The Informational Interview in 2026: The Secret to Landing a Job in Canada?

If you’re looking for a job in 2026, you’re facing some challenges. The jobs market remains tight and many employers are worried about what Canada’s fraying relationship with the U.S. means for their business. In optimistic news, the unemployment rate recently fell to 6.5 percent, which is not perfect, but also not disastrous.

To stand out in this stagnant market, it’s useful to leverage connections and networking in your job hunt. And the informational interview offers an exceptional way to connect with professionals in your industry.

This article is your guide to mastering the informational interview in 2026.

What is an informational interview?

The first thing to understand is that an informational interview is not a job interview. Rather, it’s an informal conversation with someone who works in a field, role, or company you’re interested in. The goal of an informational interview is to learn more about this topic and establish a connection for future opportunities.

These conversations can take many forms: a coffee, a virtual call, a quick lunch, or even a casual beer after work. Ideally, these conversations should feel informal and low-pressure. That will look different depending on who you reach out to and how you know them.

You can set up an informational interview in a few different ways. Consider connecting with professionals through mutual connections, former colleagues, networking events, professional associations, or even directly through LinkedIn.

Whatever method you use, try to ensure the request feels genuinely curious – authentic interest rather than a cold sales pitch. At its core, an informational interview is curiosity in action. You are asking someone to share their experience, not to hand you a job.

How I’ve used the informational interview to succeed

Outside of my work at Moving2Canada, I’m also an artist producing documentary podcasts, theatre shows, and films. Through my creative work, I’ve discovered the potential for the informational interview to transform your career.

For example, in early 2020, I was just dipping my toe into the field of podcasting. I had the pleasure of attending a podcasting networking event in Toronto, where I connected with people working all across the podcasting world – from Apple Podcasts, to CBC, and more.

Following the event, I set up coffee dates with these individuals where I met informally to chat with them about their work and their thoughts on the industry. I wasn’t asking for anything specific, instead just expressing genuine curiosity for their work and perspective.

In the years that have followed, those people have connected me with opportunities to showcase my work. It wasn’t immediate, but eventually my podcast was featured on both Apple Podcasts and CBC – here’s an example. This is partially due to the industry connections I made through those informational interviews. And this is just one example of how informational interviews have helped me succeed in my Canadian career.

How to ask for an informational interview

You can ask for an informational interview through whatever channel is appropriate for your connection. Is it a former colleague? Send them an email or text. Is it a friend of a friend? Ask to be introduced via email? Is this someone you found on LinkedIn? Send them a thoughtful direct message.

The most important rule is to be polite, respectful, and genuinely curious. Certain individuals are contacted all the time for these types of informal chats. You want to find a way to stand out without sounding desperate. One great way to do this is to research the person and connect on an element of their work – a recent project, a former area of study, or a past role.

For example:

“I saw in your LinkedIn bio that you worked on the development of the new Moving2Canada website. I’m a big fan of Moving2Canada, both as a web design project and an immigration resource. I’m hoping to do similar work in the future. I’m wondering if you’d be open to meeting for a virtual coffee – I have a few questions about the website that I’d love to ask you. No pressure, just looking to learn more about that world. Would you have 30 minutes free for a chat sometime in the next couple of weeks?”

Keep your message relatively short and make it easy for the person to say yes (but don’t punish them for saying no!). Certain people will reply right away, others won’t reply at all. Feel free to follow up a few times, but keep your messages polite. Don’t worry too much about “no’s” and non-replies – that’s a part of the process.

What to do during an informational interview

Come prepared with some questions to guide the conversation, but don’t feel pressured to follow your questions like a script. Let things flow naturally, but be ready to jump in with some questions, if needed.

Good questions might include:

• What does a typical day look like in your role?
• How do you think a newcomer could best position themselves to enter this industry?
• What skills matter most for someone starting out?
• If you were entering this field in 2026, what would you focus on?

You can share where you’re at in your career. You can mention that you’re exploring opportunities. But don’t ask for a job! If they know about a role, they’ll bring it up. If they don’t, that’s fine. The goal is to connect with the person, not to land a job offer.

If you want more tips on managing the interview itself, check out our complete guide to informational interviews.

What to do after an informational interview

Send a thank-you message within a day or two. Keep it simple and thank them for their time. Mention one thing you found particularly helpful. Then, stay lightly in touch.

This might mean checking in every few months and sharing an article relevant to something you discussed. Or you could update them if you take a course they recommended or land a new role.

If a job opens at their company later, you can reach out and say you noticed the posting and ask if they have any advice. If the relationship feels solid, you might ask whether they’d feel comfortable referring you.

You can’t rush these connections. In my experience, some networking connections yield fruit within months, while others take years. If you go into informational interviews solely hunting for a job, you will come across as transactional. If you go in curious, you’ll build something more durable.

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