How Informational Interviews Fueled My Career Journey

Right around the spring of my junior year, the pull toward career development started to grow louder. I was deep in my major courses, and the “real world” clock was getting harder to ignore.

I remember staring at my resume and feeling unsure and insecure. Babysitter, soccer referee, summer camp counselor. I was performing Olympic-level mental gymnastics trying to rebrand those teenage gigs into operations, project management, and strategic planning.  Managing a swarm of eight-year-olds chasing a soccer ball counted as stakeholder management, right?

So I did what I thought I was supposed to do: I attended career center workshops, fixed up my resume, and spent way too much time scrolling job boards. It felt like progress, but I wasn’t building momentum or clarity.

What actually moved things forward? I turned to LinkedIn and the internet and just started searching for people who seemed interesting and started conversations.

Everyone’s timeline and process is different. But I wanted to share a few tips from my own journey (and from students I’ve worked with) to help shift the mindset around early career steps or pivots. Instead of dread or feeling stuck, I hope these can make things feel a bit more exciting, more possible, and more like something you can actually shape.

1. Make it easy to say yes

If you're asking someone for a few minutes of their time, make it a no-brainer for them to say yes. Do a little digging. Reference something they’ve written, worked on, or posted. Be clear about why you're reaching out and what you’re hoping to talk about.

Instead of:

Hi, your zero waste brand manager role looks interesting. Would you be open to chatting sometime?

Try:

Hi, I came across your Q1 review of the top five zero waste brands and appreciated how clearly you laid out your findings. I’m currently doing a similar research project for my campus fashion club, and I’d love to hear how you think about aligning that kind of work with industry trends. Would you be open to a 15-minute chat?

That small shift makes all the difference. It shows you’ve done your homework and makes it easier for them to understand how they can be helpful.

2. Value the conversation, not the specific role

Sometimes the person you’re talking to won’t be hiring or in charge of the position you want to apply for. That’s fine. The point is to learn, not to pitch yourself. I used to treat these calls like tiny interviews. But once I dropped the pressure and just tried to learn, I had better conversations.

I started thinking of it like dating. Sure, they might be evaluating you. But you’re also figuring out whether their company or team is a place you’d even want to be. When I led with curiosity and not desperation, I left those chats with a lot more insight, and I was also building relationships that I could actually follow up on later.

3. Be comfortable stepping outside your major

This one took me a while to learn. You don’t need to only talk to people who work in something directly tied to your major. Honestly, most people don’t care what you majored in after a certain point. What they do care about is curiosity, effort, and relevance.

Some of the most eye-opening conversations I had were with people in roles that didn’t seem connected to what I studied. But hearing how they got there and how they made decisions helped me figure out my own direction. Your major can be a part of your story, but it doesn’t have to box you in.

4. Keep track of what you're learning

Once I had about five of these conversations, I realized I was starting to hear the same advice again and again. I started writing things tools they mentioned, classes they recommended, trends they saw in the industry.

If your goal is to work in brand management and six different people tell you their teams expect new hires to know a specific software, that’s your sign to go learn it. These conversations give you real signals on where to invest your time.

5. The "bad" is okay

I used to wrap a lot of my identity in wanting to work in marketing. It felt like the right lane. But after several conversations, I started realizing it wasn’t what I wanted to do long term. Were all my courses a waste of time?

But the truth is, figuring out what you don’t want is just as valuable as figuring out what you do. Maybe you learn you don’t want to work at a huge company. Or maybe you realize you need a team that values creativity over structure. All of that is good information. Your path isn’t supposed to be linear. It is more like a stream of following what feels values-aligned and making adjustments along the way.

6. Push through the procrastination

Because there’s no guaranteed job or internship at the end of every informational interview, I felt a lot of internal resistance to starting. It’s easy to push it off. To wait until the “right moment.” What helped me was breaking it into chunks that felt too easy not to do.

Every Monday, I’d spend 30 minutes just browsing people with interesting paths. Wednesday, I’d carve out 30 minutes to message them. Friday, I’d prep for any confirmed calls. That rhythm made it feel manageable and helped me stay consistent without overthinking it. Small steps add up.

7. Always send a thank you

Seriously. It doesn’t have to be long. Just something simple that lets them know you appreciated the time. Even a short note the next day goes a long way. If you skip it, it often leaves an awkward gap. And you never know when your paths might cross again.

Ultimately, Informational interviews aren’t about having all the answers. They are about showing up with real questions and learning how to ask them. You don’t need a polished pitch or the perfect major to begin. You just need the willingness to reach out and the patience to see where it leads.

If you’re a student looking for help, send me your email or DM me. I’m happy to share a simple outreach template I’ve used before. It can be a helpful starting point, but you need to share your story. The world needs your perspective, not mine.