Test a new career with informational interviews
Outreach messages, smart questions, and a scorecard to learn what a career is really like before you commit.
The prompt
Help me use informational interviews to test whether a new career is right for me. This is step 1 of my career-switch plan; what I learn here feeds my learning plan (step 2) and my career-change story (step 3).
Target career: [ROLE / FIELD]
What I'm unsure about: [e.g. "day-to-day reality", "pay at entry level", "whether my background counts"]
People I could contact: [e.g. "former colleague's spouse", "alumni on LinkedIn", "strangers in a professional group"]
My background in one line: [SUMMARY]
Skills I think transfer, and gaps I suspect: [LIST - optional, used to tailor the questions]
Give me:
1. Three short outreach messages (under 90 words each): warm contact, alumni or shared-group connection, and cold contact. Ask for 20 minutes, make it easy to say yes, and don't ask for a job.
2. 12 questions, grouped: the real work (what a typical week looks like, what they wish they'd known), getting in (how people like me actually break in, which credentials matter), and the trade-offs (pay range, stress, growth).
3. A one-paragraph way to introduce my switch that invites advice.
4. A thank-you note template that mentions one specific thing I learned.
5. A scorecard I fill in after each conversation: Energized or drained? Realistic entry path? Dealbreakers? Who else should I talk to?
Aim for 5-8 conversations before deciding. Remind me to ask each person for one more introduction.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Career & Job Search prompts
What to fill in
- ROLE / FIELD
- SUMMARY
- LIST - optional, used to tailor the questions
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the Few-Shot structure (Few-shot prompting). A few-shot prompt includes one or more worked examples of the input and the output you want, so the model can copy the pattern instead of guessing it.
Related prompts
- Plan the promotion conversation with my managerTalking points, the exact ask, and responses to likely pushback for raising promotion with your manager.
- Build a learning plan to close my career-switch gapsA realistic, time-boxed plan to gain the missing skills, with a portfolio project that proves them to employers.
- Plan the money and timing of a career switchA financial runway and transition timeline so you can switch careers without unnecessary risk.
- Turn a promotion "not yet" into a clear planA specific 3-6 month plan, with agreed milestones, after being passed over or told you're not ready.