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How to Ask for an Informational Interview as a CS Student (and What to Do With It)

Published ยท Finch Team

Updated

An informational interview is a 20-30 minute conversation with someone who works at a company you're interested in. You ask them questions about their work, their team, and their career path. They're not interviewing you. There's no job on the table. It's just a conversation.

And yet these conversations are one of the most effective moves in a CS student job search, for one reason: they can turn into referrals.

A referral from an internal employee typically bumps callback rates dramatically compared to a cold application. The easiest way to get referrals is to build real relationships first. Informational interviews are how you do that.

This post covers how to find the right people to talk to, how to ask for the meeting, what to actually say during it, and how to follow up in a way that keeps the connection alive.

Why Most Students Skip This (and Why They Shouldn't)

The main objection: "I don't want to waste someone's time" or "I don't know what I'd even ask."

On the first point: most engineers who agree to an informational interview are doing it voluntarily. If someone declines, that's fine: they're busy. Asking is not imposing. You gave them the option to say no.

On the second point: that's fixable, and this post fixes it.

There's also the "networking-y" feeling that CS students tend to hate. Fair. But an informational interview isn't schmoozing. It's a structured conversation with someone who knows something you want to know. Think of it as research with a human source.

Who to Ask

The best targets are engineers and engineering managers who are 3-8 years into their career. They're experienced enough to give real insight, recent enough to remember what it was like to be a new grad, and usually not so senior that they're completely inaccessible.

How to find them:

LinkedIn. Search the company, filter by "Software Engineer" or "Engineering Manager," look for people at that experience level. Look for shared context: same school, similar background, or someone who wrote something you found interesting.

Your school's alumni network. Most universities have an alumni directory or LinkedIn group. Alumni are the most likely to respond to outreach from current students: they remember being in your position and often feel some obligation to pay it forward.

Conferences and online communities. If you've attended any tech talks, Slack communities, or Discord servers related to a tech stack or domain, you've probably encountered working engineers. Those connections are already warmer than cold LinkedIn outreach.

Via existing connections. If a professor, TA, or any adult in your network works at a tech company or knows someone who does, ask for an introduction. A warm intro converts at far higher rates than cold outreach.

How to Ask (The Message That Works)

Keep the request short. You're not pitching yourself or sending a cover letter. You're asking for 20-25 minutes.

Here's a message that works on LinkedIn or email:

Hi [Name],

I'm a CS junior at [School] interested in [type of role] roles, and I came across your profile. I'd love to hear more about what it's actually like to work on [specific team or area] at [Company]. Not looking for anything formal, just trying to understand the day-to-day before recruiting season.

Would you be open to a 20-minute call sometime in the next few weeks? Totally understand if you're busy.

Thanks, [Name]

Three things this message does right:

  1. It's specific: what you're interested in, where you found them
  2. It explicitly says you're not asking for a job, which lowers their guard
  3. It names a concrete time commitment (20 minutes) and gives them an easy out

Keep it under 100 words. If you can't say what you want in 100 words, you're overcomplicating it.

What to Actually Ask

The worst informational interview starts with "So, what's it like to work at [Company]?" That's too broad, it shows no preparation, and it puts all the work on them.

Come with 5-8 specific questions. You won't get through all of them, but having them prepared means you're never scrambling.

About their day-to-day:

  • What does a typical week look like for you?
  • How much of your time is writing code vs. meetings vs. code review?
  • What's the on-call situation like for your team?

About their team and culture:

  • How does your team decide what to build next?
  • How are new engineers onboarded? What's the ramp-up expectation in the first few months?
  • What do you like most about working on this specific team, not the company broadly, but your actual team?

About the interview and hiring process:

  • What does the technical interview process look like for [role type]?
  • When you've been involved in hiring, what separates candidates you advocate for from candidates you pass on?

About them personally:

  • How did you end up at this company specifically?
  • What's been your path since graduating?
  • Is there anything you'd recommend I read or work on before applying?

The last category is often the most valuable. Ask how they got there, what they'd do differently, what they'd recommend. People are generous with career advice when you ask directly.

How to Close the Conversation

About 5 minutes before the call wraps up, ask two things:

  1. "Is there anyone else you'd recommend I talk to, either here or elsewhere in the industry?"
  2. "Would it be okay to reach out if I have more questions as I go through the application process?"

The first question is how informational interviews compound. One conversation often opens two or three more. The second question keeps the door open for a follow-up, which is how a conversation becomes a real professional relationship.

How to Follow Up Correctly

Within 24 hours, send a brief thank-you. Not a formal letter. A quick message.

Hi [Name],

Thanks for taking the time today. I really appreciated the honest take on [specific thing they mentioned]. I'll definitely look into [action item they suggested].

I'll let you know how recruiting goes. Hope things are going well on [project they mentioned].

[Name]

Reference something specific from the conversation. "Thanks for your time" is generic and forgettable. "Thanks for the honest take on how the on-call rotation actually works" shows you were paying attention.

If they mentioned someone you should talk to, follow through and let them know: "I reached out to [name] you mentioned and we have a call next week." This signals you take the conversation seriously.

Then, when you apply to their company, drop them a line:

Hi [Name],

I applied for [Role] today. Wanted to let you know, and thank you again for the conversation. It played a big role in my decision to apply.

[Name]

Some people will offer to refer you at this point without you asking. Some won't. Don't ask explicitly, but don't be surprised when it happens: you've done the work of building a real connection.

For what to do once you have a referral lined up, read our post on how to get a software engineering referral.

Don't Let Conversations Replace Applications

The mistake students make is treating informational interviews as a substitute for applying. They spend four weeks having conversations and send zero applications.

These are parallel tracks. Keep sending applications while you build relationships. Finch handles the finding side (each week it picks 3 internships or new-grad roles for your major), so you're not spending all your time searching when you should also be having these conversations.

Informational Interview Checklist

Before the call:

  • Research the person: their current role, career path, any public posts or talks
  • Prepare 6-8 specific questions (more than you'll use, so you never run out)
  • Test audio/video 5 minutes before
  • Have your resume open in case they ask you to send it

During the call:

  • Ask your prepared questions but follow interesting tangents: don't read from a list
  • Take brief notes (nothing elaborate, just anchors to reference later)
  • Ask who else they'd recommend talking to
  • Ask if it's okay to follow up as recruiting progresses

After the call (within 24 hours):

  • Send a brief, specific thank-you message
  • Connect on LinkedIn if you haven't already
  • Note in your contact list what you talked about and any action items they mentioned

When you apply:

  • Message them to say you applied and thank them again
  • Keep it short: one or two sentences

These conversations take 20 minutes of their time and about 45 minutes of yours including prep and follow-up. Over a summer, 6-8 of them can fundamentally change who knows your name at the companies you care about.