The 30-second intro: what to say in the first minute of a call with an insider

You did it. Someone at the company you'd love to join said yes to a quick chat.

Brilliant. Now comes the slightly terrifying bit: the call starts, they smile, and say, "So, tell me a bit about yourself."

And your brain goes blank. Or worse, you launch into a four-minute tour of your career, starting with your first casual job.

Here's the thing. The first minute sets the tone for the whole call. And it's very easy to prepare.

What an informational call is (and isn't)

Quick reset before we get to the script.

A call with an insider is a conversation to learn about their team, their work and the company. It's not a job interview, and it's definitely not a pitch. They're doing you a kindness by giving up their time. Your job is to be clear, curious and easy to talk to.

The 30-second intro structure

Three parts. That's all.

Who you are. Your current or most recent role, in plain words. One sentence.
What you're exploring. The kind of work or move you're thinking about. One sentence.
Why them. Why you wanted to talk to this person. One sentence.

Then stop and hand it back to them with a question.

That's roughly 30 seconds out loud. Practise it once or twice, but don't memorise it word for word. You want it to sound like you, not like a hostage statement.

Example intros

All fictional, but steal the shape.

Graduate moving into their first role

"I've just finished a commerce degree, majoring in finance, and I've done an internship in a small accounting firm. I'm exploring graduate roles in financial analysis, especially at companies where you work closely with the business. I noticed you started in the grad program here a couple of years ago, so I'd love to hear what that was really like."

Career changer

"I've spent six years as a high school maths teacher, and I'm looking at moving into data analysis. I've been doing some SQL and Python on the side. Your team seems to do a lot of work on education products, so I was really keen to hear how you use data day to day."

Experienced hire, same field

"I'm a senior product designer, mostly in fintech for the last five years. I'm starting to look at health and wellbeing products next. I saw the talk you gave on accessibility in design, and I'd love to understand how your team approaches research."

New to Australia

"I'm a civil engineer with about eight years on road and rail projects overseas, and I moved to Sydney earlier this year. I'm trying to understand how infrastructure teams work here, and your company keeps coming up. I'd love to hear how your projects are usually structured."

Notice what's missing? No "I'm passionate about...". No list of every tool you've used. No "and so I'm looking for a job". Just enough context for them to be helpful.

Good questions to ask

Once you've done your intro, the rest of the call is mostly you listening. Go in with five or six questions and expect to get through three or four.

About their work

What does a typical week look like for you?
What's a project you've worked on recently that you really enjoyed?
What surprised you most after you joined?

About the team and company

How does your team work with other teams?
What do people who do really well here have in common?
What's changing in the team or company at the moment?

About getting in

What skills or experience would you want to see in someone joining your team?
If you were in my shoes, what would you focus on?
Is there anyone else you think I should talk to?

That last one is gold. Just don't push if they don't offer anyone.

Avoid questions you could answer with a quick Google, like "So what does the company do?" Do your homework first. It shows respect for their time.

When (and when not) to bring up referrals

This is the one people agonise over.

Don't ask for a referral in the first call. Not at the start, not in the middle, and not as a sneaky last question. You've only just met. A referral puts their name next to yours, and it's their call to make, not yours to request.

Do let them bring it up. If the conversation goes well, some people will offer. "There's a role open on our team, want me to pass your name on?" If that happens, say thank you, keep it simple, and ask what would be most helpful to send them.

If there's a specific live role, it's fine to mention you've seen it, as context. "I noticed the analyst role on your careers page, which is partly why I reached out." Then leave it there. Let them decide what to do with that.

The goal of the call is understanding, not a transaction.

How to end the call well

Watch the clock. If you asked for 15 minutes, start wrapping up at 13. They'll appreciate it, and if they want to keep chatting, they'll say so.

A good close sounds like:

"I'm conscious of your time, so I'll let you go. This has been really helpful, especially what you said about how the team runs projects. Thanks so much for making the time."

Short, specific, grateful. Done.

Follow up the same day

Send a quick thank-you message within a day. Keep it to three or four lines:

Thank them for their time.
Mention one specific thing they said that stuck with you.
If they suggested something (a person, a course, an article), say you'll follow it up.

Then, a few weeks later, a short update is a lovely touch. "Took your advice on the portfolio, here's where I got to." It keeps the connection warm without asking for anything.

You'll get better every time

The first call feels awkward. The third feels normal. By the fifth, you'll have a sharp intro, better questions and a clearer idea of where you actually want to land.

If you'd like some practice with real insiders, Who You Know Concierge includes intro calls arranged by our team with verified employees at your target companies, plus weekly check-ins to help you prepare and debrief. Check out Concierge.