Assignment: Informational interviewing
Objective: You will learn how to schedule, prepare for, and hold an informational interview
Instructions:
1. Identify someone from whom you would like to request an informational interview. For example, this can be someone who has worked in the field of your choice or at a company you are interested in:
a. A alumni,
b. A Professor,
c. A more senior classmate,
d. An entrepreneur from whom you’d like to learn to further build your business,
e. A professional you identify using First Hand (See PDF on how to use this system)
f. Other
2. Contact that person via email or phone call, requesting a 30 minute phone call or meeting. Use the wording mentioned in class. (Get wording from your Practice Team members if you were absent.)
3. Schedule the meeting with enough time to ensure that you can meet your assignment deadline. No extensions will be granted on the deadline, so make sure that your contact can speak before the deadline. Should your contact not be available during this timeframe, seek out someone else.
4. Prepare for the informational interview:
a. Fill out Interview Preparation Worksheet for Candidates
b. From the Informational Interviewing Worksheet, identify the questions that you will ask your contact
5. During the interview, takes notes on the Informational Interviewing Worksheet.
6. Send a Thank You email to your contact.
How to submit your assignment:
1. Type in your name everywhere that’s required (in blue)
2. Complete the forms as instructed
3. Type in your answers. Do not turn in handwritten notes
4. Print out:
a. Your email requesting a meeting
b. Your assignment forms: Grading Sheet, Interview Preparation Worksheet for Candidates and Informational Interviewing Worksheet
c. Your Thank You email to your contact
5. You will have a total of 6 sheets
6. Staple the 6 sheets in the following order:
a. Grading Sheet
b. Your email requesting a meeting
c. Your completed Interview Preparation Worksheet for Candidates
d. Your completed Informational Interviewing Worksheet
e. Your Thank You email to your contact
7. Scan your papers, if necessary, and upload through Blackboard by the deadline. No assignments will be accepted late.
8. Turn a hard copy in class on the deadline.
Note: This exercise is intended to develop both your verbal and written communication skills in addition with providing you with the opportunity of learning more about your chosen field. Do not email the list of questions to your interviewee and ask him/her to fill it out. No points will be granted if the answers appear to have been typed by the interviewee.
Student Name: _____
Assignment: Informational Interviewing
(Leave this sheet blank. To be filled in by TA if graded by hand.)
Comments | Points possible | Points earned | |
Request for a meeting
· Clarity and effectiveness of communication |
2 | ||
Quality of information gathered during the interview | 4 | ||
Thank You email | 2 | ||
Total | 8 |
Worksheet: Interview Preparation for Candidates Student Name: ______
What do I know about the company? | What do I know about my interviewee? |
What do I know about the job? | How am I a fit for the job? |
Student Name: ______________ Name of contact ______________________________
Harvard ManageMentor — CAREER MANAGEMENT TOOLS | |||
Informational Interviewing Worksheet | |||
Use this form to help you prepare for an informational interview. | |||
Discussion with: | Date: | ||
Objectives | |||
What do you really want to get out of this interview? What would make it successful for you? | |||
Marketplace | |||
What are your projections for this type of work or industry? Is it stable, growing, declining? | |||
What are the key trends or issues? New developments? Key challenges? | |||
What and where are the opportunities? | |||
What are typical salaries in this type of job, entry-level to experienced? What are the opportunities for career growth? | |||
Entry into Position | |||
When and how did you get involved in this work? | |||
What was your training and background? Is this typical for people in your position and in similar positions? | |||
How important are specific credentials for entry or success? | |||
Job Specifics | |||
What’s a typical day like for you or someone in a similar position? | |||
What do you like most about your work? | |||
What do you like least? | |||
What talents or skills do you think are the most crucial to success in this work? | |||
What attitudes or values are important? | |||
Who doesn’t do well in this type of work? | |||
How do you advance or get promoted in this type of work? | |||
Recommendations | |||
Would my background be appropriate for this type of work? | |||
What would you recommend I do if I want to go into this type of work? | |||
Are there other jobs similar to yours that you would suggest I also consider? | |||
Can you recommend other people I can talk to, or other resources I can check out? | |||
Knowing what you do now, would you approach this career (or job) in the same way? If not, what would you do differently, and why? | |||
© 2004 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. |