I was just starting an MBA program and had a goal to do 10 info interviews per week. An info interview is an informational interview you have with someone at a company you’re interested in working at, with the intent to learn more and ask to be referred into an open position. Back then I was interested in working at Adobe and really worked my network to get some info interviews set up. Here’s a brief summary of how they went:
Info Interview #1: I had no idea what I should even ask. Spent most of the call just learning that Adobe did more than PDFs.
Info Interview #2: I was nervous and trying to sound smart, as I was talking with someone in marketing but (again) had no idea how marketing at Adobe worked.
Info Interview #3: I wrote out a few questions and it went a little better, but spent most of the call talking about their career history.
Info Interview #4: I researched the person before, and by this time knew more about Adobe. Asked some good questions and the person offered to refer me into their internship program.
When I look back on this, I’m a bit embarrassed about the three phone calls it took to just figure out what I was doing. By the fourth I had gotten to my objective (getting a referral), but in hindsight I’m sure that person was just being nice. Now that I have done hundreds of info interviews myself and been on the other side, I can confidently articulate what works well and what doesn’t.
Step #1: Do Your Homework
You thought homework was only for class? Wrong! The most important homework you’ll do in your life is prepping for informational interviews and job interviews. Before an info interview do the following:
- Look up the person on LinkedIn. Take notes on what companies and roles they have been at. Especially note how long they have been in their current role.
- Look up the company. Go to their website and just understand their products and services. Then go to their social media and see what they have posted recently.
- Do a news search. In Google, do a search for the company and click the “News” tab. This is helpful to see what’s been happening lately. For public companies it’s a great way to see how the company is performing, major leadership changes, etc.
Before every info interview you should have a page of notes on the person and the company. Also on that page write out the questions you plan to ask (which will be forthcoming in this guide).
Step #2: Make a Human Connection
Just like a job interview (which you can find the Job Interview Formula here), you should start by introducing yourself and getting to know the person you are talking with. Some principles you should follow are:
- Practice your introduction. Keep it brief (under 30 seconds), and for all love in the world include one or two personal things about yourself. I usually will say “I’m Jason. I’m originally from Seattle, and have worked at [these companies]. I’ve recently gotten into running and ran my first marathon, and last week I finally perfected a brisket on my Traeger.” This gives quite a few opportunities for a shared connection.
- Ask about them. Again, you should be looking for shared connections. You’ve already done your homework (per step #1). Don’t feel like you need to just listen. As soon as they say something that you have in common or find interesting, turn that into a conversation.
- Don’t be weird. This isn’t a date, they’re not your boss, and you’re not the world’s greatest gift to them (all these have stories by the way). Just be a curious, normal person. They are giving you some time and you should be respectful of it.
Start each info interview saying “Hi, I’m [insert name]. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me. Just briefly about myself… (and state your introduction).
Step #3: State Your Objective
If you don’t know what you want, you’ll never find it.
When you start an info interview it’s incredibly helpful to state your intent. This serves two purposes:
- You are being transparent with your intent, which leads to a more productive discussion.
- It keeps you focused and accountable to your objective.
I learned the hard way that if you do an info interview without stating your objective of getting a referral into the company, more times than not you don’t get it.
At the beginning of your info interview, state “My goal is to learn more about your role and company, and if it makes sense, I’d love a referral into your company.”
Step #4: Ask a Really Good Question
Remember, your intent is to learn about the company in the hopes to be referred in. So you first need to learn about the company to see if that’s somewhere where you would like to work.
To make this less intimidating, I like to imagine that I’m going to a new restaurant and I’m asking my friend who has been there about it. Obviously I’m not going to ask them every little thing about the restaurant (ex: how clean are their restrooms?), but I am going to ask them the most important things to me.
For a company it’s the same. If the company is known for building a great brand, ask “How did you build a brand so strong that people are getting tattoos of it?” If the company is known for being really fun, ask “Tell me about your favorite company event.” If the company has a great reputation for work/life balance, ask “What’s one unique thing you do to encourage a healthy work/life balance?”
All of these questions should ultimately be helpful in giving you a better picture of what it’s like to work at the company.
As your first question, ask something to the effect of “What’s the most important thing to you in working at this company?”
Step #5: Show Your Interest
Now is the time to let your homework shine.
You’ll want to ask a few questions that show your interest, while simultaneously gaining information. You should consider three possible categories:
- Role: Ask about their team or the team you are interested in working for. If you’re truly in discovery mode, ask about each department and what they do. You can comment on what you learned in your homework.
- Culture: Ask about the company culture. Try to get an idea of what everyday life is like there. A good question is “What’s your favorite part about this company’s culture?”
- Company: Ask about the products/services the company provides, where the company is headed, and what the most important things they are focused on. Bonus points if they share their annual strategic plan, as that’s helpful in seeing where you could add the most value.
I once worked at a company that was trying to figure out if our pricing was right, and I just had too many other priorities to do a full pricing study. I then had an info interview with a friend who had been laid off from his job, and he asked some great questions around our pricing strategy. While I didn’t have a job for him I was able to create a project for him as a consultant.
It was incredibly helpful to me, my business, and to my friend to keep him afloat until he landed his next role. An info interview can be such a powerful tool.
Step #6: Effectively “Close” Your Call
Now is the time to ensure your info interview will be successful!
Most companies have some sort of referral program. These are the three most common:
- Email Resume: You email your contact your resume, and they send it to the hiring manager or HR
- Referral Link: Your contact sends you a unique link to use when applying for a role, and that indicates you are a referral
- Referral Name: You put who referred you in your job application
At this point in the info interview, you might ask “How do referrals work at your company?” and after they tell you, in 9 out of 10 cases they’ll volunteer to refer you. On the off chance they don’t volunteer, you can ask “Would you be comfortable referring me in?”
Info Interview Official Walkthrough (Reference This During an Info Interview)
Pro Tip: Set up a Zoom call with video instead of a phone call. This just creates a better connection + ensures the other person is fully paying attention.
Here are the 6 essential parts of an info interview:
Following these steps can lead to a successful info interview where you can learn more about the company, its culture, and ultimately get referred to work there.
Conclusion
Info interviews can oftentimes lead to your next job. It’s important to keep them brief, have the other person doing most of the talking, and to ask for a referral. They are often fun and informative to both parties.
Best of luck on your next info interview!
