Networking

How to Ask for an Informational Interview (and Get a Yes)

The ask is simple, but the wording decides whether you get a yes or silence. Here is exactly how to phrase it — and who to send it to.

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Example — what you’ll see
in
Someone who works at your target company
🎓 Same university as you  ·  💼 Shared past employer
🔥 Strongest
in
A recruiter at your target company
🎓 Same university as you
🎓 Alumni

✍️ Ready-to-send intro“Hi — we both studied at [your school]. I’d love to hear about your path to a company you are targeting before I apply…”

… plus everyone else in your network who can put in a good word.

See who can refer you in — pick your target company:

Short answer: Keep it short and make it easy to say yes: lead with the genuine thing you share (same school, an overlapping employer, the same field), be specific about what you want to learn, and ask for a small, defined slice of time — "would you be open to 15 minutes?" Do not attach your resume or hint at a job; you are asking for their perspective, not an application review.

The four parts of a message that gets a yes

  • The shared signal, first line. "Fellow [School] grad" or "saw we both spent time at [Company]" — this is the reason they open and reply at all.
  • Why them specifically. One sentence on what they do that you want to learn about. Generic flattery reads as a mail merge; specificity reads as real.
  • A small, defined ask. "Would you be open to 15 minutes in the next couple of weeks?" A bounded, low-cost request is far easier to accept than an open-ended "can I pick your brain?"
  • An easy out. "Totally understand if the timing is not good." Removing pressure paradoxically raises your yes rate.

What not to do

Do not open by asking for a job or a referral — it turns a warm request into a cold transaction before you have earned anything. Do not send a wall of text or your whole resume; the ask should cost them ten seconds to read and one line to accept.

And do not be vague. "Can I pick your brain?" with no topic or time frame is the most-ignored message on LinkedIn. Name the topic and name the time.

Send it to the right person

A perfectly worded request still fails if it goes to a stranger with nothing in common. The people most likely to say yes are alumni from your school and anyone you share a past employer or field with — they reply at rates a cold contact never will.

FindWarmIntros surfaces those warm contacts at any company you are targeting and drafts the opener, so you spend your energy on the conversation, not on hunting for who to message.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I ask someone for an informational interview?
Send a short message that leads with what you share, says one specific thing about why you want to learn from them, and asks for a small defined slice of time ("would you be open to 15 minutes?"). Keep it low-pressure and do not ask for a job — you are asking for perspective.
How long should the message be?
Three to four sentences. The shared signal, why them, the 15-minute ask, and an easy out. Anything longer lowers your reply rate; the whole message should be readable in ten seconds and acceptable in one line.
Should I attach my resume when asking?
No. Attaching a resume signals you want a job review, not a conversation, and it makes the ask feel heavier. Keep the first message about learning from them. If they offer to help after the chat, that is the moment to share your resume and a short blurb.
Who should I ask for an informational interview?
Start with alumni from your school and people you share a past employer or field with at your target companies — they say yes far more often than strangers. FindWarmIntros ranks and surfaces exactly those people so your requests land warm.

Keep going

Informational Interview Questions to Ask How to Reach Out to Alumni on LinkedIn Referral Email + Message Templates How to Find Someone to Refer You
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