Many of the best opportunities never reach a job board. A team starts growing, a manager hears that someone is leaving, a budget opens up—and before any of it becomes a posting, someone says, "I think I know a person." If you apply only to listings you can see, you are competing for the small, crowded slice of openings that everyone else can see too. The rest—often called the hidden job market—is reached through conversations. Informational interviews are the most reliable way to start having them.
At Innovative Placements of WNY, helping candidates build these connections is part of what we do, because relationships open doors that applications alone cannot. This guide explains what an informational interview is, how to ask for one, what to talk about, and how a single conversation can lead to a role that was never advertised.
What an Informational Interview Is (and Isn't)
An informational interview is a short, low-pressure conversation—usually 15 to 30 minutes—with someone whose job, employer, or field interests you. The purpose is to learn, not to ask for a job. That distinction is the entire point. The moment a request feels like "please hire me," busy people get cautious. When it is genuinely "I admire what you do and I'd love to understand it better," they are far more likely to say yes, because you are offering them a pleasant conversation about their own experience rather than a problem to solve.
Why does this work better than another application? Because a large share of jobs are filled through referrals and networks before they are ever posted. An informational interview puts you on the radar of the people who hear about those openings first. It also gives you something a listing never will: an honest picture of the role, the employer, and the field—and a real human connection. For job seekers with disabilities or a non-traditional path, it offers something especially valuable: a chance for someone to get to know you as a person and a set of skills before any formal screening step.
Finding People to Talk To
Start closer than you think. The best first conversations are often with people you already have a thread to:
- Your existing network. Former coworkers and supervisors, volunteer contacts, classmates from school or a training program, and people at organizations you respect.
- Second-degree connections. A friend of a contact is the sweet spot—close enough for a warm introduction, new enough to expand your circle.
- People doing the job you want. Look for someone one to three years ahead of where you are now. Their path is recent enough to be relevant and generous enough that they remember being in your position.
- Local WNY industry and community groups, and professional platforms like LinkedIn, for reaching people in specific roles or at specific employers.
A warm introduction beats a cold message almost every time. A job coach or vocational counselor—including through ACCES-VR—often knows disability-inclusive employers in Western New York and can introduce you directly. If you are working with one, ask who in your target field they could connect you to. Our guide on working with a job coach covers how to make the most of that support.
How to Make the Ask
The request should be short, specific, and easy to say yes to. Name how you found the person, give one genuine reason you are reaching out, and make a small, time-bounded request. Above all, make it clear you want to learn—not to ask for a job.
"Hi [Name], I came across your work at [company] and I'm exploring a move into [field/role]. I'm not asking you for a job—I'd just really value 15 to 20 minutes to hear how you got into [field] and what you've learned along the way. Would a short call sometime in the next couple of weeks work? Completely understand if your schedule is full."
Offer to work entirely around their availability, and let a phone or video call be enough—you are making it convenient, not asking them to host you. If you do not hear back, one polite follow-up after a week is reasonable; after that, move on without taking it personally. People are busy, and a non-response is rarely about you.
What to Ask—and How to Turn It Into Opportunity
Come prepared with a handful of real questions so the conversation feels intentional and respectful of their time. Good ones include how they got into the field, what they wish they had known starting out, which skills matter most, and what the employer or industry is honestly like day to day.
Then ask the two questions that quietly open doors—without ever asking for a job:
- "If a role like yours opened up, what makes a candidate stand out?" This tells you exactly what to emphasize, and signals your interest without putting them on the spot.
- "Is there anyone else you'd suggest I talk to?" This is how one conversation becomes five. Each referral is a warmer introduction than any cold outreach, and it keeps the chain going.
Afterward, respect the time limit, send a thank-you within a day, and stay in light touch—a short note when you act on their advice keeps the connection alive. If you want to strengthen these habits more broadly, our guide on building a professional network from scratch goes deeper on nurturing relationships over time.
The goal of an informational interview is not to walk out with a job offer—it is to build a genuine relationship so that when a role opens, often before it is ever posted, you are the name that comes to mind. You are not asking for a favor. You are becoming someone people are glad to help.
Putting It Into Practice
Informational interviews reward consistency more than polish. A few thoughtful conversations a month, each one ending with a new name or two, steadily builds a network of people who know your skills and your goals. Over time, that network surfaces opportunities that no job board ever will—and it makes the whole search feel less like shouting into the void and more like a series of real connections.
Innovative Placements of WNY offers job placement, job coaching, résumé help, interview preparation, and accommodation planning at no cost to eligible job seekers. We can help you identify the right people to reach out to, prepare your questions, practice the conversation, and connect you with inclusive employers across Western New York. We collaborate with ACCES-VR and other agencies and focus every day on inclusive hiring and disability employment.
Call us at (716) 566-0251 or email andreatodaro@ipswny.com to connect with our team. Visit innovativeplacementswny.com to learn more about our services.