Real-world examples of informational interviews: networking strategies that actually work

Before we talk frameworks and strategy, let’s start with a few fast, real examples of informational interviews: networking strategies that people actually use.

A mid-career marketer wanting to move into tech asks a friend to introduce her to a product manager at a software company. They do a 25-minute video call. She asks how he broke into product, what skills he’d prioritize if he were her, and which junior roles are realistic. Three months later, when his team posts an opening, he messages her directly to apply.

A recent graduate who can’t land interviews messages alumni on LinkedIn. He keeps it simple: a 3–4 sentence note asking for 15 minutes to learn about their path into data analytics. Over two weeks, he talks to five alumni. One forwards his resume to a hiring manager. That referral finally gets him past the applicant tracking system.

A stay-at-home parent returning to work after seven years sets a goal: one informational interview each week for two months. She talks with people in HR, project management, and operations. These conversations help her narrow her focus and update her resume with the right language. By the end of the second month, she gets invited to apply for a project coordinator role that never made it to a job board.

These are small, specific examples of informational interviews: networking strategies that don’t require being “a natural networker.” They rely on curiosity, preparation, and respectful follow-through.

2. How informational interviews fit into modern networking strategies (2024–2025)

Networking has changed in the last few years. Remote work, virtual hiring, and social platforms have made it easier to reach people you’ve never met—and harder to stand out.

Research consistently shows that referrals and weak ties matter. Social scientist Mark Granovetter’s work on the “strength of weak ties” is still widely cited in career research, and modern labor market data from sources like the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and employer surveys keep confirming that many jobs are found through personal connections and referrals, not just applications.

Informational interviews are one of the most effective ways to:

• Learn how hiring really works inside a company
• Discover unposted roles or upcoming needs
• Translate your experience into the language of a new industry
• Build relationships that can lead to referrals later

The best examples of informational interviews: networking strategies in 2024–2025 tend to be:

• Short and focused – 15–30 minutes, with clear questions
• Digital-first – often on Zoom, Teams, or a quick phone call
• Targeted – focused on specific roles, teams, or skills
• Relationship-oriented – not “Can you get me a job?” but “Can you help me understand this path?”

3. Career changer example of informational interviews: marketing to UX design

Let’s walk through a full example of informational interviews: networking strategies for a career changer.

Scenario: Priya has five years of experience in marketing and wants to move into UX design. She’s taking online courses but has no UX job titles on her resume.

Step 1: Finding people to talk to

Priya searches LinkedIn for “UX Designer” and filters by her city and by alumni from her university. She also checks the alumni page on her university’s career center site (many universities, like Harvard’s Office of Career Services, have public-facing advice and tools you can adapt, even if you’re not a student).

She makes a short list of 15 people:

• UX designers who used to work in marketing
• Junior and mid-level designers at companies she likes
• One hiring manager in UX

Step 2: The message she sends

Her outreach is short and specific:

Hi Alex,

I’m a marketing specialist pivoting into UX design and noticed you also started in marketing before moving into UX. I’d love to learn how you made that transition and what you’d recommend for someone a few steps behind you.

Would you be open to a 20-minute Zoom or phone chat sometime in the next couple of weeks? I’m not looking to ask for a job—just to hear about your experience and get your perspective.

Thanks for considering it,
Priya

This is a classic example of an informational interview networking strategy: she explains why she chose them, keeps the ask small, and explicitly says she’s not asking for a job.

Step 3: Questions she asks

On the call, Priya asks:

• How did you go from marketing to UX? What were your first few steps?
• If you were me, which skills or projects would you prioritize in the next 3–6 months?
• When you review junior UX portfolios, what makes someone stand out?
• Are there specific job titles that are more realistic for someone with my background?

She takes notes and keeps an eye on time, wrapping up at 20 minutes unless they clearly want to keep going.

Step 4: Follow-up that keeps the door open

After the call, she sends a short thank-you email:

Thank you again for sharing your story today. I especially appreciated your advice about focusing my portfolio on 2–3 strong case studies instead of lots of small projects.

I’m going to start with the resources you mentioned and aim to have my first full case study drafted in the next month. If it’s okay, I may reach out once it’s ready for any quick feedback you’re willing to share.

Two months later, she sends a quick update with a link to her portfolio. When Alex’s team opens a junior UX role, he forwards her portfolio to the hiring manager with a note: “We spoke a couple of months ago; might be worth a look.”

That entire sequence—from outreach to referral—is one of the best examples of informational interviews: networking strategies for a career change.

4. Examples of informational interviews: networking strategies for students and recent grads

Students and recent graduates often feel like they have nothing to offer, but they actually have an advantage: people remember being in their shoes.

Example: Community college student exploring healthcare careers

Jordan is a community college student interested in healthcare but unsure whether to pursue nursing, public health, or health IT.

He starts by reading basic overviews on MedlinePlus and CDC’s public health career pages. Then he sets up informational interviews with:

• A nurse at a local hospital
• A public health analyst at a county health department
• A health IT specialist at a regional clinic

His outreach message:

I’m a community college student exploring healthcare careers and am especially interested in how technology and health intersect. I found your profile through our local hospital’s staff directory. Would you be open to a 15–20 minute conversation about your role and how you got started?

During each conversation, he asks:

• What does a typical day look like for you?
• What do you like most and least about your work?
• If you were starting over today, would you choose the same path?
• What education or certifications matter most in your area?

By comparing these examples of informational interviews, Jordan realizes he prefers the problem-solving and project-based nature of health IT over direct patient care. That insight shapes his transfer plans and the internships he targets.

This is how examples of informational interviews: networking strategies help students avoid expensive guesswork and choose a direction with more confidence.

5. Examples of informational interviews for remote workers and global networking

Remote work has made informational interviews easier. You’re no longer limited to your city; you can talk to people across the country or across the world.

Example: Remote worker exploring international roles

Sam works remotely as a software engineer in the U.S. and wants to understand what it would take to work for a European company.

He searches LinkedIn for “Senior Software Engineer” at companies in Berlin, Amsterdam, and London, then filters for people who previously worked in the U.S. or studied at U.S. universities.

His outreach:

I saw from your profile that you moved from the U.S. to work as a software engineer in Berlin. I’m currently a remote engineer based in Colorado and am curious about what that transition was like for you.

If you’d be open to a 20-minute video chat, I’d love to hear about how hiring works at your company, what surprised you about working in Europe, and any advice you’d share with someone considering a similar move.

On the call, he asks about:

• Visa and relocation support
• Typical interview processes
• Culture differences in remote work and communication
• Salary expectations and cost-of-living tradeoffs

These examples include both career questions and lifestyle questions, which is realistic when you’re considering a cross-border move.

6. Examples of informational interviews for returners and career breaks

People returning from a career break—whether for caregiving, health, or other reasons—often worry they’ll be judged. Informational interviews can help them test the waters in a lower-pressure way.

Example: Returner exploring project management

Maria took eight years off to care for family and is now exploring project management roles.

She identifies:

• Alumni who list “career break” or “full-time parent” on their LinkedIn, then later returned to corporate roles
• Project managers at companies with returnship programs

Her outreach acknowledges her break without apologizing for it:

I’m relaunching my career after several years as a full-time parent and am exploring project management roles. I noticed you also returned to the workforce after a break and are now leading projects at [Company].

Would you be open to a short conversation about how you framed your experience and what helped you get back in?

In the informational interview, she asks:

• How did you talk about your career break in interviews?
• Which skills from before your break turned out to be most valuable?
• What helped you rebuild your confidence?
• Are there particular certifications (like PMP or CAPM) that hiring managers in your company care about?

These are real examples of informational interviews: networking strategies that address both practical and emotional questions. They help Maria feel less alone and give her specific language to use in resumes and interviews.

7. How to design your own examples of informational interviews: networking strategies

Let’s turn this into something you can actually do this month. Instead of copying someone else’s script word-for-word, think in terms of three pieces: who, how, and what.

Who you target

Your best examples of informational interviews will usually come from:

• People who share something with you (school, city, industry, identity, interests)
• People 2–10 years ahead of you in roles you want
• Occasionally, hiring managers or recruiters in your target field

If you’re stuck, look at:

• LinkedIn alumni pages for your college, bootcamp, or previous employers
• Professional associations in your field (many have member directories)
• Speakers from webinars or conferences you attend

How you reach out

Good outreach messages tend to:

• Be short (5–7 sentences)
• Make it clear why you picked them
• Ask for a small, specific amount of time
• State that you’re not asking for a job

You can adapt the earlier examples of informational interviews: networking strategies to your voice, but keep the structure.

What you ask

Strong questions are:

• Specific to their role or path
• Hard to Google
• Focused on their experience, not your resume

For example:

• How did you get your current role, and would you take the same path today?
• When you hire for your team, what makes someone stand out at the resume or interview stage?
• If you were me, trying to move from X to Y in the next year, what would you prioritize?

These questions turn the conversation into a mini-masterclass instead of an awkward favor.

8. Common mistakes that ruin otherwise good examples of informational interviews

Even the best examples of informational interviews: networking strategies can fall flat if you make a few avoidable mistakes.

Over-asking: Requesting an hour of someone’s time, asking them to review your entire portfolio, and hinting for a referral in the first message. Start small.

Being vague: “I’d love to pick your brain sometime” gives them no reason to say yes. Instead, mention what you’re exploring and why you chose them.

Ignoring boundaries: If they say they’re busy, don’t push. You can ask if they’d prefer email or if there’s someone else they recommend, but then let it go.

Not preparing: Showing up without having read their LinkedIn or company website wastes time. You don’t need a research report, but you should know the basics.

Never following up: A short thank-you and, later, a quick update can turn a one-time chat into an ongoing relationship. That’s where many of the best examples of informational interviews: networking strategies ultimately lead—to long-term professional allies.

9. FAQs about informational interviews and networking strategies

How many informational interviews should I aim for?
There’s no magic number, but a realistic goal for most busy adults is one or two per week for a month. That’s enough to see patterns without burning out.

Should I ask for a job during an informational interview?
No. You can say you’re actively exploring opportunities and would welcome advice on where to look, but avoid direct asks like “Can you refer me?” Let them offer if they feel comfortable.

What’s a good example of a follow-up message after an informational interview?
A good example of follow-up is a short thank-you within 24 hours, mentioning one specific insight you gained and how you plan to use it. A few weeks later, send a brief update showing that you acted on their advice. That turns the conversation into an ongoing relationship instead of a one-off favor.

Do informational interviews still matter if everything is online now?
Yes. If anything, they matter more. In a world of online applications and automated screening, a human conversation can be the difference between being an anonymous resume and a real person someone remembers.

Where can I learn more about career planning and networking?
University career centers and public resources offer solid advice, even if you’re not a current student. For example, many people find the career guides from Harvard University’s career services and labor market information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics helpful when planning their next steps.

If you take nothing else from these examples of informational interviews: networking strategies, take this: you don’t need to be charming, extroverted, or “well connected.” You just need to be curious, respectful of people’s time, and willing to send that first slightly-awkward message.

One short conversation can change how you see your options. Ten conversations can change the trajectory of your career.