How to Request Informational Interviews at Companies You Want to Join

The first two days activated your network: you contacted five people about job leads and joined two professional groups. Today you pursue a different networking strategy that opens doors at specific companies.

Informational conversations are discussions with people who work at companies you're interested in. You're not asking for a job. You're asking to learn about their company, their role, and their perspective on working there. These conversations build relationships that often lead to referrals when positions open.

This approach works because it removes pressure from both sides. They're not evaluating you as a candidate. You're not asking them to get you hired. You're having a professional conversation that helps you understand whether their company is a good fit for you.

Why Informational Conversations Lead to Jobs

Most people apply to companies blindly through job boards. Their resume sits in a pile with hundreds of others. No one inside the company knows who they are or whether they'd be a good fit.

Informational conversations put you on the inside track. After talking with you, the person has a sense of your capabilities, your professionalism, and whether you'd work well in their environment. When a position opens, you're not a stranger applying from outside. You're someone they've talked to and can vouch for.

Even if they're not hiring in their immediate team, they often know about openings elsewhere in the company. They can make introductions to hiring managers in other departments. They can tell you when positions are about to be posted before they go public. This inside information gives you timing advantages that external applicants don't have.

The conversation itself also provides valuable intelligence. You learn about company culture, what skills they value, what challenges they're facing, and what kind of people succeed there. This information helps you target your applications more effectively and interview more successfully if you do apply.

Identify Target Companies First

Before you identify people to talk to, identify which companies you actually want to work for. Make a list of 10-15 organizations where you could see yourself working based on:

Industry and sector - Companies in industries where you have experience or interest. Your skills transfer more easily to similar contexts.

Size and stage - Large corporations, mid-size companies, or startups depending on what environment suits you. Each has different cultures and opportunities.

Location or remote work - Companies with offices in your area or that hire remote workers if you need flexibility.

Reputation and stability - Organizations known for treating employees well, having stable business models, or growing despite economic conditions.

Mission or values alignment - Companies whose work you find meaningful or whose values match your own. This matters more during difficult job searches when motivation is harder to maintain.

Write down your 10-15 target companies. This becomes your focused list for networking and applications. Trying to network into 50 companies dilutes your effort. Focusing on 10-15 lets you build real connections.

Find Three People in Your Network at Target Companies

Look at your target company list and identify who you know at these organizations. Check:

LinkedIn connections - Search your connections by company name. LinkedIn shows you everyone in your network who works or has worked at each company.

Former colleagues - People you've worked with who've moved to companies on your list. These are strong connections because they know your work directly.

Alumni networks - Fellow graduates from your university or previous employers who now work at target companies. Alumni connections have built-in reciprocity.

Professional association members - People from the groups you joined on Day 2 who list target companies as their employer.

Extended network - Friends of friends, family connections, or acquaintances who work at these companies. Even weak connections can provide valuable conversations.

Identify three people from your network who work at companies you're targeting. Prioritize people who:

• Know you well enough to remember who you are
• Work in departments or roles similar to what you're pursuing
• Have been at the company long enough to have useful perspective (6+ months minimum)

If you don't have three people at target companies, expand your target list or look at second-degree connections where a mutual contact could make an introduction.

Write Your Request Message

Craft a brief message requesting an informational conversation. Use this structure:

Personal connection - Reference how you know each other or what you have in common.

Your situation - Briefly state that you're in a job search and researching potential employers.

Specific request - Ask for 20-30 minutes to learn about their experience at the company.

Make it easy - Offer to work around their schedule and specify that you're looking for conversation, not asking them to get you a job.

Here's a complete example:

"Hi [Name], I hope you're doing well. I saw you're now at [Company] and wanted to reach out. I'm currently job searching after being laid off from [Your Company], and [Their Company] is one of the organizations I'm most interested in learning more about. Would you be willing to have a brief 20-30 minute conversation about your experience there? I'm not asking you to get me a job - I'm just trying to understand what the company culture is like and what types of roles might be a good fit. I'm happy to work around your schedule. Let me know if you have time in the next few weeks."

This message is direct about your situation, specific about what you're asking for, and removes pressure by clarifying you're not asking them to hire you.

What to Ask During the Conversation

When someone agrees to talk, prepare questions that help you understand the company and demonstrate your genuine interest:

About their role:

• What does a typical day or week look like for you?
• What do you find most challenging about your role?
• What skills are most important for success in your position?

About the company:

• How would you describe the company culture?
• What do you wish you'd known before joining?
• How has the company changed since you started?

About opportunities:

• What types of roles does the company hire for most frequently?
• What skills or experience does leadership value most?
• How do people typically advance or move between teams?

About the industry/sector:

• How is the company positioned relative to competitors?
• What challenges is the industry facing that affect day-to-day work?
• Where do you see the company heading in the next year or two?

Prepare 5-6 questions but let the conversation flow naturally. Listen for information they volunteer without prompting. Take notes during or immediately after the call.

What to Do After the Conversation

Send a thank-you message within 24 hours. Keep it brief:

"Thanks so much for taking time to talk with me yesterday. I really appreciated your insights about [specific thing they mentioned]. It gave me a much better understanding of [Company] and confirmed my interest in exploring opportunities there. I'll keep you updated on my search, and please let me know if I can ever return the favor."

Add them to your job search tracking spreadsheet with notes about what you learned. Include any specific people they mentioned, timing about hiring, or advice they gave about applying.

If they mentioned a specific opening or said to stay in touch about opportunities, follow up every 3-4 weeks with a brief update on your search. This keeps you visible without being pushy.

When you do apply to their company, let them know. Send a brief message: "I wanted to let you know I applied for [position] at [Company]. Thanks again for the conversation we had - it really helped me understand why this would be a good fit." This gives them the opportunity to put in a word or make an introduction if they're inclined.

If They Don't Respond

Some people won't respond to your request. This is normal and not personal. They're busy, they don't check messages regularly, or they're uncomfortable with networking requests.

Wait one week, then send a brief follow-up: "I know you're busy, so just wanted to follow up on my message from last week about [Company]. If you don't have time, no worries - I understand. If you do have 20 minutes sometime, I'd really appreciate the conversation."

If they still don't respond after the follow-up, move on. Don't take it personally. Focus on people who do respond rather than pursuing people who don't.

Send Three Requests Today

Identify your three people right now. These should be connections at companies you genuinely want to work for. Open LinkedIn, email, or whatever channel you use to communicate with them.

Write your request message using the template provided. Adjust the personal connection part to reference your actual relationship. Send all three messages today.

Most people will respond within a few days. Some will agree to talk, some will decline but offer other help, some won't respond at all. All three outcomes are fine. You're playing a volume game where some conversations lead to opportunities and others don't, but you can't predict which ones matter until later.

These three conversations might lead directly to job opportunities. They might provide information that helps you interview better elsewhere. They might create relationships that pay off months from now. The value isn't always immediate, but informational conversations consistently produce better results than applying blindly to companies where you know no one.

Send your three requests now. These conversations are how you get inside companies that aren't actively posting the perfect role but will create one for the right person.