Informational Interviewing Guide
Have you ever felt lost trying to navigate your career?
Maybe you’re…
🎓 Trying to choose a concentration or major and curious about related career paths.
🏢 Searching for an internship or a job and curious what it’s like to work for a particular company as you decide whether or not to apply.
🔀 Considering a career transition and want guidance from someone in a field you’re looking to pursue.
đź”— Looking to connect with someone who has shared experiences or identities as you and you want to understand how they’ve navigated their career path.
For support with these kinds of questions, and to help you feel a little less lost as you navigate your career, try having an
INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW.
An informational interview is like asking for
directions.
Informational interviews are, essentially, a conversation with someone in a role, company, industry, or education path you’re interested in.
It’s about getting information and insight from someone who’s been where you’ve been or is in a place you want to be. Informational interviews can help you get closer to something you’re considering in your life or your career.
They’re an opportunity for you to explore and be curious, without having to go “all-in” on the path you’re thinking about walking down. You can get your questions answered first, and then decide if you want to proceed. (Prototype!)
Not scary right? Totally doable!
As you’re thinking about who you might want to reach out to for an informational interview and what you might want to talk with them about, it’s important to know what an information is, and isn’t.
An informational interview IS…
âś… A conversation you can request from anyone!
Consider people you know, mutual connections, professors, fellow students, CSU alumni, professionals you find in Rams Connect or on LinkedIn, even people you admire!
âś… Focused on gaining insight and advice.
Opportunities may present themselves organically through building a new relationship.
âś… A chance to hear someone’s story.
People love sharing about their experiences! You might be surprised how willing (perhaps eager) someone might be to speak with you.
âś… An opportunity to meet potential advocates for your career.
You might not get responses from each person you reach out to. However, those who do respond and make time for you tend to be especially helpful!
âś… A way to chat with someone in-person (over coffee? on a walk?), phone, or video call.
You should be prepared for your meeting, but these conversations can be casual!
An informational interview IS NOT…
❌ Limited to people you already know.
Tap your network (or build one in Rams Connect) to help you make connections!
❌ Asking for a job.
Think of what you can learn from the person.
❌ A burdensome request.
People will let you know if they have the time to chat—and many are flattered by the ask!
❌ A request that will always be answered.
The worst you can hear is no (or nothing). But you’ll probably get a few enthusiastic YESes!
❌ Always done in-person.
Meet up in a way that’s convenient for you.
Informational interviews are one of the most powerful tools in your career planning toolbox and can be valuable for everyone, regardless of where you are in your career journey.
CAREER EXPLORERS
đź’ˇ Discover possible career paths and learn about roles
✨ Identify knowledge and skills necessary for a role/field
đź”— Reach out to a broad scope of people in roles you’re curious about
INTERNSHIP & JOB SEEKERS
đź’ˇ Gain insights to help you market yourself for a role
✨ Determine if a company matches your values and if the role/team would be a good fit
đź”— Build connections inside companies of interest
CAREER CHANGERS
đź’ˇ Learn about alternate roles or industries of interest
✨ Strategize how you might pivot into something new
đź”— Make connections with other career shifters or those in roles/industries of interest
CAREER ADVANCERS
đź’ˇ Get advice on how to elevate yourself or your career
✨ Target new opportunities and how you can best position yourself for growth
đź”— Lean on contacts who can serve as mentors/advocates
Where to Find Someone
for an Informational Interview
Whether you have a vast network or are just starting to build professional connections, the CMC has tips, resources, and platforms to help you tap into the expertise of of others and collect their insights.
Create a profile on Rams Connect and access a directory of COB alums and friends of the college who are willing and eager to have an informational interview.
Use features like the Alumni Search Tool to find people to connect with based on their company, job title, education, location, and more.
(You can use this same search method on a company page by looking at the People tab to find CSU alumni at a company!)
Career Fairs, Employer of the Day Tables, and other career events throughout the year are spaces where you can get introduced to alumni and recruiters for future conversations.
YOUR EXISTING NETWORK
There might be people already in your life—or connections of connections—that work in areas you’re curious about. Consider your family, friends, faculty, classmates, or others who you could reach out to.
How to Ask Someone & Prepare
for an Informational Interview
When reaching out to a new connection or someone you’d like to reconnect with, it’s important for your communication to be clear, concise, and professional.
The CMC’s Guide to Writing Outreach Emails covers how to write an effective outreach message—what to say and how to approach someone you might not know well (or at all!).
Once you’ve heard back from your outreach, take some time to prepare for your meeting. Reflect on why you sought out this person for guidance—what do you hope they’ll provide insight and clarity on? Develop some questions to help you uncover industry trends, learn from their career journey, get advice on your situation, skills, and experiences to develop, and suggested next steps.
Some questions you might ask are:
(Consider using generative AI to help you brainstorm more questions, specific to your situation!)
- What trends are emerging in this field/industry?
- How did you choose your career field?
- With hindsight, what would you do differently?
- If you were in college and considering this field, what would you do to explore it further and/or build experience?
- What skills or knowledge are critical in your role?
- Could you describe a recent day or week in this role?
- How might I stay current on this industry/field?
- I saw an opening I’m interested in with this company. What would you do next if you were in my shoes?
- Can I follow up if I have more questions? What’s the best way for us to stay in contact?
And, as you would with other interviews, make sure you send a thank you note! Consider setting a reminder to follow-up with your new contact in a month or the following semester to nurture the relationship, keep communication option, let them know you followed their advice and what the outcome was, or to ask for new advice as you need!