You’re in decision limbo.

Maybe you’re not sure what to study or what career path may be the best fit for you. You’ve looked into the curricula for the majors that interest you and maybe fallen into a YouTube black hole researching job opportunities in a particular field.

You’ve Googled countless questions: What’s the difference between Mechanical and Chemical Engineering? What job opportunities are there for Art History majors? Is studying Economics hard? But still you have some lingering questions.

Good news: this is where informational interviews can offer some clarity.

Connecting with an expert in a field you’re interested in to discuss their academic or professional experience might sound nerve-wracking. But it’s worth it—you’ll be amazed how much information you can get out of just a thirty minute conversation with someone in the field. Plus people love talking about themselves and their experiences! And many people will be both flattered if you reach out to them and excited to connect with a young person interested in their field.

This guide will outline:

What is an informational interview?
The benefits of an informational interview
How to find people to interview
Reaching out to request an informational interview
How to prepare for the interview
The interview itself
After the interview

What is an informational interview?

An informational interview is an informal conversation with someone studying or working in an area of interest to you. Informational interviews are most often used to better understand the realities of a career, but they can be equally useful for better understanding paths of study or life at a particular university.

What are the benefits of an informational interview?

Informational interviews have many benefits, but here are a few key ones:

Getting firsthand information about a career or path of study. Researching online can be incredibly helpful, but an informational interview can provide you with invaluable firsthand, current information. You’ll be able to gain greater context, learn about someone’s personal experience, and get specific answers to specific questions you may not find answers to online. By the end of the informational interview, you may find you answered questions you didn’t even know you had.
Learning about a particular organization or school. Maybe you’re curious about a particular college. You’ve scoured their website and social media, but you want the inside scoop. Informational interviews are a great way to learn about what it’s like to study there, what the student body is like, how heavy the workload is, what on-campus and off-campus housing are like …
Or maybe your interviewee works at an organization you’d love to work at. This is your time to better understand the professional culture, what kind of opportunities are available, what average salaries look like … the list goes on.
Expanding your professional network. Even if you’re not looking for a job at the moment, it’s always helpful to expand your professional network. You never know—maybe they’ll be forwarding you job leads in a few years.

How to find people to interview

It can be difficult to identify people for informational interviews. Start by listing as many people as you can whose academic or professional trajectories interest you. Here are some categories to get you thinking:

Family and Friends

Are there uncles, aunts, cousins, or friends who it would be beneficial to interview? Do your parents know someone you could connect with? If you’re nervous about your first informational interview (totally understandable), it can be helpful to start with a low-stakes interview with someone you already know well. Not only will you learn about their trajectory, you’ll gain confidence and even be able to ask for their feedback to strengthen your abilities for future interviews.

Contacts through School

Do you have a high school teacher who worked in a field that interests you? Or if the answer is no, consider asking your teachers if there’s anyone they might recommend you speak with. Perhaps a previous student of theirs shares your interests, or their friend works in the exact field you’re considering.

Contacts through Extracurriculars

If you’ve been involved in extracurricular activities throughout high school, think about your mentors. These don’t have to be people directly related to the field/s you want to learn more about. Could you ask one of them about their professional trajectory? Could they connect you with friends or colleagues of theirs?

Community Members

People in your neighborhood, faith community, or any other community you’re a part of can be a phenomenal resource as well. Is there an organization or business in your area that does work in the field/s you want to explore? Hit them up—you lose nothing by asking politely, and if it’s clear you share their values and interests, there’s all kinds of potential.

Other People

You can also reach out to people with whom you have no direct connection. While this can be a little more intimidating and sometimes less fruitful, it’s still a good option. Check out LinkedIn and look up professionals in your area.

Reaching out to request an informational interview

Once you have a few people in mind you’d like to interview, it’s time to reach out. Be polite and concise. Make sure to include the following:

A brief introduction. This should include your name, where you’re attending school, and your class year.
How you heard about them. Mention any mutual friends or contacts who recommended you reach out to them. If you found them on LinkedIn, what is it about their profile that drew your attention?
What interests you about their trajectory. Indicate that you heard they’re working in __ or studying __ and that you’re interested in learning more about that field. You can also add in any experience with the field you’ve had already, even if it’s just a high school class or extracurricular activity. Maybe you’ve really enjoyed writing for your school paper, and that’s what’s sparked your interest in Journalism. Or you took a summer course in Psychology and are curious about what being a Clinical Psychologist would be like.
Request to meet. Meeting in person is ideal, but if that’s not possible, a video call or phone call is great too. Ask for just thirty minutes max of their time (even fifteen minutes can be valuable!), and make sure to accommodate the days and times that work for them, rather than suggesting particular times yourself.

How to prepare for an informational interview

Do your homework!

Perhaps the biggest mistake you can make is to go into an informational interview without preparation. To make the most of an informational interview, you’ll want to do your homework. Research the field of study or career you’re interested in. This will allow you to ask more relevant questions and demonstrate you have a basic understanding of the field. It's probably best not to ask questions that you can easily find answers to via a Google search. For example, you don’t want to connect with a mechanical engineer, only to ask them what the difference between mechanical and civil engineering is. (Even Wikipedia probably has you covered there…)

Know who you’re talking with

Before your interview, make sure you look into your interviewee’s background. LinkedIn can be a particularly useful tool for learning about your interviewee (and if you don’t have a LinkedIn profile yet, it’s pretty easy to build one). Check out their current position, previous positions, and educational background. If you’re well-prepared, not only will you be able to ask more pertinent questions, your interviewee will likely be flattered that you took the time to learn more about them.

Prepare a brief introduction

Before you launch into your questions, you’ll want to introduce yourself. Even if you included it in an initial email, you should include your name, class year, and why you reached out. You can mention majors or careers you’re considering or what kind of big questions you’re hoping to gain clarity on.

Develop questions

Think critically about what you want to learn from the informational interview. What information have you not been able to find in your research so far? What are some things that can only be answered by someone with experience? You’ll want to have a list of questions, but also be open to questions that arise naturally during the interview. Rather than jumping around randomly, organize your questions by category so that the interview flows more naturally. It’s fine if you don’t end up asking all of the questions you prepared. They’ll serve as a guide, particularly at the beginning of your conversation.

If you’re interviewing a student and want to learn about their studies, here are a handful of questions to get you started:

What is a typical school day like for you?
How did you decide on your major?
What do you like most about your major?
What do you like least about your major?
What kind of attributes or skills do you feel are necessary to succeed in this major?
What kind of internships or research opportunities are available to you?
What’s the most interesting class you’ve taken, and why?
What do you like most about your college?
What do you like least about it?
What is student life like?
How many hours do you spend in class per week? Studying?
What do you do on the weekend?
What do you hope to do when you graduate?
Where do you imagine yourself in 10 years?
If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? If not, what would you change?
What advice would you give someone who is considering this field of study?
Is there anyone else you would recommend I speak with?

If you’re interviewing a professional and want to learn about their work, take a look at these questions:

What is a typical workday like for you?
What are your primary responsibilities?
What do you like most about your current role?
What do you like least about it?
What’s most challenging about your current role?
What did you study? How relevant is your degree to your current role?
What kind of education and training is required for your job?
What was your first job when you graduated college? What are common entry-level jobs in this field?
How did you become interested in this field?
What other fields did you consider?
What related fields would you recommend I look into?
If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? If not, what would you change?
What advice would you give someone who is considering this field of study?
Is there anyone else you would recommend I speak with?

The Interview Itself

The day has arrived! It’s time for your informational interview. A few quick pointers:

Dress neatly and appropriately.
Arrive on time or (preferably) a few minutes early.
Bring a notebook and pen or your computer to take notes.
Briefly introduce yourself.
Be respectful of their time! If you asked for thirty minutes of their time and it’s nearly the thirty minute mark, acknowledge it and say that you want to respect their time. Your interviewee may want to continue the conversation or cut it off there.
At the end of the interview, ask if there’s anyone else they would recommend you speak with. This is a great strategy that can set you up for future informational interviews.
Ask if you can reach out to them with any follow-up questions.

After the Interview

Just because you finished the interview doesn’t mean your work is done! Send a thank-you note to express your gratitude. Handwritten is always ideal, but a kind email works as well. If they recommend you get in touch with someone else, reach out to that contact as well. If it’s appropriate, stay in touch with your interviewee.

And make sure to take some time to reflect on what you learned from the interview. What was surprising? Did it make you more or less excited about a particular field? What questions do you still have?

And then it’s time for the next interview! Remember that the more interviews you do, the more comfortable they’ll become.

With all of that, you should be all set to start pulling yourself out of limbo. Have fun, and enjoy your increased clarity.

Special thanks to Rachel for writing this blog post.