How to Follow Up After an Informational Interview

After an informational interview, send a short thank-you email within a day or two. Mention something specific you learned and deliver anything you promised during the conversation. If the person offered an introduction or another next step, confirm that offer without adding a new request for a job.

Later follow-ups need a reason: an agreed action is overdue, you used their advice, or a relevant opportunity has opened. A thank-you that gets no reply does not, by itself, need another email.

If you have not had the conversation yet, start with how to ask for an informational interview by email.

When should you send the thank-you email?

Aim for the next day, while the conversation is still easy to recall. UC Berkeley Career Engagement recommends sending a thank-you within one to two days of an informational interview. That is a useful window, not a deadline after which the note loses its value. Berkeley's informational interview guide

If a week has passed, send it now. A brief acknowledgment is enough: "I meant to send this sooner, but I wanted to thank you for our conversation last Tuesday." Avoid a paragraph of apologies that makes the recipient reassure you.

Reply in the email thread you used to arrange the call. If you need a new thread, use a subject such as Thank you for the conversation about [topic] or Thanks for your advice on [career transition].

What should the thank-you include?

Use a few sentences to thank the person and show that you paid attention. Choose one detail that actually changed your understanding of the work. You do not need to recap every question.

A useful note might mention:

• A distinction they explained between two roles
• A project they suggested you try
• A part of the work you had misunderstood
• A resource you agreed to read

Be accurate about what you will do next. If you are still considering their advice, say so. Do not promise to rebuild your portfolio or change your job search just to make the thank-you sound impressive.

Informational interview thank-you email template

The example below uses an illustrative career conversation. Replace the details with something from your own call.

Subject: Thank you for the conversation about customer success

Hi Maya,

Thank you for speaking with me yesterday about moving from support into customer success. Your explanation of how onboarding differs from ongoing account management helped me understand which roles to investigate.

I am going to compare a few onboarding-focused job descriptions before revising my resume. I appreciated the concrete examples from your first year in the role.

Best,
Alex

This note can stand on its own. It does not need a question at the end, a resume attachment, or another request for time. If the person simply reads it and moves on, it has done its job.

If they asked for your resume or a work sample

Send the requested material with your thank-you. Include enough context that they can recognize it later, especially if they intend to forward it.

Hi [Name],

Thank you for walking me through [specific topic] today. As we discussed, I attached my resume and included the [project or portfolio] link here: [link].

The most relevant example is [brief description of the work], which connects to the [skill or responsibility] you mentioned.

I appreciate your offer to take a look.

Best,
[Your Name]

Only include material they requested or that you agreed to send. An informational interview does not automatically give you permission to assign a resume review. If the file contains client or employer information, remove anything you are not allowed to share before sending it.

How to follow up on a promised introduction

Start with what the person actually offered. "You should speak with our operations lead" may be a suggestion, while "Send me a paragraph and I will introduce you" is an agreed next step.

If the offer was explicit, send the requested background promptly. Keep your summary forwardable: your name, the relevant part of your experience, and the topic you hope to discuss. Do not write an endorsement in the contact's voice.

Follow the timing you agreed on. If they said they would make the introduction next week, let that week pass. With no stated timeline, a reasonable default is to wait about a week after sending your materials, then send one reminder.

Hi [Name],

I wanted to follow up on your offer to introduce me to [Person/Team]. I included the short background note below in case it is useful for the introduction.

[Two sentences about your background and the topic you want to discuss.]

If the timing no longer works, I understand. Thank you again for considering it.

Best,
[Your Name]

After that reminder, leave the next move to them. Do not approach the suggested person claiming a referral that never happened. If you reach out independently, describe the connection accurately and get permission before using your contact's name.

Should you ask for a referral after the conversation?

If a specific role came up and the person offered help, you can follow through on that discussion. Name the role, include the posting, and explain the relevant experience you discussed.

If you spoke only about career exploration, keep the first follow-up focused on that conversation. A helpful 20-minute call does not mean the person knows your work well enough to recommend you. You can later ask a narrow question about a role or request a recruiting contact if there is a genuine reason to reconnect.

For the distinction between a recommendation and an introduction, see how to ask for a job referral.

Reconnect when you have an update worth sharing

You do not need a monthly "just checking in" message. Reach out when you have something connected to the conversation: you completed a suggested project, tried a different search approach, or made a decision their advice helped inform.

Subject: Update on the onboarding project we discussed

Hi Maya,

When we spoke last month, you suggested mapping the first 30 days of a customer's experience. I tried that exercise for a product I know well and found that most of my proposed improvements were about training rather than technical support.

That helped me narrow my search to onboarding roles. I wanted to let you know that your suggestion was useful and thank you again.

Best,
Alex

If you also have a question, make it small enough to answer without another call. For example: "Would you describe this work as implementation or customer education?" Skip the question if your update does not need one.

What if they never reply?

Look at what your email asked them to do. A thank-you or progress update may need no answer. Do not interpret silence as a rejection or send another message asking whether they received your thanks.

An unanswered request for promised materials or an introduction is different. Send the one reminder described above, then continue your search. If they set a boundary or say they cannot help, acknowledge it and stop asking.

This is different from following up on a cold email, where the first goal is to get a conversation started. After an informational interview, use the conversation itself to decide whether another message is appropriate.

Use what you learned in your next outreach

Before moving on, record the advice you want to act on and any commitment you made. Give an agreed action a date; leave a simple thank-you marked complete. This keeps routine gratitude from turning into an unnecessary follow-up sequence.

The conversation may also change which jobs you pursue. If you learned that onboarding roles fit better than account management, update your target company list and explain that relevant experience in your next job email.

When you are ready for job outreach, Personal Reach matches you with relevant opportunities and generates role-specific email drafts that you can review and edit. Create an account with Personal Reach to put that clearer direction to work.