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Informational Interviewing

Informational interviewing is a powerful (and underutilized) career exploration and networking tool that can jump-start your career. In an informational interview, you seek leads and information regarding an industry, a career path, or an employer by talking to people you know or who have been referred to you.

These conversations provide valuable firsthand insights that you won’t find in online research, allowing you to ask specific questions and gain advice from experienced professionals. Informational interviews also help expand your network, uncover hidden job opportunities, and build relationships that can lead to mentorship or referrals, making them a crucial step in your career journey.

  1. Understand the Value of Informational Interviews (WGU Big Interview)
  2. Learn about Informational vs. Job Interviews (LinkedIn Learning)

Please login with your WGU Credentials to access WGU Big Interview & LinkedIn Learning

Find Contacts: Reach out to people you know—like your instructors, friends, family, colleagues, and peers. You can also connect with WGU alumni, referrals, and employees at target companies.

LinkedIn Alumni Tool

Gain career insights from WGU students and alumni—including data on where they work, what they studied, and their top skills.

LinkedIn Alumni Tool Cover Photo

WGU Student & Alumni LinkedIn Group

Join this LinkedIn Group to connect with other WGU students and alumni. 

LinkedIn WGU Students and Alumni Group Cover Photo

WGU Handshake

Grow your network by connecting with WGU alumni, students, and employer partners.

Review these resources to learn more: 

handshake logo

Big Interview Logo

Informational Interviewing Help Vids

* Please login with your WGU Credentials to access WGU Big Interview

LinkedIn Email Outreach Template: Use this template to request informational interviews on LinkedIn

Featured Articles

Ask A Grad

Read more

4 Tips for Building Lasting Career Relationships Through Informational Interviews

Informational interviews are treasure troves of information. What you collect from these types of networking meetings—in which you build relationships with people at the organizations you want to join—can provide you with insights that can help you improve your resume, cover …

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What Is an Informational Interview?

When it comes to choosing a career, there are plenty of ways to learn more about it before you take the next step. You can take classes, read about it, or even try a virtual work experience. One other excellent …

Read more

Career Resources

Subject: Connecting for Career Insights

Dear [Name],

I came across your profile through the [Group Name] LinkedIn Group and was …

Use this resource to identify networking strategies and activities to help you expand your network and connections.

To locate the …

This activity will help you identify connections and learn best networking strategies.

To locate the file, follow these steps:

This activity will help you identify connections and learn best networking strategies.

To locate the file, follow these steps:

Informational interviews are informal conversations with professionals in a field you’re interested in. The goal is to learn about their …

Connect with fellow graduates and expand your professional network using the WGU LinkedIn Alumni Tool. This resource allows you to …

Contact & Location

Phone
801-274-3280
Address

4001 S 700 East, #700
Salt Lake City, UT 84107

Career Service Hours

Monday 6:00 am - 7:00 pm MST
Tuesday 6:00 am - 7:00 pm MST
Wednesday 6:00 am - 7:00 pm MST
Thursday 6:00 am - 7:00 pm MST
Friday 6:00 am - 7:00 pm MST
Saturday by appointment only
Sunday by appointment only

Office hours nationwide are 6am MST to 7pm MST.  Appointment and drop-in hours are available on weekends. Please reach out to careers@wgu.edu for assistance at any time.