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Table of contents
Start your information interview request email with how you found their name, a bit about you, and what you hope to gain from the interview.
Introduction
In another post I talked about what an informational interview is. In this post I show you how to write an information interview request email.
You should send your invitation via email or LinkedIn. A local coffee house close to their work is a good choice of venue, but otherwise at their office (offer to bring them a coffee), telephone, or video. Be sure to tell them that you value their time and would take no more than 20 minutes for a phone interview or ½ hour for a café chat. That’s a chunk of time that most people are happy to give away.
Information interview request template
Here’s an example of what your interview request email could look like…
Subject: [Your name]—information interview request
Dear [their name]
I was speaking to [someone] from [someplace]. OR I saw you speak at [some event]. OR in a recent LinkedIn search your profile came to my attention.
I’m a final year [profession] student at [college name]. I am considering a career in [interviewee’s field]. I am trying to understand what it might be like to work in a [role] and also if there are any gaps in my training that I should be filling. I’m wondering if you would be able to meet with me to give me some industry insights.
I expect our meeting should take no more than 20-30 minutes of your time (depending on venue). If you have some time to spare in the next few weeks, I could meet you for coffee, perhaps at [a good local café that you’ve picked out]. Otherwise, I could stop by your office for a quick discussion. A phone call would work, too. I appreciate any time that you can share with me.
I promise, I am simply collecting insider information. This isn’t an unsubtle attempt to market myself for a job.
My best times are [eg. Monday mornings, Wednesday afternoons, and any time Friday]
I’d be grateful if you could help me out with this.
Regards,
[Your name], email, LinkedIn, cell phone
That’s it. Your information interview request email done!
Click here to see how to request an informational interview by telephone.
Click here to see how to prepare an informational interview.
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