Make a Specific, Time-Bound Request

When someone agrees to an informational interview, make it clear what you hope to learn and why you reached out to them. A vague request to “pick your brain” gives them little context. Instead, connect your interest to something you know about their background and name the topic you’d like to discuss.

For example, if you’re interested in product management and share the person’s engineering background, you could explain that you’d appreciate hearing about their transition and what the work is like. That helps the other person understand why you chose to contact them and gives the conversation a useful focus.

It’s understandable to worry about imposing, but you don’t need to apologize repeatedly for asking. People may be more willing to help than you expect, though not everyone will say yes. Keep the request brief and specific, and suggest a clear time limit, such as a twenty-minute call. A defined window makes it easier for the person to decide whether they can meet.

During the conversation, keep track of the time you requested. When you reach it, offer to wrap up rather than assuming the person can stay longer. Respecting the limit shows that you value their time.

Explore the Day-to-Day Work

A job title can sound appealing while the everyday tasks tell a different story. Ask what actually fills the person’s calendar, what parts of the work they enjoy, and what they tend to put off. For example, you could ask, “Thinking about this past week, what took up most of your time?” or “Which parts of the job do you look forward to, and which do you tend to put off?”

To learn what may be different from your expectations, ask: “What’s something you didn’t realize about this job until you started doing it?” Their answer can reveal a part of the role you hadn’t considered—and help you decide whether the work itself appeals to you, not just the idea of the job.

If an answer is vague, ask for a concrete example. If they mention “managing stakeholders,” you might follow up with, “Can you tell me about a recent situation where you had to do that?” Hearing what happened and how they handled it gives you a clearer picture than a broad description alone. Listen for the specific tasks behind general phrases, and use follow-up questions to understand how the work plays out in practice.

Test an Assumption About the Role

Prepare a few questions before the conversation, including one that checks an idea you have about the work. This helps you move beyond a general interest in a job and find out what it involves. For example, if UX research appeals to you because you enjoy talking to people, ask how much of the role involves interviews and how much involves analyzing the results.

Listen closely to the answer, then follow up on what the person says. If they tell you the hardest part is getting colleagues to use their findings, ask why. Their explanation may reveal something important about the role that your original question didn’t uncover.

Try not to treat your questions as a checklist to get through. You’ll learn more by exploring an answer than by rushing on to the next item. If a response is vague, ask for a specific example of what happened and how they handled it. That can help you understand the work more clearly and test whether your assumptions match the person’s experience.

Reflect and Follow Up

Soon after the call, write down which specific tasks appealed to you and which sounded unappealing. The more concrete your notes, the more useful they’ll be: “I liked hearing about testing different messages with customers” tells you more than “Marketing sounds interesting.”

Compare notes across conversations, too. You may find yourself drawn to similar tasks in different fields, or discover that the work you imagined enjoying takes up very little of the week. Those patterns can help you assess what you’ve learned about a role.

Send a thank-you after the conversation. If you try something the person suggested, share an update. For example, you could mention that you signed up for a SQL course, enjoyed it more than expected, and plan to look more closely at roles involving analytics. An update shows you took the conversation seriously and gives you a natural way to stay in touch.

A job lead isn’t guaranteed, and the conversation doesn’t have to result in a referral to be worthwhile. It can clarify which work appeals to you and what to pursue next, making your next step in the job search easier.