Uaa career services · RH 122 · (907) 786-4513

Handout number 7

Occupational information interviewing

The best way to obtain information about an occupation is to talk with somebody doing the job. The information is generally more up-to-date and detailed than one can find in a book or pamphlet.

Most individuals really enjoy being interviewed about what they do at work, especially if you are genuinely interested. An occupational information interview also gives you the opportunity to ask questions about specific areas of interest to you and obtain the amount of detail that may not be in a book.

This handout discusses:

· how to locate a person to interview

· how to set up the interview

· tips on how to conduct a successful interview

· ways to overcome anxiety

· the benefits of interviewing for occupational information

· suggested questions and areas of questioning

An additional resource, for you (available in RH 122) is:

Stoodley, M. (1990). Information Interviewing: What It Is and How To Use It In Your Career. Garrett Park, MD: Garrett Press.

CAREER SERVICES

Handouts

  1. Job Search Strategies
  2. Resume Writing
  3. Letters for the Job Search Process
  4. Interview Skills
  5. Planning Successful Interview Trips
  6. Legal/Illegal Interview Questions
  7. Occupational Information Interviewing
  8. Seeing a Career Counselor – What to Expect
  9. Using the Career Resource Lab
  10. Internship and Summer Job Search
  11. Applying to Graduate or Professional Schools
  12. The Federal Government Hiring Process
  13. Job Searching on the World Wide Web
  14. Networking
  15. AKCIS Computer Assisted Guidance

Other Services

  1. Individual Career Advising
  2. AKCIS Computer Assisted Guidance
  3. Resume Preparation and Interview Skills Presentations
  4. Internships
  5. On-Campus Recruiting and Interviews

FOR ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE AND INFORMATION

PLEASE VISIT RH 122

UAA is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission, and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance or qualifications as determined by university policy or by state or federal authorities. UAA does not discriminate against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Direct all affirmative action inquires to the Campus Diversity and Compliance Office, 3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508 (907) 786-4680

When necessary, this publication will be made available in alternative formats. Please contact the Career Services Center Director to let us know how we can accommodate your needs.

INTERVIEWING FOR OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION

WHAT IS AN OCCUPATION INFORMATION INTERVIEW?

Ideally, it is a 30 to 60 minute meeting at the work place of an individual whose job you are interested in learning about. You have the opportunity to ask questions about the work tasks, work environment, the person’s background, and how he or she obtained that job.

WHY NOT JUST READ OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION?

· Written information must be general, in order to give a representative description of the type of work, whereas each individual’s job is unique.

· No written material is 100% up-to-date.

· You can get answers to specific questions, see the work place, and look at examples of projects and paperwork there, obtaining a great deal of insight and information.

BENEFITS OF INTERVIEWING FOR OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION

· It helps you decide what type of work and setting you prefer. You’ll feel more self-confident and prepared for job interviews later.

· You will have an easier time tailoring your resume to your career objective, since you have more job information.

· You have made at least one contact that may help you get a job later.

WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF PERSON TO INTERVIEW?

· Someone who is actually doing or has recently done the type of job you want to know about can generally give you the most information, as well as the most accurate, detailed impression of what you might expect to be doing the first few years.

· Don’t overlook individuals, such as professors, who are not presently employed in the field but who may have had such a position in the past or learned about the work from contact with others.

LOCATING A PERSON TO INTERVIEW

Contact Method

This tends to be easier but can sometimes be more time consuming, because the goal is to make contact with someone who can give you the name of a good person to interview.

· Ask family, friends, neighbors, professors, employers, and anyone else you can think of:

“Do you know a (computer programmer, journalist, accountant…) I could talk to about his/her job?”

or

“Do you know anyone who works at (specific place) whom I could contact to discuss the (computer programming, journalism, accounting…) field?”

· Go where a company representative is speaking and ask if that person can give you a lead. (Watch for club speakers. For example, the Marketing Club invites recruiters to give talks about their companies.)

Direct Method

This involves writing, calling, or visiting the company in order to find someone whose job is of interest to you. You can, if calling, get the number of the department where the job is located and ask the secretary for a referral. If you are unsure of the department or job title, you can ask someone in Human Resources where an individual doing the kind of work you are interested in is located.

SETTING UP THE INTERVIEW

· Briefly introduce yourself – name, that you are considering ______as a career, and that you would appreciate a 30 to 60 minute appointment in order to ask some questions about what the person’s job involves.

· Stress that this is NOT A JOB INTERVIEW. Reiterate your need for occupational information, if you are told that no jobs are available. Since people expect students to be looking for employment, they may not hear you correctly at first.

· If you start with a letter, don’t automatically expect a reply. Instead, remember that people are very busy, and call 7 to 10 days after the arrival of your letter, to ask for an appointment. You should refer to the letter in a positive manner. Never say thing like “Since you didn’t answer my letter, I am calling…”

DO I TAKE A RESUME?

Not necessarily. You don’t want to communicate that your purpose is merely to obtain a job interview. However, if you have a resume, it can be an effective method of showing the person your background.

You may want to ask the person to review your resume and provide feedback on how it is written and what you have included.

TIPS ON HOW TO CONDUCT A SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW

· Prepare ahead of time. Write out questions and don’t be afraid to refer to them. Remember, you are the interviewer.

· Keep the yes/no questions to a minimum. You want to stimulate discussion rather than a series of short answers.

· Never start with “Tell me about your job.” That is such a broad question that the person usually doesn’t know where to begin. A more focused question, such as “What do you do during a typical workday?” helps focus the answer.

· Follow-up general responses, such as “I handle personnel disputes,” with requests for examples so you get more specific information and aren’t later left guessing what the person meant.

· Take notes. You’ll be surprised how much you will forget!

· Ask for a tour of the building and examples of the person’s work. Take note of the work environment – the dress, ways people communicate, etc.

· Send a THANK YOU LETTER. The person will appreciate hearing from you, and you will leave a much better impression of yourself and UAA.

· Be yourself – conversational and amiable – to make this an enjoyable experience.

WAYS TO OVERCOME ANXIETY

Since you have probably never done this sort of thing before, don’t be surprised if you feel pretty anxious. That’s normal, but try not to let it stop you! Students who complete the process in spite of their fears report that their anxiety decreased phenomenally after the first interview or two, because they discovered that people usually enjoy the opportunity to talk about their work. One student found that the engineer who was brusk on the phone when making the appointment was extremely friendly and provided very helpful information in person.

Her are some ways to overcome being nervous:

· Start with “low threat” people, such as family, friends or a professor with whom you feel at ease.

· Practice interviewing someone you don’t know in an area of interest where you have less to lose, such as a hobby (antiquing, riding, or sailing).

· Keep reminding yourself that most people DO enjoy the break in their routine that talking about their work provides.

· That old adage, “be prepared!” applies here. Read a little about the place ahead of time, if possible,. Know yourself, your abilities, interests, work values. This will help you choose the job(s) you want to learn about, formulate meaningful questions, and tell a bit about yourself if the other person asks about you.

SOME SUGGESTED QUESTIONS

A. About the job itself:

What do you do during a typical workday?

What aspects of your job take the most time?

What do you like most/find most interesting about your work?

What do you like least about your job?

What kinds of problems do you face? find most difficult?

What skills/abilities do you find are most important in your work?

What other career areas do you feel are related to your work?

Can you name a relevant trade journal or magazine you would recommend I review to learn more about the field?

What is the typical work environment like for a person in this career area? What does the step or position above the one you hold now involve?

How long does it usually take to move from one step to the next in this career path?

Are there other areas of this field to which people in it may be transferred?

What are they?

What are the basic prerequisites for jobs in the field?

Are there any specific courses a student might take that would be particularly beneficial in this field?

What entry level jobs qualify one for this field?

What special advice would you give to a person entering this field?

Is there a demand for people in this field?

Do you view this field as a growing one?

What is the best way to obtain a position that will start me on a career in this field?

May I read job descriptions and specifications for some of the positions in this field?

How much flexibility does one typically have regarding:

innovation life-style

self-expression working with colleagues (co-workers)

hours of work decision-making (authority)

NOTE: You will also need to ask follow-up questions to get more detail or ask questions to find out specific details about aspects you are interested in such as, “Does your job require very much writing? What do you have to write?”

B. About the person:

What is your educational background?

How did you get started in this field?

What jobs did you have prior to this one?

What best prepared you for this job?

What are you future career plans?

C. About your career planning and/or job search:

Would you recommend any further courses or extracurricular activities to help prepare me for this field or make me more marketable?

How suited is my background for this field (education, interests, experiences, personality)?

How could I find out about openings? In the newspaper (which ones?), by word-of-mouth (who spreads the word?), by the personnel office (how and where?)

Do you have any suggestions of other people doing this kind of work with whom I could talk? May I please mention that you referred me?

Do you have any other advice or suggestions?

CAUTION: DON’T GENERALIZE!

Remember, work environments and jobs differ tremendously from one place to another. Therefore, you need to avoid forming an opinion about the entire field based on only one person’s liability and job description.

After the interview, take some time to think about what you learned – your positive and negative impressions, the requirements of the job and your interests. Then make an appointment to talk with someone else in the field.