Networking

The Thank-You Note After an Informational Interview

The thank-you note is the cheapest, most-skipped move in networking. Sent well, it is what makes someone remember you — and follow through on helping you.

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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: Send a short thank-you within 24 hours that references one specific thing they said, tells them what you are going to do with their advice, and — if they offered an introduction — makes it effortless with a two-line forwardable blurb. Keep it warm and brief. This note is what converts a pleasant 15 minutes into a real relationship and follow-through.

What a great thank-you note includes

A specific reference. Quote or paraphrase one thing they said. "Your point about [X] changed how I am thinking about [Y]" proves you listened.
What you will do with it. Naming a concrete next step you are taking on their advice makes them feel their time mattered — and invested in your outcome.
An easy handoff, if offered. If they said they would introduce you to someone, include a short forwardable blurb so all they have to do is hit forward.

Timing and tone

Send it within a day, while the conversation is fresh for both of you. Keep it short and genuinely warm — this is a thank-you, not a second pitch. A few sincere sentences beat a long, formal letter every time.

Do not use the note to ask for something new. Its whole job is to close the loop warmly and keep the door open. Any further ask can come later, in its own message, once you have given the relationship a moment to breathe.

Keep the network compounding

The best informational chats end with them suggesting someone else to talk to. The thank-you is where you act on that — a forwardable blurb turns their goodwill into an actual introduction, and one conversation becomes the next.

FindWarmIntros helps you find and reach those next people at any company, so the momentum from one good chat does not die in your inbox.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I write in a thank-you after an informational interview?

A short note within a day that references one specific thing they said, tells them what you will do with their advice, and — if they offered an introduction — includes a two-line forwardable blurb. Keep it warm, brief, and free of any new ask.

How soon should I send the thank-you note?

Within 24 hours, while the conversation is fresh for both of you. A prompt, specific note is what makes you memorable; a late or generic one blends into the background.

Should I ask for a referral in the thank-you note?

No. Let the thank-you be a genuine thank-you. Adding a fresh ask makes it feel transactional. If a referral is the goal, it usually comes on its own after a good chat, or you can raise it later in a separate message.

What if they offered to introduce me to someone?

Make it effortless: include a short, forwardable blurb in your thank-you — two lines on who you are and what you are looking for — so all they have to do is forward it. Removing the work is what turns an offered introduction into a real one.

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