Free tool · Runs in your browser
Informational interview request email template
Want to learn from someone doing the work you want? Fill in who they are, where they work and a line about you, pick how you found them, and copy a short request that is easy to say yes to.
Private. Runs in your browser; nothing you type leaves your device.
Your text
Subject:
How to use it
- Fill in the details. Enter their name, job title and company, write a sentence or two about where you are and what you are exploring, and add who or what connects you if anything does. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
- Pick how you found them. Use the cold version for someone you have never met, the referral version when a person suggested you get in touch, and the alumni version when you studied at the same school.
- Send it and prepare. Copy the email and send it. If they agree, offer a few times, keep the call to the length you asked for, bring specific questions, and send a short thank-you note the same day.
Example
What was entered
- Their name
- Dana
- Their job title
- Product Marketing Manager
- Their company
- Juniper Analytics
- Your name
- Priya Nair
- A line about you
- I am a marketing coordinator at a regional nonprofit, and I am exploring a move into product marketing at a software company.
- How you found them
- the Lakeshore University alumni network
Cold outreach
Subject: Request for a short chat about your work at Juniper Analytics
Hi Dana,
I came across your profile through the Lakeshore University alumni network and was interested to see your role as Product Marketing Manager at Juniper Analytics. I hope you do not mind a note from someone you have not met.
I am a marketing coordinator at a regional nonprofit, and I am exploring a move into product marketing at a software company.
Would you be open to a 20-minute call in the next few weeks? I would love to hear how you got into this work and what you wish you had known earlier. I am not asking about job openings, just hoping to learn from your experience, and I am happy to work around your schedule.
Thank you for considering it,
Priya Nair
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Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What is an informational interview?
It is a short, informal conversation with someone working in a role, team or field you want to learn about. You ask about their path, their work and their advice. It is not a job interview, and the request should not ask them for a job.
How long should an informational interview request be?
Short enough to read in under a minute: who you are, why you picked them, and one clear ask for a brief call. A specific time limit, such as 20 minutes, and flexibility about scheduling make it much easier for a busy person to agree.
What if they do not reply?
People miss messages all the time. After about a week, send one short, friendly follow-up in the same thread. If there is still no answer, let it go and reach out to someone else in a similar role.
Is my information sent anywhere?
No. This template runs in your browser: the email is filled in on this page as you type, and nothing you enter is sent to Applystead or anyone else. You copy the finished text and send it from your own email account.