Informational Interviews: Best Questions to Ask

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Questions you ask in an informational interview (or coffee chat) can make or break the experience for both of you, so in this video I share some of my best questions to ask during informational interviews.
Informational interview questions should achieve 2 goals: (1) Tease out useful and meaningful insights from the professional you’re chatting with, and (2) Make an impression on them so they’d be more willing to vouch for you in the future.
I share 3 “types” of questions to ask in an informational interview and provide 2-3 examples from each type. Taken together, these 3 categories of questions will show the interviewee you have given a lot of thought on all aspects of the job and company.
So whether you call it an informational interview, exploratory interview, or simply a coffee chat, these questions will help you make a strong and positive impression that may ultimately lead to more opportunities.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:57 The 3 Types of Questions you need to Ask
01:20 Sample Tasks and Responsibility Questions
02:28 Sample Career Path Questions
03:29 Sample Industry Knowledge Questions
04:56 Non-Negotiable Question
05:43 Summary
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#informationalinterviews #coffeechats #networking #jobsearch

[@jamesly281]

Jeff, I am being completely serious and honest when I say this. I watched this video and the next day I used these questions in an informational interview. Crazy timing. Thank you so much man.

[@JeffSu]

Must be fate James! How did it go? Did you get some good insights from your connection?

[@jamesly281]

@@JeffSu Yeah I did, he kept pausing and saying "wow these are some great questions" hahaha

[@JeffSu]

@@jamesly281 Best news I've heard all week 😁! That's awesome james! Make sure to follow up within 24 hours and thank him for his time and bring up something from your conversation so he knows you were listening!

[@jamesly281]

@@JeffSu I did follow up within 20 mins but I forgot to say something that I enjoyed about the meeting. Rip. I’ll do that next time.

[@jessemolina9383]

Even crazier when I found this video 20 minutes before my informational interview. Hoping for the best!

Summary Tasks and Responsibilities: What aspect of your job do you find most rewarding? How is your performance measured? Career Path: How did you begin your career? If you think about a new hire you enjoyed working with, what are some of their characteristics that come to mind? What did you find the most surprising about the role? Industry Knowledge: What publications would you recommend I subscribe to if I want to stay up-to-date on this industry’s trends? What are some current events or trends in the industry that I should be aware of? Extra at the end! Based on what we discussed today, is there anyone else you think I should talk to?

[@JeffSu]

Yup!! Great summary!!

[@wendycheuk6848]

Thanks a lot! You are my life saver🤩

[@AK-jt9gx]

I really appreciate the amount of advice you packed into 6 minutes without seeming rushed. The pace was perfect. Thank you!

[@JeffSu]

Glad to hear it A K! Let me know if you find the other videos the same way or any area of improvement 😁

[@yousifallous]

I always come back to this guy whenever I need help, his videos are so helpful. Because of him, I landed an internship at a huge global company. He deserves more views.

[@JeffSu]

Wow congrats!!!!!!

[@pc_huh]

You are literally my favorite person!!! Thank you, for all the effort you put into this!!

[@JeffSu]

No problem 😁

[@daphne2185]

I am having my first informational interview soon, and I just wanna say thank you so much for making this video! I'm not the most confident when it comes to these types of interactions, but after watching this vid I feel significantly more prepared and confident about using up the interview time in a more productive way! So thank you!!

[@JeffSu]

That's awesome! Glad you became (even) more confident after watching this video! Best of luck!

[@lantang3404]

The night before my informational chat, I went straight to Jeff's youtube channel and watched this video once again. During my meeting, I can tell that the person loves my questions! He opened up super quickly and the conversation went very smooth 😆 Jeff you are AMAZING 🙌

[@JeffSu]

That's awesome Lan! Don't forget to follow up with them after 😁

[@JeffSu]

Which of these questions will you ask in your next Coffee Chat? TIMESTAMPS 00:57 The 3 Types of Questions you need to Ask 01:20 Sample Tasks and Responsibility Questions 02:28 Sample Career Path Questions 03:29 Sample Industry Knowledge Questions 04:56 Non-Negotiable Question 05:43 Summary

[@helenjihang2003]

This is so helpful! Thank you Jeff!

[@JeffSu]

@@helenjihang2003 You're extremely welcome Helen, do you have a coffee chat coming up? :)

[@helenjihang2003]

@@JeffSu I don't actually but I will for sure plan some in the future. The great questions that you gave were priceless!

[@JeffSu]

@@helenjihang2003 Awesome! Let me know if you have any specific questions then!

[@Datb2]

You’re so encouraging 😊

[@Eesen]

This is amazing advice, Jeff! And well done on the editing as well; I am super impressed!

[@JeffSu]

Thanks Eesen! Appreciate the kind words!!!

[@violita8807]

I will use the end question for sure! awesome stuff thanks Jeff!

[@JeffSu]

Best of luck! 😁

[@uantaris9]

Thanks Jeff. I will have a coffee chat in three days. Your precise and concise suggestion helps a lot. I am now memorizing those questions.

[@JeffSu]

Woohoooo best of luck 😁

[@shashankbanakar8766]

I have been preparing for an informational interview and I wrote down a set of questions to ask as well. I watched your video 30mins prior to the interview and it made the whole experience more fun. Great job, Jeff!

[@JeffSu]

That's awesome to hear Shashank! Thanks for letting me know!

[@giftnwagu5185]

Thank you, Jeff! I will definitely use some of these questions in the informational interview I set up!

[@JeffSu]

Awesome, let me know how it goes Gift!

[@franziskagumrich4739]

Thank you Jeff! Honestly, I think I should have watched this video earlier :D I had several informal interviews and I think your tipps could have helped a lot. I will use some of the questions especially the last mandatory one within my next informal coffee chats. Thanks a lot, I highly value your tipps!

[@JeffSu]

Hi Franziska! Thanks so much for your kind words :). I'm sure you'll have the opportunity for more informational interviews so hopefully you'll be able to use these tips moving forward!

[@emilycho6203]

Really enjoyed the examples Jeff! They were really good!

[@JeffSu]

Thanks Emily, I aim to please 👌

[@DrNancyLi]

Thanks for the video! so many people don't know the importance of doing informational interviews and I learned a lot from you!

[@JeffSu]

Thanks Nancy! I just checked out your channel as well, love the content! Hoping to learn more from you moving forward as well :)

[@livialone3199]

Wow Nancy has great videos!

[@yesblad32]

Broski, Thank you so much. You a real one for real

[@JeffSu]

You're very welcome my friend 😁

[@wendyjiller2548]

Thanks Jeff

[@worldwithdifferenteyes4426]

You rock mate!

[@JeffSu]

Thank you 😁

[@Andrea_Dong]

Great content, Jeff! Thank you so much for sharing, I’ll be following your work :)

[@JeffSu]

Thanks so much Andrea! It means a lot for a small creator like myself 🤗🤗

[@lantang3404]

Thank you Jeff!!! This is really helpful, especially the structure and last question you suggested 💯I’ll try it next time!

[@JeffSu]

Thanks Lan! Yea I made the mistake of just memorizing questions when I was still in college and I would be trying to remember the next question to ask instead of actively listening to the other person. Rookie mistake!!

[@lantang3404]

@@JeffSu haha I’ll also keep this in mind!! Have a great weekend Jeff

[@shedashaellis729]

Hello! I want to say THANK YOU. I followed your advice and I had a successful informational interview. Thank you once again for sharing because you are helping people like me! 😁🙏🏾

[@JeffSu]

Glad to hear it my friend 😁

[@recruitcrm]

What an approach to asking questions in an informational interview!!

[@JeffSu]

Thanks my friend 😁

[@user-rq4rt3ti8l]

So helpful! Thank you!!

[@JeffSu]

You're welcome D! 🙌

[@NG-bo7wi]

I keep referring back to this video for important questions to ask my seniors. Jeff, pretty please make a video on what questions should you ask after an interview. I'd love to hear how you evaluate a highly valuable candidate! :D

[@JeffSu]

Could you expand on what you mean by "questions to ask after an interview?" Do you mean what you should include in your follow up note?

[@BrendannKellyy]

Thank you, Jeff, so much for recommending this video to me. Will try hard to make sure this information gets put to great use! Will forever have a sub in me 😊

[@JeffSu]

Woohoooo welcome my friend! Glad to have you here 😁

[@MorolongWaMorakile]

Thank you for this video. I’m having my first ever coffee chat this coming Monday. When I say my first ever I mean in my entire 24 year career I have never been to such. Now I know what to ask. Thank you 🙏🏾

[@JeffSu]

Best of luck!! Let me know how it goes 😁

[@masonmillerpodcast7265]

Such a great video. I love how the questions are up to date and how they give a broad range of answers. Also I’ve never seen someone explain why the questions are important to ask, as well as he explained.

[@JeffSu]

Glad to hear it Mason! Funnily enough I actually ran into issues back when I was interviewing by just memorizing "smart" questions to ask without fully understanding the logic behind them. So I definitely wanted to improve the experience for others!

[@ElevenKings]

I really the way you've edited these videos, looks super polished.

[@JeffSu]

Hi Pablo, thank you! I'm still playing around with different editing styles but it's great to hear you enjoy the visuals. Hopefully you like the content as well :P

[@Roman_marusyak]

Thanks for brilliant advise and exampels!!!

[@JeffSu]

You're very welcome Roman!! 😁

[@goksoysuleyman]

Thank you. Very informative

[@JeffSu]

You're welcome 😁

[@rafiabdul770]

These are greatquestions!! Gonna use them in my next coffee chat!

[@JeffSu]

Let me know how it goes Rafi!

[@Soasoso]

You're a KING

[@JeffSu]

Thank you my friend 😁

[@111BLACKSOUL]

I love the energy

[@JeffSu]

Thank you Rida 😁

[@bortenox9625]

I'm using these questions for my interview today, Great video Jeff, I hope I get it (fingers crossed)

[@JeffSu]

Best of luck! Let me know how it goes

[@yonathandelacruz9686]

great questions.

[@JeffSu]

Thank you Yonathan 😁

[@frankyavery]

Great questions!

[@JeffSu]

Thank you!

[@muskduh]

I love the word vouch lol. thanks for the videos

[@JeffSu]

Hahaha glad to hear it Glenn! You're very welcome 😁

[@brendamg7298]

Thank you!

[@JeffSu]

Anytime!

[@opheliefan8852]

Great video, plan to use them in my upcoming interview, although it's for master application, I believe the mindset is the same!

[@JeffSu]

Yes the methodology is definitely the same! Best of luck 😁

[@okayman2057]

Yoo I'm another Jeff, Great video!

[@JeffSu]

What's upppppp Jeff! Glad to have you here 😂

[@maryamsohrab5841]

informative video thanks

[@JeffSu]

Thank you! 😁

[@giancarlosarasti986]

Jeff, I am about to use these questions in 1 hour!

[@JeffSu]

Best of luck and let me know how it goes! 😁

[@ashishmadhu7829]

I like it 🙂🤩

[@JeffSu]

Thank you Ashish! Any resulting inspirations 😛?

[@myginny73]

Great videos for boosting my networking confidence

[@JeffSu]

That’s the hope! Are you primarily networking through LinkedIn or emails right now?

[@myginny73]

@@JeffSu LinkedIn

[@helenjihang2003]

I'm your fan!

[@JeffSu]

😁😁 woohoo!

[@MikeDeng]

Thanks for the upload! Can you upload a video on how to set up a coffee chat with recruiters? I've since had people request coffee chats with me, and I've set them up with other people but I can't say I've become too familiar with approaching it with recruiters (as they are rather busy).

[@JeffSu]

Sooo funny story, I already have a video on that topic! Check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJ_dmWiHibCVqdk

[@MikeDeng]

@@JeffSu Oh gotcha. My bad, I think I saw this a while back, but it's probably the lack of sleep today. lol Thanks Jeff!

[@JeffSu]

@@MikeDeng I feel you Mike! No problem, hope you that video is still helpful :)

[@livialone3199]

Did you find it helpful Dengs Designs?

[@MikeDeng]

@@livialone3199 Yeah, it was pretty insightful.

[@yalunsheng]

I have a few questions, these are the questions I've always have during informational interviews... 1. Should I introduce myself at the beginning of our conversation? Or I should save some time for questions? If self-introduction is needed, can it be the same answer as " tell me about yourself" during an actual interview, or I should be more casual and give a much shorter answer? 2. If they can't connect me to anyone they know, how frequently should I reconnect?

[@JeffSu]

Hi Yalun! Good questions: 1. Yes you should always introduce yourself at the beginning. Keep it to 30 seconds. 2. Much shorter answer, more casual but keep it concise and to the point 3. This depends on your objectives. Even if they can't connect you with anyone, they might still be a good connection to have. I don't recommend networking with such a "obvious" purpose in mind (i.e. 目的性不要太强哈哈。。。）

[@yalunsheng]

@@JeffSu Thx. Really helpful. I like the Chinese part, very precise lol.

[@fatin1731]

Hey Jeff! Any advise for my interview for a public policy position next week? 😅

[@svensszon2007]

Hey Jeff, amazing video in content and editing and it came in clutch! I'm wondering, for a coffee chat or even networking event at college, etc. where would you position questions about the interviewee's current or former employers, like "what do you appreciate most about firm...?" Is it appropriate to be so direct? Thanks so much, Jeff! 💯

[@JeffSu]

Depends on the vibe to be honest. If you're clicking with them sure. If they're clearly more reserved then maybe not so soon

[@svensszon2007]

@@JeffSu You're amazing, thanks Jeff! I'll be aware of that.

[@roxywang744]

yay another video, a question would it weird to have a notepad with you during a chat? And if you need another video idea could you do one on what is business casual? Every time I hear that I still don't know what I should wear.

[@JeffSu]

Hi Roxy! Love the questions :). For notepad, a small trick is to always bring one and ASK the interviewer whether they're okay with you taking it out to take notes. The answer will always be "YES" but here's the trick: You should include a few talking points/questions to ask in your notebook so you can glance at it during the interview. For business casual - I'll try my best but I'm not sure if all the viewers will find it too helpful since I don't have a great fashion sense haha!

[@Christiana-J]

I'm going to steal these questions later for an interview 🤣

[@JeffSu]

You should run them through ChatGPT and see whether these still hold up haha

[@Christiana-J]

@@JeffSu The fact I made it to the 3rd round with all tips I learnt from your videos instead of ChatGPT is a proof 😁

[@brettsearle7764]

Thank you jeff also i caught that chunk of spit in my mouth in the first 1 second of the video

[@JeffSu]

I'll take that as a compliment :)

[@brettsearle7764]

@@JeffSu Please do

[@JeffSu]

@@brettsearle7764 Thanks Brett! :) :)

[@arshpreetmultani6897]

Another brilliant video! I just used your cold outreach tips and was connected to the manager of the role I applied to (woohoo, thank you)! Now that we've been connected, I have to set up an informational call but I'm wondering if these are the appropriate questions to ask. What're your thoughts?

[@JeffSu]

Hi Arshpreet, congrats! One step closer to that role :). What industry is he/she in and what is their seniority?

[@arshpreetmultani6897]

@@JeffSu so close! she's the Director of Undergraduate Admissions at a college in the city, and directly manages the role I applied for :)

[@JeffSu]

@@arshpreetmultani6897 amazing, let me know how it goes!

[@heramb575]

Great video! Always add a lot of value in a short amount of time. However, with the question at 2:55 aren't you worried you come off as pretentious as if hinting to them that you want a job and hence you asked for a coffee chat?

[@JeffSu]

Thanks for the question! In my (humble) opinion, I'd say the wording doesn't make you come off as pretentious, since it prompts them to think of one of their recent hires, so the emphasis is not on you

[@vigneshrajendran5296]

Hey Jeff! I just wanted to ask whether it is considered appropriate to ask a recruiter these questions at the first round of interview when they are explaining the role or will be it viewed as a lack of homework from my side? Just received a call that I have an interview tomorrow and really appreciate your suggestion.

[@JeffSu]

Hi Vignesh! Some of these questions might not be relevant for a first round phone screen with a recruiter since they may not know what you're looking for specifically. For example if you ask the recruiter about their career progression, it might not be relevant to the role. However, you can ask them "What are some of the best candidates who ended up getting the job? What are they like? What makes them stand out?" This way the answer can help you position yourself for upcoming interviews :)

[@vigneshrajendran5296]

@@JeffSu Thanks a lot jeff! Really helpful

[@anellej2481]

Hey Jeff, thank you so much for this video! Do you think all of these questions are still relevant for an informational chat with a senior-level individual working at a company I applied to? The idea is to get a role:)

[@JeffSu]

Yes these definitely work!

[@anellej2481]

@@JeffSu Thanks)

[@JoeyRiebel]

Jeff, as a general rule of thumb, how many questions should I shoot for in an informational phone call?

[@JeffSu]

Thanks for the question Joey! I'd focus on the quality of the questions and "relevant" follow up questions more than the number itself. I would have extra questions ready though, so basically 10 questions prepared and maybe go through 4-5

[@Avi1998____]

Great video!

[@JeffSu]

Thank you Shyne :)! Do you have a coffee chat coming up soon?

[@michelebellelli184]

Hi Jeff, great insights! I'm just wondering, though: don't you think somebody could get offended by the non-negotiable question? Or am I being too mediterrenean? By the way, the video is still great today. You really got something else. Thank you!

[@JeffSu]

Hi Michele! Thanks for the question - Could I please ask you to clarify how someone would be offended by the question?

[@michelebellelli184]

@@JeffSu I guess it's a bit of a cultural gap. Here in Italy when you meet a professional you really get the impression that they are "taking some of their precious time off their schedules to talk to you", so if you were to close up the chat with a sentence such as "please let me know of anybody else I could talk to" I could imagine somebody getting pissed. Anyways, I'll just see when to use it and when not to - always trust your guts 😉 And by the way, thanks a lot for replying to a comment on a video that is literally one year old. It shows how dedicated you are. You really deserve the success.

[@JeffSu]

@@michelebellelli184 Ahhh I see, thanks for providing the context Michele! And you're very welcome! Best of luck 😁

[@redcloud4741]

Imagine asking someone out on a date and rather than actually having a date you just give them a list of questions LMAOO

[@shellyliu]

can you do a networking for introverts tips video please?

[@JeffSu]

Hi Shelly! Yes I've actually been thinking about that topic for a while, and another video on how to be more confident. Would you find that helpful as well? P.S you might not believe me but I'm a huge introvert...

[@shellyliu]

@@JeffSu Yeah I know haha I found out from one of your videos

[@shellyliu]

@@JeffSu yes a video on how to be more confident would help too!

[@JeffSu]

@@shellyliu I’m not sure if you know who Simon Sinek is but he’s a famous motivational speaker (he has loads of KZbin videos). My colleague met him once and says Simon is an introvert as well, and is very awkward in person 😅. I’m the same, BUT doesn’t mean we can’t network well!

[@JeffSu]

Hi Shelly - Just wanted to give you some insider info (keep it secret), the introvert networking video is live next week :). I hope you will like it!

[@esmeraldasoto7711]

How can you end this conservation with a strong statement? I think about things way too throughly - I don’t know how to end the conversation.

[@JeffSu]

"Thank you so much for your time today Esmeralda. I know you're busy so I'll let you go. If you don't mind I'll send a quick recap of our conversation just to make sure I got all the main points you mentioned. Thanks again!"

[@aahmed29]

These are very formal/pre-maid/bookish/internet questions. When I hire Interns, and they ask me similar questions, off the bat I know that it's something that he/she just memorized from the internet. These questions lack authenticity which defeats the purpose of expressing "genuine interest".

[@JeffSu]

Agreed! These are just ideas to get them started and they should definitely do a bit more research and customize those questions 😁

[@jasoncheung8407]

Hey Jeff where do you find your video transitions and titles? Really like your editing style!

[@JeffSu]

I list everything here Jason: www.jeffsu.org/gear/

[@jasoncheung8407]

@@JeffSu thanks Jeff!

[@JeffSu]

@@jasoncheung8407 Anytime Jason!

[@jj5515]

What message do you send an individual you are interested in getting a informational interview? I want to make sure my message is short, to the point and won't be ghosted lol

[@JeffSu]

Depends on their background! Your best bet is to have them be introduced to you in some way. Failing that, check out the templates in my latest LinkedIn video 😉

[@dannychenski687]

I skipped so much through this video that I didn't even realize that it was intended for the interviewer... I'm the interviewee lol

[@JeffSu]

It's for intervewees....

[@dannychenski687]

@@JeffSu it was pretty helpful either way. I just finished my interview a couple hours ago, and I feel like it's one of the best I've ever done

[@JeffSu]

Nice!!!!@@dannychenski687

[@agator2660]

5:39 I might have otherwise cared about this response.

[@JeffSu]

Haha! Me too 😂

[@redcloud4741]

Is it expected to have to remember what you want to ask? Because I would have to bring in some notes lmao

[@JeffSu]

Nothing wrong with notes 😁

[@roseandmose]

As an introvert how can I say hi 😂😂😂

[@JeffSu]

Depends who you're saying hi to 😁

[@anthonygrimms312]

Have been using these questions to derive my own and have had phenomenal networking conversations/opportunities as I begin my job search. Graduating in august and cant thank you enough for the help!

[@JeffSu]

Congrats on graduating and welcome to "real" life my friend! Glad to hear the content has been helpful 😁