One of the best sources for gathering information about a job or career path is to talk to people directly working in the field. This process is called informational interviewing. An informational interview is an interview that you initiate – you ask the questions. The purpose is to obtain information, not to get a job.
Assignment: Locate and contact one professional who holds a job in an industry, company or career path that interests you. I prefer that you conduct the informational interview in person and submit a business card which includes the contact information of the person you have chosen to interview. (Contact me for approval if you need to do phone/skype interview.) You are not permitted to interview a member of your family or an employer on NEU COOL. A 2-3 page (no less than 2 full pages, no more than 3) typed report which analyzes the interview is due in November (see dates above). Please upload your assignment to Blackboard before class, be prepared to present who you interviewed, what their job is, and what you learned in class. This will consist of a brief (1-2 minute presentation) of your research and informational interview. You may use the questions provided in this handout or develop your own. The interview should be a minimum of 20 minutes, but may last up to half an hour or an hour.
You should first conduct your research in your field of interest to gather relevant information that will help you learn about that specific field.
Remember, you are conducting the informational interview:
- To explore careers and clarify your career goals
- To discover employment opportunities that are not advertised
- To expand your professional network
- To build confidence for your job interviews
- To gain information about a career or industry that you may not know or realize
To start:
- Identify the occupation, industry or company you wish to learn about:
Assess your own interests, abilities, values, and skills. If you are still unsure, you may need to conduct some additional research to flesh out your own interests.
- Identify people to interview:
Start by networking with people you already know: friends, relatives, fellow students, present or former co-workers, supervisors, neighbors, etc.
Professional organizations, the NU alumni directory, organizational directories, and public speakers are also good resources. You may also call an organization and ask for the name of the person by job title.
- Arrange an interview:
Contact the person to set up an interview:
- By telephone
- By a letter or email followed by a telephone call, or
- By having someone who knows the person make the appointment for you
- Prepare for the interview:
Read all you can about the field/organization prior to the interview. Make sure you have researched the organization and spent some time on their website. Decide what information you would like to obtain about the occupation/industry. Prepare a list of questions that you would like to have answered. Some ideas are listed below:
- What’s your typical day like?
- What education or exams are required for this type of work?
- What personal qualities or abilities make someone successful in the job/field?
- What part of your job do you find most rewarding?
- How did you get your job?
- How do individuals advance in this field?
- What entry level jobs are best for learning as much as possible?
- What is the salary range for an entry level position in this field? (NOTE: NEVER ASK SOMEONE WHAT THEIR SALARY IS!)
- How do you see jobs in this field changing in the future?
- Is there demand for people in this occupation?
- What advice would you give a person entering this field?
- When you started in the field, how were you trained? Did you have a mentor?
- What are the basic prerequisites for jobs in this field?
- Do you regularly read the professional journals for the field or attend any organization or conference meetings?
- As a college student, how can I best gain exposure or experience in this field?
- From your perspective, what are the problems you see working in this field?
- If you could do things over again, would you choose a different path for yourself?
- What other jobs/field would you suggest I research further?
- How did your major or graduate degree prepare you for your current field?
- Is there anyone else you could recommend that I speak with regarding a career in X field? When I call him/her, may I use your name?
- Conduct the interview:
Dress appropriately, arrive on time, be polite and professional. You should also bring your resume in case the person asks about your background at the end of the interview. Refer to your list of prepared questions: stay on track, but allow for spontaneous discussion. Before leaving, ask your contact if they could suggest anyone else who might be willing to meet with you and ask permission to use your contact’s name when contacting these new contacts.
- Write your 2-3 page report analyzing the interview:
Write about the interview, providing information on what you learned, what you found most interesting and least interesting, what you found surprising, whether you would be interested in doing this person’s job someday, etc. Do not just write a play-by-play of what was said in the informational interview.
- Follow up:
Immediately following the interview, record the information gathered. Be sure to send a thank you note within a few days of the interview. NOTE: Always analyze the information you’ve gathered. Adjust your job search, resume, and career objective if necessary.
