

Test what you know

Take the Networking Quiz to check these ideas: 15 questions with an explanation after each answer. If you're exploring a new field, try the Career Change Quiz and read Signs You're Ready for a Career Change. When conversations turn into interviews, prepare with the Job Interview Skills Test.

Haroon Ejaz

Founder and editor, TestYourChoice

Haroon Ejaz is a DevOps Manager and cloud infrastructure professional with more than ten years in technology, and the founder and editor of TestYourChoice. He researches each article from published sources, writes and edits it himself, and corrects it when a reader reports a verified error.