Goal
One of the best sources for gathering information about what’s happening in an occupation or an industry is to talk to people working in the field. This process is called informational or research 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.
GOOD REASONS FOR CONDUCTING AN INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW
to explore careers and clarify your career goal
to discover employment opportunities that are not advertised
to expand your professional network
to build confidence for your job interviews
to access the most up-to-date career information
to identify your professional strengths and weaknesses
Instructions
STEPS TO CONDUCT AND INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW
Identify the Occupation or Industry You Wish to Learn About Assess your own interests, abilities, values, and skills, and evaluate labor conditions and trends to identify the best fields to research.
Prepare for the Interview Read all you can about the field prior to the interview. Decide what information you would like to obtain about the occupation/industry. Prepare a list of questions that you would like to have answered.
Identify People to Interview Start with lists of people you already know – friends, relatives, fellow students, present or former co-workers, supervisors, neighbors, etc… Professional organizations, the yellow pages, 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 the Interview Contact the person to set up an interview: o by telephone, o by a letter followed by a telephone call, or o by having someone who knows the person make the appointment for you.
Conduct the Interview Dress appropriately, arrive on time, be polite and professional. Refer to your list of prepared questions; stay on track, but allow for spontaneous discussion. Before leaving, ask your contact to suggest names of others who might be helpful to you and ask permission to use your contact’s name when contacting these new contacts.
Follow Up Immediately following the interview, record the information gathered. Be sure to send a thank-you note to your contact within one week of the interview.
NOTE: Always analyze the information you’ve gathered. Adjust your job search, resume, and career objective if necessary.
QUESTIONS
Prepare a list of your own questions for your informational interview. Here are some good questions to consider and use. You choose the questions you want to ask for the information you want to gather and learn about the career and person in the job.
On a typical day in this position, what do you do?
What training or education is required for this type of work?
What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful in this job?
What part of this job do you find most satisfying? most challenging?
How did you get your job?
What opportunities for advancement are there in this field?
What entry level jobs are best for learning as much as possible?
What are the salary ranges for various levels in this field?
How do you see jobs in this field changing in the future?
Is there a demand for people in this occupation?
What special advice would you give a person entering this field?
What types of training do companies offer persons entering this field?
What are the basic prerequisites for jobs in this field?
Which professional journals and organizations would help me learn more about this field?
What do you think of the experience I’ve had so far in terms of entering this field?
From your perspective, what are the problems you see working in this field?
If you could do things all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? Why? What would you change?
With the information you have about my education, skills, and experience, what other fields or jobs would you suggest I research further before I make a final decision?
What do you think of my resume? Do you see any problem areas? How would you suggest I change it?
Who do you know that I should talk to next? When I call him/her, may I use your name?
You can interview a teacher, relative, friend, friend of a friend, and much more. If you are having trouble finding someone to interview, go to a department on your school campus and interview a professor in the field.
You can conduct your interview remotely via Zoom. It is okay to do more than one interview (this is encouraged). Get creative! You have options to complete this assignment:
WRITE A ONE-PAGE REFLECTION OR CREATE A VIDEO OF THE PERSON AND CAREER FIELD YOU INTERVIEWED:
Who did you interview? What is their job title?
What does a day in the life look like? Was it similar to your expectations?
What steps would you need to take to get there from where you are now?
What types of work-experience or internships would be valuable as you are working toward your final goal?
What is the salary range of the job you chose?
What are some aspects of the job that are most appealing to you? What aspects of the job do you think you would find most challenging or unappealing?
What surprised you?
How did you feel going in to the interview? How do you feel about it now?
Did you find this assignment to be valuable? Why or why not?
Submission
Upload your Informational Interview document to Canvas. (You have the option to upload something different than a paper. For example, you can do a PowerPoint Presentation OR Video OR audio podcast, if you prefer. If you choose to do a video/audio, this must be a video/audio of the interview. Feel free to post a Youtube link in the comment section if you decide to create a video. Get creative in your Informational Interview.
THIS IS MY ANSWER BUT THE TEACHER COMMENTED ON IT
INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW REFLECTION
INTRODUCTION OF THE INTERVIEWEE
I had the opportunity to interview Jordan Smith, who works as a Project Manager at GreenTech Innovations. They were incredibly generous with their time and gave me a detailed look into their career. Their role involves coordinating project timelines, managing client communications, and leading teams through various stages of development. I was curious about the day-to-day responsibilities and was excited to learn about the pathways they took to get where they are now.
DAILY RESPONSIBILITIES AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
A typical day for Jordan involves overseeing multiple project schedules, facilitating communication between departments, and problem-solving any issues that arise along the way. This was fairly similar to what I expected, though I was surprised by how much time they dedicate to negotiating project priorities with both clients and internal teams. Hearing them explain the nuances of their work helped me understand the mix of skills required—both technical and interpersonal—to manage a project effectively.
STEPS TO ENTER THIS FIELD
To enter this field, Jordan recommended focusing on building strong communication and organizational skills, along with knowledge of project management software like Asana or Trello. They emphasized the importance of gaining experience through internships in project coordination or similar roles. Knowing this has made me realize that adding project management software skills to my resume would be a great addition as I work toward this career.
APPEALING AND CHALLENGING ASPECTS OF THE JOB
What appeals to me most about this career is the dynamic environment and the problem-solving aspect, which Jordan also finds satisfying. They shared that it’s rewarding to see a project come together after months of hard work and teamwork. However, they mentioned that time management and balancing client expectations can be challenging, especially when dealing with tight deadlines. I appreciate that they were honest about both sides of the job since it gives me a clearer picture of what to expect.
SALARY INSIGHTS
When we talked about salary, Jordan shared that the range in this field can vary widely depending on experience and specialization. For entry-level roles, the starting salary is modest but increases with experience, especially if one moves into senior management. Knowing that the salary range can grow as you gain more experience was encouraging, but it also showed me that competition for higher roles can be intense and may require additional certifications or training.
SURPRISING INSIGHTS AND OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
One thing that surprised me was how important emotional intelligence is in project management. Jordan mentioned that understanding team dynamics and responding to people’s needs can make or break a project. I hadn’t considered how central this skill is, but it made me realize how valuable it would be to develop my interpersonal skills further. Going into the interview, I was a bit nervous, but afterward, I felt inspired and more confident in exploring this path further. The interview made me realize that this field could be a great fit for me, especially if I build the right foundation with the experience they suggested.
VALUE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
Overall, I found this assignment extremely valuable. The experience taught me not only about the career itself but also about how networking and informational interviews can give you insights that aren’t always available through online research. Talking to someone directly helped clarify my career goals and gave me a better understanding of the steps I need to take to achieve them.
Last Completed Projects
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