Hey there!

Welcome to your daily dose of curated early-career opportunities! Your job search shouldn’t feel confusing, late, or based on luck.

Here's what nobody tells you about the job search: it's not about applying to more jobs. It's about being first.

The same role LinkedIn shows you 3-5 days from now is already sitting in a pile of 500 applications. Runway pulls jobs straight from company career sites the moment they post, so you see them first, when there are 15 applicants, not 500. 

Who sees the role and applies first is the whole game.

Here are today's fresh opportunities for Thursday, September 10th:

An informational interview, a casual conversation with someone about their job, career, or company, is one of the most underused tools in a job search. You're not asking for a job; you're asking to learn. But done well, these conversations lead to advice, connections, referrals, and sometimes the job itself. Here's how to use them.

Understand what an informational interview actually is

It's a low-pressure conversation where you ask someone about their career path, their role, their company, or their industry. The explicit goal is to learn, not to ask for a job.

That framing is exactly why it works. People are far more willing to chat about their experience than to field a "can you get me a job?" request. It's a relaxed, genuine conversation, and the opportunities tend to flow from it naturally rather than from you asking directly.

Know why they're so effective

Informational interviews do several things at once: you learn about a role or company from the inside, you build a genuine relationship, you get on someone's radar, and you often learn about opportunities before they're posted.

They also make you memorable in a way an application never does. When a role opens up, the person you had a great conversation with may think of you, or refer you. It's networking that doesn't feel like networking.

Reach out the right way

Ask for the conversation clearly and make it easy to say yes. Keep it short, explain the genuine reason, and ask for a small amount of time.

Something like: "Hi [Name], I'm a [year] at [school] exploring [field]. I really admire [specific thing about them], and I'd love to hear how you got into your role. Would you be open to a quick 15 minutes sometime? Totally understand if you're busy." Short, specific, and low-commitment gets far more yeses.

Come prepared with good questions

The person is giving you their time, so don't show up empty-handed and expect them to carry it. Have thoughtful questions ready about their path, their role, their advice, and their industry.

Good ones: "How did you get into this field?" "What does your day-to-day actually look like?" "What do you wish you'd known starting out?" "What skills matter most for someone trying to break in?" Preparation shows respect and gets you far more valuable answers.

Make it about them, not a job pitch

The fastest way to ruin an informational interview is to turn it into a thinly veiled job ask. Don't. Keep it genuinely about learning from them and their experience.

Let the conversation be about their story and advice. If opportunities come up naturally, great, but pushing for a job breaks the trust and makes the interaction feel transactional. The magic is in keeping it authentic; the job stuff tends to follow on its own.

Ask for advice and next steps, not favors

Near the end, instead of asking for a job, ask for guidance: "Based on my background, what would you suggest I focus on?" or "Is there anyone else you'd recommend I talk to?"

Asking for advice or an introduction to someone else keeps the momentum going and expands your network, without putting them on the spot. People are happy to point you in a direction or make a warm intro, and that often leads somewhere real.

Follow up and stay in touch

After the conversation, send a genuine thank-you within a day, mention something specific you appreciated or learned. Then keep the relationship warm over time with occasional updates.

This is what turns a one-time chat into a lasting connection. Tell them when you act on their advice, or when something good happens. The people who stay in touch (without only reaching out when they need something) are the ones who get remembered and helped down the line.

Do this today: Pick one person whose career you're curious about, an alum, someone in your target field, a connection of a connection, and send a short, genuine request for 15 minutes to hear how they got started. One good informational interview can open doors an application never will.

-Ford from Runway

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