Essay- Informational Interview
ASSIGNMENT: Interview someone who currently has a job you are interested in so you can find out more about what that job is really like. Alternatively, you can make an appointment with a career counselor to help you locate a possible field of interest. You will turn in a 2-3 page essay which describes and explains the key points of the interview. It will also include an introductory and concluding paragraph (detailed below).
Option 1: If you feel strongly that you know the job you want after graduation, this assignment will help you to learn more about this possible career. Your assignment must include a description of the job. This description needs to be more detailed than 'an entrepreneur. What kind of entrepreneur? Which type of company? What types of things would you like to be responsible for? Etc. The more detailed you ore in your description, the more points you will earn.
Interview someone who currently has this job (or as close as you can get.) Interviewing in person is ideal, but phone interviews are acceptable if you can't arrange to meet in person.
Sample Interview Questions: Option 1:
1. What is a typical day like for you?
2. Which characteristics does someone with this job need?
3. What is the salary range for this position?
4. What do you find most satisfying/least satisfying about your work?
5. What can I be doing now to prepare myself for this position?
Option 2: Interview or set up a consultation with a career center counselor so you can learn more about which fields or majors might suit you. Set up your appointment NOW. Appointments book up several weeks in advance.
FOR BOTH OPTIONS:
1. Begin your essay with your description (option 1) OR your survey of interests (option 2). Next, introduce who your interviewee is, and what they do. In the rest of the paper you should explain what you learned during your interview. You can use direct quotes from your subject or you can paraphrase him or her. Do not include a transcript of the interview.
2. Include a discussion about how some of your strengths from the StrenthsQuest survey complement this job (option 1) or prospective field of study (option 2).
3. Conclude your paper by explaining what you will do with this new information. For instance, did you find a potential major? Are you more or less interested in the job you researched, etc.
4. Include a Work Cited page. Your source is the person you interviewed, plus any Internet sources you used. Internet sources are not required.