Networking

The Informational Interview Email (Template + Examples)

The informational interview only happens if the email gets opened and answered. Here is the structure that earns the yes — and the one thing that matters more than the wording.

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Example — what you’ll see

Someone who works at your target company

🎓 Same university as you · 💼 Shared past employer

🔥 Strongest

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: Use a specific, personal subject line ("Fellow [School] grad — quick question"), open with the genuine thing you share, say one specific reason you are reaching out to them, and ask for a small, defined slice of time ("15 minutes in the next couple of weeks?"). Keep it to four sentences, do not attach a resume, and do not ask for a job. Who you send it to matters more than the exact words — a warm contact says yes far more often than a stranger.

The structure that works

Subject line: specific and personal — "Fellow [School] grad — quick question" or "[Mutual company] — would love your perspective." Vague subjects go unopened.
Opening line: the shared signal. This is the reason they keep reading.
The why-you: one specific sentence on what you want to learn from them.
The ask: a small, bounded request — "Would you be open to 15 minutes?" — plus an easy out.

What to leave out

No resume attachment, no life story, no hint that you are really after a job or a referral. The moment the email feels like an application, the warm, generous mood disappears. You are asking for perspective; keep the promise.

And keep it short. Four sentences that respect the person's time convert far better than three paragraphs that do not.

Send it to the right person

A perfect email still fails if it goes to a stranger with nothing in common. Alumni and people you share a past employer or field with reply at rates a cold contact never will — because the shared signal in your subject line is real.

FindWarmIntros finds those warm contacts at any company and drafts the opener, so your emails land warm and you spend your energy on the conversations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I write in an informational interview email?

A specific subject line, an opening that leads with what you share, one specific reason you are reaching out to them, and a small bounded ask ("would you be open to 15 minutes?"). Keep it to about four sentences, skip the resume, and do not ask for a job.

What is a good subject line for an informational interview email?

Specific and personal beats generic: "Fellow [School] grad — quick question" or "[Mutual company] — would value your perspective." The subject's only job is to get the email opened, and a shared signal is what does that.

Should I attach my resume to an informational interview request?

No. Attaching a resume signals you want a job review rather than a conversation and makes the ask heavier. Keep the first email about learning from them; share your resume later, if they offer to help after the chat.

Keep going

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