Request the conversation the right way

A short, specific, no-pressure request gets far more responses than a vague networking ask.

Why it works

People decline generic networking requests because the cost-benefit is unclear — what do you want, how long will it take, what’s in it for them? Specificity removes these unknowns: a clearly scoped 20-minute conversation about a specific topic, with an explicit "no job ask," lowers the perceived cost dramatically. Flattery about their specific work (not generic praise) activates the desire to be seen as a valued expert.

How to do it

1. Find someone 2–3 levels above you doing work you genuinely want to understand.
2. Write a 3–4 sentence message: who you are, exactly what you’re trying to understand, a specific thing about their work that makes them the right person to ask, and a request for 20 minutes.
3. Include the explicit line: "I’m not looking for a job — I’m doing research and would love your perspective."
4. Offer to accommodate their schedule entirely.

Evidence

Direct outreach with a clear, low-cost ask has higher response rates than vague networking requests; this is consistent with cognitive load and reciprocity research. Bolles’s recommendation is practitioner consensus refined over decades of career counselling. (mechanistic)

Response rates vary enormously by industry, seniority, and medium; no controlled study has benchmarked informational interview request formats.

Common mistake

Being vague about what you want or letting the "no job ask" promise erode during the meeting — both make the conversation feel like a disguised job application.