Given that an informational interview can lead to a job offer, doing it right can be one of the most important tools in your networking toolkit. But how do you ask a stranger or someone you don't know very well to have this informational interview? We provide informational interview email templates in this post to make it easy for you to start the conversation.
Editorial note: Check out our comprehensive guide on informational interviews.
Requesting an informational interview via email
Before we get started, let’s review why we do informational interviews.
There may be fields or areas of work that you want to explore for future career opportunities. Therefore, the goal is for you to learn about a field or position that is unfamiliar to you. Perhaps, you are curious about what it is like to work in a particular company or work environment.
Importantly, another goal of informational interviews is to build your professional network. They also help you develop relationships with hiring managers, human resource professionals, and recruiters or headhunters. Informational interviews give you the opportunity to share your professional interests and skills with them.
Remember that an informational interview is not the place to ask for a job. However, an informational interview might lead to a formal job interview in the future.
Composing the email
Once you’ve identified someone you would like to interview, then it’s time to figure out how to get in touch. Perhaps, you know someone who can introduce you or provide you the person’s contact information. Or maybe you’ve found the person’s contact information online or met him/her previously in person and got a business card. It’s very likely that you will ask for the informational interview via email.
Here are some tips about composing the email. Scroll down to see how we implement these tips in the informational interview email templates below.
Salutation
It is perfectly acceptable to start with “Dear,” “Hello,” or “Hi,” followed by the recipient’s name. To be more formal, the email may be addressed to “Mr.” so-and-so or “Ms.” so-and-so. Similarly, if the recipient has a doctoral and medical degree, it doesn’t hurt to call him or her “Dr.” so-and-so in the introductory email.
Based on the recipient’s residence, there may be conventions for using first/given names or surname/last names. If you are unfamiliar with the local customs, it may be best to check. In the US, it’s reasonable to begin an email to Jane Smith with “Hi Jane” or “Dear Ms. Smith.” The salutation to Dr. John Clark may be “Dear John” or “Hello, Dr. Clark.”
Setting the tone from the start
The first few lines of your email will set the tone, and you want to set a professional and friendly tone.
If you’ve met the recipient in the past, a good way to begin is with a reference to your last meeting. For example, “I enjoyed meeting you at the poster session last year at the AACR conference in Miami…” or “Thanks for coming to my university to do the guest lecture…”
If a mutual friend, acquaintance, or colleague suggested that you reach out to the email recipient, then don’t hesitate to mention this. Some examples: “Professor Clark recommended that I reach out to you because we have similar educational training” or “My manager referred me to you because she thought you might have some advice for how to pursue a career in pharmacoviligance.”
Most importantly, if you don’t know the recipient formally, then a brief introduction to who you are would be a reasonable start. Sharing your background can provide rationale for why you would like to have a conversation. This might be something like “I am currently studying chemical engineering at the University of Delaware” or “I am a Data Scientist specializing in bioinformatics.”
Focus on the ask
Focus on making your email short and ultra-specific.
First, provide a brief rationale for why you are interested in speaking with the recipient. This could be something like “I saw on your LinkedIn profile that you previously worked as a Medical Science Liaison prior to becoming a Clinical Scientist, and I would like to learn more about how you made your transition.” Another example is “The open Associate Director position in your department caught my attention, and I would like to learn more about your ideal candidate.”
Immediately after explaining your rationale, request the actual informational interview. You may ask, “Can we schedule 20 minutes for a chat?” or “Can we arrange a virtual coffee meeting in the next few weeks?”
Be sensitive about your request for their time, as people have a lot on their plates right now. You might explain that you’d love to talk if s/he has the bandwidth at this point and if not at the moment, then hopefully once things have settled. This approach allows for flexibility but leaves the door open for future communication.
4 Informational Interview Email Templates
Here are a few informational interview email templates. First, choose one or mix and match from these examples. Next, tailor the content to best suit what you know about your recipient, your situation, and your networking needs.
Template 1 - Learning about a company
Dear Mr./ Ms./ Dr. _________________________,
I am currently working as a ______________ at ___________. My colleague ______________ suggested that I reach out to you because you work at a company that I am interested in exploring. Therefore, I would greatly appreciate an opportunity to talk with you for 15-20 minutes to ask some questions about your experience.
Would there be a convenient time for you to talk over the phone within the next couple weeks? I would be grateful for any advice you could share and look forward to hearing back from you.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Template 2 - Student exploring careers
Hello, Mr./ Ms./ Dr. _________________________,
As a student studying ______________ at the University of ___________, I found your profile in the alumni database and found your career path and work in/at ______________ to be very interesting. I would like to know if we can schedule a 15-minute informational interview in the next few weeks, as I would like to get some advice on how to launch my career in ______________.
Please let me know if you have the bandwidth now or if we should connect in the future once your schedule opens up. I look forward to hearing back from you.
Warmly,
Your Name
Template 3 - Inquiring about a job opening
Hi _________________________,
It was lovely to see/meet you at _____________________ during _____________. I recently saw that your group is seeking/hiring a new _____________ position. Given my current work in _______________ and interests in ______________, I would like to learn more about your ideas for the ideal candidate for the position. Would you be open to a virtual coffee chat next week?
Please let me know if you have time on your calendar. Thank you in advance for your time.
Best regards,
Your Name
Template 4 - Connecting with a recruiter or headhunter
Dear _________________________,
I am a ______________ professional/student, and I saw that you posted an opening for __________________ position on your LinkedIn page. Given that I am interested in transitioning into this area of work, I would really value connecting with you to better understand recent hiring trends.
Would you be open to scheduling a short informational interview? I look forward to hearing back from you.
Regards,
Your Name
Next steps
Hopefully, you’ll receive a positive response after sending a thoughtful email to ask for an informational interview. Once a date and time and method of connecting (phone, zoom, etc.) are set up for the informational interview, take some time to thoroughly prepare for a successful interaction. Check out this 4-step guide for preparing for an informational interview. Make a list of conversational topics and questions to ask (this post will get you started).
Staying connected and building your network through informational interviews during this time may require investing some effort, but the payoffs for your career can be substantial. Good luck, and get interviewing!
Editorial note: Consider these 9 tips for writing effective emails to make sure that you'll get a response.
Your turn: let us know in the comments if you used any of these informational interview email templates and whether you were able to start new career conversations.