Career Career ● Easy

Networking Quiz: Can You Build Useful Professional Connections?

Many opportunities come through people, not just job boards. This quiz covers informational interviews, writing an outreach message, preparing good questions, following up, reciprocity, referrals, reconnecting with old contacts and networking when you change careers, with an explanation after every answer.

Start the quiz
Questions
15
Time
16 min
Difficulty
● Easy
◇
Career · Easy
Quick info

Before you start

Best for

Job seekers who rely only on job boards

What you'll learn

Write a short, specific outreach message

Format

15 explanation-backed questions in about 16 minutes.

What you'll cover

A small map of the test

  1. 1Informational interviews
  2. 2Outreach messages and preparation
  3. 3Follow-up and thank-you notes
  4. 4Reciprocity and referrals
  5. 5Networking during a career change
Audience

Who this quiz is for

  • Job seekers who rely only on job boards
  • Career changers with no contacts in their new field
  • Anyone who finds networking awkward and wants a practical method
Learning outcomes

What you should understand afterward

  • Write a short, specific outreach message
  • Run and follow up an informational interview
  • Turn conversations into a concrete next step
Key concepts

Ideas this quiz checks

Informational interview

A short conversation to learn about a role, field or organisation from someone in it.

Outreach message

A brief, specific first message that explains why you chose the person and what you would like to learn.

Referral

A current employee recommending you for a specific role.

Reciprocity

Helping and sharing with contacts, not only asking for help.

Score guide

How to read your score

  1. 0–6 Start with one conversation

    Review how informational interviews work and how to write a short, specific outreach message.

  2. 7–11 Solid networking basics

    You know the method, with a few points on follow-up, reciprocity or referrals to revisit.

  3. 12–15 Strong networking habits

    You understand how to start, maintain and use professional relationships respectfully.

Learning path

Continue with a purpose

Recommended next step Plan your first informational interview Follow message templates, a question list, a follow-up plan and a 30-day networking routine.
Check career-change planning Review occupation research, transferable skills and low-risk ways to test a new field.
After the quiz

Recommended next steps

  • Write a three-sentence outreach message template you can adapt
  • Prepare five questions you cannot answer by searching online
  • Send a specific thank-you within two days of any conversation
  • Keep a simple list of contacts and when you last spoke
References

Sources and further reading

Important note

Educational disclaimer

This quiz provides general career education only. It is not employment or legal advice, and networking norms vary by country, industry and culture. Use the explanations as a starting point and adapt them to your situation.

Sample questions

Try a few questions first

3 of the 15 questions, with the correct answer and the reasoning behind it. The rest are in the quiz, each explained as you answer.

  1. What is the main purpose of an informational interview?

    • To ask the person directly for a job offer
    • To learn about a role, field or company from someone who works in itCorrect
    • To negotiate salary before applying
    • To get feedback on a rejected application

    Why: An informational interview is a short conversation in which you ask someone about their work, field or organisation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' career-change guidance recommends talking to people already in an occupation to learn what the work is really like. It is about learning, not asking for a job, which makes people far more willing to say yes.

  2. Which first message to a stranger on a professional network is most likely to get a reply?

    • A copy-pasted request to connect with no message
    • A request for a referral to any open job at their company
    • A short, specific note saying why you chose them and asking for 15–20 minutes of adviceCorrect
    • A long message listing your whole career history

    Why: A brief, specific message shows you have done some homework and respects the person's time. Naming why you contacted them, what you would like to learn and a small time request, such as 15 or 20 minutes, makes it easy to agree. OPM's communication guidance stresses being clear, concise and audience-aware, which applies to outreach as much as to workplace messages.

    Source U.S. Office of Personnel Management

  3. Before an informational interview, what preparation is most useful?

    • Research the person's role and organisation and prepare a few focused questionsCorrect
    • Prepare a sales pitch for why they should hire you
    • Memorise their entire online profile word for word
    • Ask them to send you their questions in advance

    Why: Preparing a handful of focused questions, based on research into the role and organisation, makes the conversation useful and shows respect for the person's time. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook is a good starting point for understanding an occupation's duties, training and outlook, so your questions can go beyond facts you could have looked up yourself.

    Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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