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.
REASONS TO CONDUCT INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS:
- 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
STEPS TO FOLLOW TO CONDUCT AN 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: by telephone, by a letter followed by a telephone call, or 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.
Get That Gig: a web site where you can chat and gather career information for your I-Search paper
NOTE: Always analyze the information you've gathered. Adjust your job search, resume, and career objective if necessary.
Telephone script for Requesting Informational Interviews:
Hello, my name is _____________ and I am a freshmen/sophomore/junior/senior at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. I am currently enrolled in a freshmen class that encourages us to explore different types of careers. I'm considering a career in _________ and would like to learn as much as I can about the field. I was wondering if I could schedule a time to talk with you for about 10-20 minutes to ask you a few questions about your career?
20 QUESTIONS!
Prepare a list of your own questions for your informational interview. Following are some sample questions:
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On a typical day in this position, what do you do?
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What training or education is required for this type of work?
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What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful in this job?
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What part of this job do you find most satisfying? most challenging?
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How did you get your job?
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What opportunities for advancement are there in this field?
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What entry level jobs are best for learning as much as possible?
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What are the salary ranges for various levels in this field?
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How do you see jobs in this field changing in the future?
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Is there a demand for people in this occupation?
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What special advice would you give a person entering this field?
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What types of training do companies offer persons entering this field?
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What are the basic prerequisites for jobs in this field?
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Which professional journals and organizations would help me learn more about this field?
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What do you think of the experience I've had so far in terms of entering this field?
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From your perspective, what are the problems you see working in this field?
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If you could do things all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? Why? What would you change?
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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?
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What do you think of my resume? Do you see any problem areas? How would you suggest I change it?
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Who do you know that I should talk to next? When I call him/her, may I use your
name?
This section should include only your name and contact information. Personal information that is not job related should NOT be included, i.e. age, race, marital status, gender, religious affiliation, national origin, etc.
Students should provide their current address and telephone number, as well as their home address and telephone number. Be sure to include your email address too.
The objective is the thesis of your resume. It tells the employer what it is you want and the sometimes the reason why you should have it.
Be as focused and succinct as you can, but broad enough to include other opportunities.
The following examples are typical:
Summer internship related to the accounting field
Social Work position utilizing communication and interpersonal skills
Position in health care industry including customer service with patients, families and the general public
Part-time position involving retail sales and customer support
Computer support position with opportunities for database administration and web page development
Name the type of degree you are pursuing, followed by the university, city, state, and your expected graduation date.
As a first year student, you can then list your high school, city, state, and date your diploma was awarded.
List cumulative GPAs if above 3.0. List top of GPA scale, i.e., 3.30/4.0.
On separate line, state if you are financing a percentage of your college expenses through part-time or full-time employment.
For First Year Students who may not have much actual work experience or educational background to relate to job objectives, courses recently completed may be worth mentioning. Listing relevant courses also would be important when your job objective is in a field other than your major. For instance, if you are pursuing a degree in business but are applying for a position as a computer programmer, you would want to account for your computer experience. First Year Students can list college courses taken, as well as high school courses taken during the past couple of years.
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List only courses that have some relevance to your job objective
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List only three or four courses
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Do not include course numbers or course descriptions
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Put them in a bulleted list that is easily read
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Do not include the courses as "filler" material (if they are not important to the resume, do not include them)
The skills section allows you to emphasize the 'tools' you bring with you to the job. The abilities you already have that an employer will not have to spend time and money to teach. Do not think of skills entirely as acquired technical abilities. Think of them also in realm of ability to communicate with others. In addition to computer skills, include organizational, communication, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
Examples:
- Microsoft Office, including Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint & Access
- HTML, C, C++, SPSS and Java
- Manage time, academic and work responsibilities in effective manner
- Interact well with subordinates, peers and superiors
- Creative problem solver and analytical thinker
RELEVANT AND OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE
Your experience is the heart of your resume. It showcases your work history and informs the reader of your ability to accomplish work objectives. Experience can be divided into two categories, and listed under separate headings.
Relevant Experience:
- Includes work history that is directly related to your current job objective
- Use this section to highlight any related experience you have acquired
- Can include experience gained through summer, part-time, internship or volunteer experiences
- Should proceed Other Work section on your resume
Other Work:
- Includes work history that is not directly related to your current job objective
- Can illustrate your work ethic and ability to plan and achieve work-oriented goals. This is impressive to an employer, even if your experience is not directly related to that employer's current needs.
Format:
The format for Relevant Experience and Other Work is the same:
- On the first line, state your job title
- On the next line, list your employer's name, followed by the city and state
- Jobs are listed beginning with the present employer and continuing in reverse chronological order
- Describe briefly any accomplishments or results of your employment. Use phrases rather than full sentences, starting with Power Verbs. Click here to see a list of Power Verbs.
http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/career/powerverbs.htm
- Quantify your duties with percentages, figures, volume or customer satisfaction
This section allows you to highlight any involvement or leadership in campus or community activities. First Year Students can include high school activities. Format your activities the same as your Work Experience.
Many employers contact your references to confirm their hiring decision or explore any concerns. Identify people who can talk about you as a student or a worker.
- Obtain permission before using someone as a reference
- Choose references who can honestly confirm information provided in your resume
- Whenever possible, talk with your reference what you would like him/her to emphasize with a prospective employer
- Preference should be given to former employers, supervisors or teachers
- Don’t list less than three nor more than five references
- A properly listed reference will include the reference’s name, job title, address, phone number, and email address, if appropriate
- Present references in the same typeface and on the same paper as your resume and cover letter
- You also could just note on your resume that 'references are available upon request'
- Always take a copy of your references to your interview
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