Interview
English – Article writing
Information Interviews are KEY to developing your professional network, increasing your knowledge of your chosen field and are a great way to build interviewing skills. For this assignment, you will be interviewing TWO professionals currently employed in your target job title.——->(Agri-business or Food and Resources Economics)
Please review this PowerPoint for full assignment details and sample questions as discussed in class: Information_Interviews.pptxPreview the documentView in a new window
To write your report, include:
Part 1-
Compare and contrast your interviewees. This includes:
– What you learned about your field.
– What you think about the job as they described it.
– What you found helpful/concerning.
– How their answers were similar or dissimilar.
Part 2-
Critically analyze the information you gathered during your interviews.
– How the information has shaped your career decision?
– What changes (if any) you will make to your career path?
– What steps you will take to be the most prepared for this job?
– How the job, as described by your interviewees, compare to your career values, skills, interests, and personality as discussed in the beginning of the course?
Format-
Minimum 3 pages typed, double spaced. Edit and proofread your document closely. Remember to cite all references.
interview
Exploring The World Of Work
Exploring Self
Interests
Careers
Information Interviews
Action Plan
Education
Skills
Values
Internships
Career/Graduate School
Resume
Cover Letter
Interviewing
Personality
What Is An Information Interview?
An appointment that you schedule with someone doing your target job.
To gain current, regional, and/or specialized information from an “insider” point of view.
Help you explore your possibilities.
Do not require that you sell yourself to an employer and do not depend on existing job vacancies.
Why Bother With Information Interviews?
To get valuable information for your job hunting and career planning (e.g. choosing an academic major or career).
It’s a good way to “reality check” what you’ve read, heard, and thought.
To learn about a particular organization or field, how you might fit in, and what problems (or opportunities) are present in the industry.
Knowing these things will help you slant your qualifications towards the needs of the organization if you choose to apply for a job at some point.
Why Bother With Information Interviews?
To increase your interviewing skills by discussing yourself and your career interests with professionals.
To enlarge your circle of “expert” contacts in a field.
Remember, it is who you know (or get to know) that gets you a job.
Never too early to establish contacts.
Never to early to ask for other referrals (e.g., “Can you suggest some other people that I might talk to about jobs in this field?”)
Who To Contact For The Information Interview?
Look for those who:
Share a common academic major, interest, enthusiasm, or involvement in some activity or lifestyle that appeals to you.
Work in a setting that appeals to you (e.g., hospitals, textile company, colleges, airlines).
Work in career areas in which you’re interested (e.g. counseling psychologist, market researcher, public relations).
Work in specific jobs in specific organizations (e.g., counseling psychologist at a university counseling center, consumer education representative at a utility company, market researcher at IBM).
How To Find Potential Contacts
Ask friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, former employers… anyone you know for an information interview or for a referral.
Contact SF Faculty and Staff.
Career Resource Center
Call community service agencies, trade, and professional organizations (e.g., women’s organizations, Chamber of Commerce, Information Management Association)
Review organizaiton Web sites.
Scan the Yellow Pages, articles in newspapers, magazines, and journals.
Attend meetings (local, state, regional) for professional associations in your career interest field(s).
How To Prepare
People generally like to talk about what they do, but don’t waste their time. Be prepared!
Know your interests, skills, and values and how they relate to the career field represented by the person(s) you’re interviewing.
Read about the career area and organization of the person you’ll be interviewing.
Know exactly what kinds of information you want and have a list of questions in mind.
Be aware of your given time limit and stick to it.
Potential Questions To Ask
Background:
Tell me how you got started in this field.
What was your education?
What educational background or related experience might be helpful in entering this field?
Work Environment:
What are the daily duties of your job?
What are the working conditions?
What skills/abilities are utilized in your field?
Potential Questions To Ask
Problems:
What are the toughest problems you deal with at work?
What problems does the industry as a whole have?
What is being done to solve these problems?
Lifestyle:
What obligation does your work put on you outside the work week?
How much flexibility do you have in terms of dress, work hours, vacations?
Potential Questions To Ask
Rewards:
What do you find most rewarding about this work, besides the money?
Salary:
What salary level would a new person start with?
What are the fringe benefits?
What are other forms of compensation (e. g. bonuses, commissions, securities)?
Potential:
Where do you see yourself going in a few years?
What are your long term goals?
Potential Questions To Ask
Promotional:
Is turnover high?
How does one move from position to position?
Do people normally move to another company/division/ agency?
What is your policy about promotions from within?
What happened to the person(s) who last held this position?
How many have held this job in the last 5 years?
How are employees evaluated?
Potential Questions To Ask
The industry:
What trends do you see for this industry in the next 3 to 5 years?
What kind of future do you see for this organization?
How much of your business is tied to (the economy, government spending, weather, supplies, etc.)?
Advice:
How well-suited is my background for this field?
When the time comes, how would I go about finding a job in this field?
What experience, paid or volunteer, would you recommend?
What suggestions do you have to help make my resume more effective?
Potential Questions To Ask
Demand:
What types of employers hire people in this line of work?
Where are they located?
What other career areas do you feel are related to your work?
Hiring Decision:
What are the most important factors used to hire people in this work (education, past experience, personality, special skills)?
Who makes the hiring decisions for your department?
Who supervises the boss?
When I am ready to apply for a job, who should I contact?
Potential Questions To Ask
Job Market:
How do people find out about your jobs?
Are they advertised in the newspaper (which ones?), on the Web? by word-of-mouth (who spreads the word?) by the personnel office?
Referral to other information opportunities:
Can you name a relevant trade journal or magazine you would recommend I review regularly?
What professional organizations might have information about this career area?
Potential Questions To Ask
Referral to others:
Based on our conversation today, what other types of people do you believe I should talk to?
Can you name a few of these people?
May I have permission to use your name when I contact them?
Do you have any other advice for me?
Other questions you have in mind.
Setting Up Your Information Interview
Phone or e-mail to explain your request and obtain an appointment.
E-mail requests for appointments are most effective if followed up by a telephone inquiry to confirm an appointment time.
Introduce yourself using a personal referral.
Explain your request to schedule an appointment for gathering information about their field of work.
Indicate clearly that you are not applying for a job at this time, but merely conducting career research to help you make better decisions.
If the person you are trying to reach is not in, you can leave a message or ask when to call back.
Try to schedule a 20-30 minute appointment, to be conducted by phone or in person at their convenience.
What If They Are Too Busy?
If the present time is too busy for the person you contact, ask when would be a better time or ask if he/she can suggest another contact in the organization that could provide you with helpful information.
In person is the goal. Sometimes the person might say over the phone: “I have some time now … what did you want to ask me?” Be prepared to conduct the interview over the phone if the person gives you an opportunity to do so.
If you are able to schedule an on-site visit, remember to ask for directions and parking information.
What To Do During The Interview
Do not exceed your requested time, but be prepared to stay longer in case the contact indicates a willingness to talk longer.
Dress as if it were an actual job interview. First impressions are important.
Get to your appointment a few minutes early and be courteous to everyone that you meet— secretary, receptionist, etc.
Take the initiative in conducting the interview— you are the interviewer.
Ask open-ended questions which promote a discussion and cannot be answered with one word responses.
Once inside the organization, look around. What kind of working environment is present—dress style, communication patterns, sense of humor, etc? Is this a place you would want to work?
After The Information Interview
Your interviewee is an active contact for your networking list.
Follow-up with a thank you card.
Thank them for their time.
Tell them something you took away from the experience.
Open the door for future contact.
Periodically re-connect with your interviewee.
Evaluate your experience.
How did you manage in scheduling and conducting the information interview?
How well did you prepare?
Did you get the information you sought? What information do you still lack? Do you need to interview more people in order to get more than one biased viewpoint or additional information? What do you need to do next?
Record the information that you obtained: names, comments, and new referrals for future reference.
Make appointments to interview the referrals.
Write It All Up
Use jobs from your Job Title Report.
Interview TWO contacts (attach business cards to your paper).
Typed, double spaced, spell checked. I am expecting quality work that shows thought and reflection.
Summary of information you learned.
Compare both interviews.
Evaluate settings, responsibilities, etc.
Discuss how the information has impacted your career goals.
Discuss your next steps.
Be sure to scan/upload a picture of each business card.
Follow up with a thank you card. – Upload a copy of your email with complete header information. OR – Upload a copy of the thank you card AND the envelope showing full address information AND stamp.
Extra Credit!
