Listen for what isn’t in the job description

Focus on the texture of day-to-day work, not the official narrative.

Why it works

Job descriptions describe the formal structure of a role; conversations with incumbents reveal the actual experience — the hidden costs, the informal power dynamics, the skills that matter most, the culture that doesn’t fit in a values statement. This tacit knowledge is the most decision-relevant information available and is only accessible through direct conversation.

How to do it

1. Ask follow-up questions that go deeper into anything they mention with energy (positive or negative).
2. Listen for hesitation, hedge words, or pauses — they often signal the real answer.
3. Ask "what does a hard week look like?" to get past the official narrative.
4. Take notes on specific phrases they use — this is the vocabulary of insiders and signals cultural fit.

Evidence

Tacit knowledge — the unwritten, experience-based knowledge of how things actually work — is a well-established construct in knowledge management research. Direct conversation is the primary mechanism for accessing it. (mechanistic)

One person’s experience of a role or culture is not representative; seek multiple informational interviews before drawing strong conclusions.

Sources

• Polanyi (1966), The Tacit Dimension

Common mistake

Treating the informational interview as a chance to sell yourself rather than to learn — the information you gather is the product, not the impression you make.