You may know the title of a career you want without understanding the work behind it. An informational interview is a short conversation with someone who can explain that work. Its immediate purpose is learning: the tasks, entry routes, common difficulties and evidence that matters when applying.
For job seekers in Ghana, Nigeria and international markets, these conversations can make research more practical. They are not a way to demand a vacancy from a stranger or bypass a recruitment process. This guide explains how to request, prepare for and follow up on a useful conversation while respecting the other person’s time.
Choose a question that a person can actually answer
Start with a decision you are trying to make. You might be comparing operations and customer-service roles, wondering how a junior analyst uses spreadsheets or checking whether a particular course develops relevant skills. A focused decision produces better questions than a general request for career advice.
Write what you already know from public sources and what remains unclear. Do not use valuable conversation time to ask for information printed prominently on the organisation’s website. Ask about the part that requires experience, such as how work is divided or what beginners often misunderstand.
The National Careers Service’s networking guidance describes networks as sources of information, advice and support, and encourages small, realistic requests. That principle is useful here: give the person a question they can help with without becoming responsible for your entire job search.
For a local search, the Ghana job-search guide can help you identify a role family before approaching people. An informational conversation becomes more useful when it connects to a concrete choice. You should leave knowing something that changes your next research or practice step.
Find people close to the work you want to understand
Look beyond senior executives and public personalities. A person who recently entered the role may explain junior tasks more clearly than someone far removed from them. A supervisor can offer another perspective, but their experience does not replace the day-to-day view of someone doing the work.
Begin with appropriate existing connections: former classmates, alumni groups, professional associations, past colleagues or community contacts. Ask whether someone knows a person willing to discuss a specific role. Do not imply that a mutual contact has endorsed you unless they have actually agreed to make an introduction.
Check public professional information so you understand why the person is relevant. Read their current role and any stated contact preferences. A public profile does not make every personal detail an invitation to contact them through private channels. Use a professional route and respect a lack of response.
Aim for a small range of perspectives over time. One person’s experience can be valuable without representing every employer or country. If two people describe different entry routes, investigate the difference instead of deciding that one must be wrong. Their sector, location or hiring period may explain it.
Write an invitation with a limited request
A good invitation identifies you, explains why you are approaching this person and makes the request manageable. Mention a specific topic and a short proposed duration. Offer flexibility without sending a long list of available dates before they have agreed to speak.
For example: “Hello Efua, I am exploring junior procurement roles after completing my business studies. Your experience supporting supplier operations caught my attention. Would you be open to a brief conversation about the tasks new entrants should practise before applying? I would appreciate about fifteen minutes at a convenient time, but understand if your schedule does not allow it.”
This is an original fictional example. Adapt the details to your actual situation and avoid copying a claim about someone’s experience without checking it. If you were introduced by another person, mention that connection accurately and only with permission.
Do not attach a CV, portfolio and certificates to the first message unless invited. The request is for a conversation, not an unsolicited application package. Make it easy to decline, then honour that possibility. A respectful invitation creates room for help without implying that the recipient owes you a response or a referral.
Prepare questions that reveal everyday work
Choose four or five questions and arrange them in a sensible order. Begin with the person’s work, then ask about entry-level tasks and preparation. Leave more sensitive or speculative topics aside unless the person raises them and is comfortable discussing them.
Useful questions include: what does a typical junior task look like, which mistakes take the most time to correct, what work sample would demonstrate readiness, and which parts of the role surprised you? These invite explanation. “Can you get me a job?” changes the purpose and can make the conversation uncomfortable.
Ask about skills through examples. Instead of asking whether communication is important, ask when a junior employee needs to explain a problem to another team. The answer may reveal the actual writing, listening or coordination work you need to practise.
Prepare to explain your own situation briefly. Give enough context to make the advice relevant, but do not spend most of the call recounting your life history. You can mention your current experience, the role you are exploring and the decision you hope to clarify. The other person should have room to speak and correct your assumptions.
Run the conversation with attention and boundaries
At the start, confirm the time available and thank the person. Explain that you are seeking information about the work. If you would like to take notes, say so. Do not record the conversation without explicit permission, and do not publish the person’s comments as an endorsement of you or your website.
Listen for concrete examples and ask a small follow-up when something is unclear. If the person says accuracy matters, ask what kinds of errors are costly in that role. Avoid treating your prepared questions as a script that must be completed regardless of the direction of the conversation.
Do not request confidential documents, client information, interview questions from an active selection process or private salary details. A person can describe general work without revealing protected information. If they hesitate, move on rather than pressing for a more useful answer.
Watch the time and begin closing when the agreed interval is nearly over. Summarise one insight and the action you plan to take. Ask whether there is a public resource they recommend, not whether they can now arrange your employment. Leave the conversation feeling like a manageable professional exchange.
Distinguish useful advice from a recruitment promise
A helpful contact may mention a vacancy or offer an introduction. Thank them, but verify the opportunity through the normal channels. A personal conversation does not prove that a role is current, that you meet the requirements or that the person controls the hiring decision.
For Nigerian opportunities, consult the guide to genuine jobs and recruitment checks before sending sensitive documents or acting on an unexpected request. Networking should add context to your search, not remove the need for verification.
Be cautious about paid promises of introductions, guaranteed access or special influence. A legitimate professional conversation can still be followed by an unrelated or impersonated message. Confirm who is contacting you and what they are actually offering. Do not assume that the original contact has approved a later demand.
Similarly, advice about moving countries is not official immigration guidance. Someone may accurately describe their own experience while the rules or your circumstances differ. If a conversation raises Germany as an option, the Germany preparation guide can help you identify the separate qualification and official-route research required.
Turn notes into one practical experiment
Immediately afterward, write a short summary while the details are fresh. Separate observations from recommendations and from your own interpretation. “The person spends mornings checking purchase records” is different from “all procurement jobs are mostly data checking.” Preserve that distinction.
Choose one action that tests the advice. You might build a sample record-checking exercise, compare several real advertisements or attend a relevant public event. Keep the experiment small enough to finish. An informational interview has limited value if it produces a large list of intentions that never changes what you do.
If advice conflicts with another source, investigate rather than choosing the answer you prefer. Compare the role level, employer type and location. Ask whether the difference reflects a real variation in the work or a misunderstanding of terminology. You may discover that two jobs with the same title require quite different preparation.
Update your career notes with what you learned and what remains unknown. Over several conversations, look for recurring tasks and skills, not universal promises. The aim is a clearer picture of the work and a better basis for choosing your next application or learning activity.
Follow up without turning the connection into an obligation
Send a brief thank-you that mentions a specific useful point and your next action. For example: “Thank you for explaining how junior staff check supplier records. I will practise a small reconciliation exercise before reviewing my next applications. I appreciated the practical examples.” Avoid asking for another favour in every thank-you message.
If the person offered a public resource or introduction, follow through as agreed. If they did not, do not present your own wish as their commitment. Keep a simple note of the conversation date and any action you promised so you do not send repetitive requests later.
- Ask for a focused conversation through an appropriate channel.
- Prepare questions that public information cannot fully answer.
- Respect time, privacy and the person’s right to decline.
- Verify any vacancy separately from the relationship.
- Complete one practical action based on the discussion.
- Share a concise update later only when there is something meaningful to report.
A professional network develops through ordinary, respectful exchanges. You do not need to contact everyone at once or perform constant visibility. A few conversations that improve your understanding can be more valuable than collecting many names without knowing what you learned from them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I do not know anyone in the field?
Start with accessible professional communities, alumni channels or public events and make a small, specific request. You can also ask an existing contact whether they know someone willing to discuss the work. Be transparent about your purpose and avoid implying an endorsement that does not exist.
Should I ask for a referral at the end?
Not automatically. The person may not know your work well enough to recommend you. If a relevant vacancy comes up, ask about the appropriate application process. A referral should be voluntary and based on an honest understanding of your suitability.
How often should I contact someone who does not reply?
A single polite reminder may be reasonable where the channel and context allow it, but repeated messages create pressure. Move on if there is no response. Silence may reflect workload or personal preference, not a judgement of your career prospects.
How do I know whether the conversation helped?
Look for a clearer decision, a corrected assumption or a practical next step. You may learn that a role is unsuitable, which is still useful. The outcome is better information for your choices, not necessarily an immediate job lead.
