Past due
Seek out someone important in your life who has been in the workforce for 5-10 years (off campus.) Some examples might be a family member, a family friend, a teacher or mentor. Contact them and ask if you can interview them, in person, about their current work, and the career path that brought them to where they are now. Allow 20-30 minutes to talk with them. Some suggested questions are attached, but the best questions are the ones you come up with yourself! Write a one-page summary (500-600 words) of what you learned from your Informational Interview. Use the following prompts to guide your writing, but please respond in paragraph format and not in Q & A format. To submit, click on the underlined assignment title above, which will advance you to the next page.
• Briefly describe the person you interviewed: name, relationship to you or how you found this person, where they work, and a description of the work they do (not just their position title) • Explain why you chose to interview this person and how their work or career path aligns with your core interests. • What did you find most interesting about their story and why? • Can you see yourself doing work that is similar to their work? Why or why not? • Were you surprised by anything they shared about their work or career path? Explain. • Describe any impact this interview has had on your own ideas about interests or careers. • What is one piece of advice you can take away from this interview Suggested questions • Where were you at my age?
• How did you get to where you are today? • Were you ever scared or unsure? • Did you ever feel like you were pressured to conform? • How do you deal with uncertainty and ambiguity in your life? • What exactly is “success” to you? • Are you happy? • When have you failed? • What do you wish you knew when you were my age? • How did you turn beliefs into action? Other Suggested Questions • What is your favorite aspect of your current job? • What is your least favorite aspect? • What is the most challenging aspect of your job? • What is one skill you use frequently in your work? • What is one skill you did not anticipate using? • How did you figure out that this is what you wanted to do? • What are some suggestions you have for gaining experience in this work?
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