An informational interview is a meeting with a working professional who can give you an inside view of an occupation, organization, and/or industry that is of interest to you. For this assignment you will:
identify an appropriate interviewee (email your instructor if you need assistance)
research a specific industry
schedule an interview
build a list of questions to ask during the interview
conduct the interview and take notes
send a thank you note
write a reflective report about what you learned
First, identify a working professional who can provide YOU (this is an individual assignment) a valuable, informed, and practical perspective about your potential career and the types of skills and knowledge required to succeed in that career. If you are not sure about your career plan, take this opportunity to interview someone whose career or job you find appealing. Use tools such as LinkedIn or Handshake to identify potential interviewees. The individual must work outside the University and your family.
Next, request the interview and schedule a time to meet virtually or in-person if you choose. Make use of the resource below as needed:
Sample Informational Interview Request Emails
Before the interview, it is recommended that you learn as much as possible about the interviewee, their industry, and the organization they work for. Most importantly, prepare a list of questions to ask your interviewee. Be sure to ask specific but open-ended questions and avoid vague questions such as, “Is social media useful for you?” Instead ask, “How is your organization using social media to attract new clients? What types of technical skills are necessary to effectively implement social media marketing strategies?” To formulate your questions, use the following resource 200 Great Informational Interview Questions to Choose From
When you conduct the interview, be sure to take notes to help you remember your conversation, but do not let it impede the interview pace. Throughout, ask the interviewer to clarify anything that is ambiguous. At the end of the interview, thank them for their time and request to connect with them on LinkedIn if possible.
For the final informational interview report, include the following in memo format using the topical headings below:
Professional Goals and Purpose of the Interview: in 1 paragraph describe your career interests and 2-3 specific career goals and then explain why this interviewee selection is relevant to those goals (i.e. why did you choose this person?).
Biography of the Interviewee: in 1-2 paragraphs include a brief professional biography of the individual with current job title, the company they work for, and types of job responsibilities.
Industry Overview: in 2-3 paragraphs provide an overview of the industry (such as accounting or technology) the individual works in to include market size, types of careers in the industry, nature of work in the field, types of writing and communication skills required, and other soft and hard skills needed. If the individual works in an industry that is not of interest to you or does not align with your chosen concentration area, for example is a financial analyst (a job role of interest) but in the healthcare field, then focus the industry research on finance, not healthcare, as this will be more beneficial to you. Conduct research to find 3 unique sources to support information for this section and provide in-text citations using APA formatting showing research and a list of references at the end of the assignment. A good place to start is the GMU Library BUS 303 InfoGuide: http://infoguides.gmu.edu/BUS303
Interview Summary: in 1-2 paragraphs provide a summary of your interview focusing on the most valuable information that your interviewee provided. Do not include a complete transcript of your interviewee’s responses and do not use an “I asked…and she answered…” format. Instead, paraphrase the responses in a narrative format.
Reflection: in 2-3 paragraphs synthesize 2-3 meaningful highlights or “takeaways” from the interview and reflect on their implications for your career.
Interview Questions: include a list of the 10-12 questions you asked your interviewee.
Thank You Note: include a copy of the thank you note (handwritten or emailed) that you sent to the interviewee, preferably within 24 hours of the interview.