Many job seekers use LinkedIn as just another job board or scroll the feed without engaging. 

While there is nothing wrong with using LinkedIn like this, the platform has so much more potential to help you expand your professional network and land your dream job. 

How?

I’ll let you in on a secret: You can use LinkedIn to set up informational interviews with recruiters, hiring managers, or professionals in the field or role you’re interested in. This job search strategy is more effective than just applying for jobs online. 

When I was pivoting my career from sales to recruiting, I started with no relevant experience or connections in recruitment.

LinkedIn allowed me to expand my professional network and set up 50+ informational interviews during my job search — which eventually led me to land jobs at Amazon, Redfin and The Pokémon International. 

Whether you’re looking to pivot industries like I was or seeking an opportunity to level up your career, you too can use LinkedIn and informational interviews as part of your job search strategy and achieve your career goals.

How do informational interviews benefit your job search?

First, they allow you to get information about the challenges and benefits of working within a specific industry or position from someone who has had that experience. 

You can also use informational interviews to explore positions that match your strengths and passion.

Conducting informational interviews will also help you get job search tips, career advice, or useful resources for professional development.

If the person you’re interviewing works at a company you’d like to work at, you can learn about what it’s like to work there.

Finally, informational interviews allow you to expand your professional network and meet people who may help you land your dream job or advance your career.

How do you set up an informational interview via LinkedIn?

Step 1 : Company’s LinkedIn Page

Go to your ideal company's LinkedIn page and click the “People” tab.

Step 2: Use the filter function (at the top) with keywords

That’s how you find specific professionals that you want to connect with. For example: if you are interested in product marketing roles, use “product marketing manager” as a keyword in the “Title” area. This will filter out anyone who does not have this role in their profile and leave you with a list of product marketers you can connect with. 

Step 3: Send a customized message

Always remember to send a message to tell people why you would like to connect with them. This small action will encourage people to respond to your request and future messages.

Tips to write a great LinkedIn message for your interview request

A great message for an interview request doesn’t have to be long or elaborate; in most cases, 100 - 200 words are sufficient. 

Start by greeting the person by name, then state why you are reaching out to them. 

Tip: The more you can make your message about them and their needs, the more likely they are to respond. Read through their LinkedIn profile and see if you can find some common ground to grab their attention. 

Next, you’ll want to add a call-to-action. Typically, this takes the form of a question, such as “Are you open to having a 30-min call to help me learn about your experience at XYZ company?”

Close the message respectfully and professionally by thanking them and including a signature.

Here is the message that landed me the informational interview that led to my role at Amazon:

Questions to ask in your informational interview

Once you have the interview scheduled, you should prepare 3 - 5 questions to ask the person you’re interviewing. 

Here are a list of questions to get you started: 

• Can you help me learn about your daily responsibilities at the company?

• What is your area of expertise?

• What does the potential career path look like in this field?

• What do you enjoy the most in your role?

• What challenges do you see in your role?

• What are the must-have skills in your role?

• What tools do you work with on the job?

• Are there any resources/programs that I should explore?

You should also come up with some questions that are specific to the individual’s background or experience. Before the meeting, be sure to review their LinkedIn profile and do some search about the topics that you are going to ask!

The prospect of setting up an informational interview may be intimidating at first, but as you do it more frequently, you will gain more confidence and improve, just like with any other new thing you try. 

Remember, you only need one “yes” to potentially land your dream job, so don’t be afraid to take that first step and leverage the LinkedIn network!