Tool 25 · Networking & Follow-up

Informational Interview Request

A 4-paragraph email that gets 30%+ reply rates — by respecting the recipient's time and giving them a reason to engage.

Recipient name

Their role / company

Specific hook (their post, talk, project, or your shared context)

Your current role + transition goal

The specific question you want to ask

Time ask

Email

Fill the form to generate.

Why this structure works

Specific hook (not flattery) — gives them a reason to read.
Brief context on you — so they can self-select whether to help.
A single concrete question — so they know what they're signing up for.
A small time ask + easy yes/no — so replying takes 5 seconds.

The 30% reply rate benchmark

A well-targeted informational interview request in NYC — specific hook, clear context, one question, 15-30 minute ask — gets 25-35% reply rates according to recruiter and job-coach surveys. Generic templates get 2-5%. The difference is whether you've given the recipient a reason to engage or just asked for their time.