An informational interview is a conversation, not an interview. No one's evaluating you. There's no position on the line. You're asking someone who works in a field, organization, or role you're interested in to spend 20 or 30 minutes telling you about it. The pressure that makes job interviews difficult for many candidates is largely absent.

For job seekers with disabilities who find high-stakes interviews challenging, whether because of anxiety, the cognitive demands of switching rapidly between questions, or the social processing required, informational interviews are a different kind of experience. They're structured enough to provide practice, low-stakes enough to allow real learning, and useful enough to generate results alongside the confidence-building.

What Informational Interviews Provide

The standard pitch for informational interviews is that they help you learn about a field or organization before you apply. That's true, and it's worth having. But there are two less-advertised benefits that matter more.

Practice in a real professional context.

You're using the same muscles: introducing yourself, explaining your background and interests, asking clear questions, managing the arc of a conversation, wrapping up professionally. The difference is that the other person is invested in helping you, not deciding whether to hire you. That shift takes most of the threat out of the room.

For candidates with disabilities, repeating these conversations across several informational interviews, different people, different organizations, different topics, builds a kind of fluency that mock interviews don't quite replicate. Real conversations with real stakes register differently than scripted practice, even when those stakes are low.

Access to unadvertised positions.

Research on job searching consistently shows that a significant portion of roles are filled through referrals before they're posted. Informational interviews put you in the network of people who hear about those positions first. Someone you spoke with three months ago, who came away with a good impression, is more likely to think of you when something opens up than someone who reviewed your application alongside 200 others.

This isn't guaranteed. But it's a real mechanism, and it's accessible to anyone willing to make the request.

How to Request an Informational Interview

The ask is simpler than most people expect. You don't need a warm introduction, though one helps. Cold outreach to someone whose LinkedIn profile or organization interests you is entirely normal.

A short, direct message works:

"Hi [Name], I'm [your name]. I'm exploring opportunities in [field or type of role] and came across your profile. Would you be open to a 20-minute conversation about your experience at [Organization]? I'm in the early stages of a job search and would value your perspective. Happy to meet virtually at whatever time works for you."

That's it. You're not asking for a job. You're asking for a conversation, which is much easier to say yes to.

LinkedIn is the most practical platform for this outreach. Professional associations, alumni networks, and disability-specific employment programs that facilitate introductions are also productive starting points.

What to Do During the Conversation

Come prepared with five or six questions you genuinely want answers to. Good questions for informational interviews:

• What does a typical week look like in your role?
• What skills or qualities do you see in people who succeed here?
• What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you were starting out?
• What are the biggest challenges in this industry right now?
• Is there anyone else you'd suggest I speak with?

That last question is the one most people skip and shouldn't. A referral from someone you've just spoken with is almost always easier to convert into a second conversation than a cold outreach.

Don't ask for a job. Don't leave materials unless they're requested. Follow up with a brief thank-you note within 24 hours.

Building on the Conversations

Five or six informational interviews over a few weeks produce something useful: a more accurate picture of whether a field or role is right for you, a handful of people who know your name and have a positive impression of you, and a meaningful reduction in the anxiety that tends to accompany formal interview situations.

The confidence piece builds differently than it does with mock interviews or coaching. You're not rehearsing answers. You're practicing being a professional in conversation, which is closer to what job interviews require.

Start with one person in a field you're genuinely curious about.