2 pages, double spaced

Interview a Professional Prompt

Conducting an informational interview with a professional currently working in a career field that interests you. You are not permitted to interview parents or other close family members, but you are welcome to interview family friends/colleagues. Interviews can be done either over-the-phone or in-person, and they should last approximately 20-30 minutes. You are encouraged to consider the questions below, but you will likely need to include additional questions of your own to gather enough information for the assignment.

• How long have you worked in this field? Where else have you worked? Did you make a career change at any point in your life?
• What is your educational background? What did you do in college to prepare for the professional world?
• How did you become interested in this field?
• What is your current position title, and what do you do in your role? What are the typical work hours, responsibilities, etc.?
• What skills, abilities, and personal attributes are essential to success in this field?
• What is something you encountered that you didn’t expect when pursuing this career path?
• What advice would you give your younger self?

Once you have conducted your interview, you will complete a 2-page report (double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 pt. font, and 1-inch margins) that includes two parts:

• A breakdown of the interview, itself. This can either be in Q&A format or paragraph form. (1-page minimum)
• Your thoughts following the interview. What did you learn? What piece(s) of information will stick with you the most? Does their position/career path still interest you? Do you have any concerns about following a similar path? How does this interview relate to what you wrote in the My Path Paper? Are you more confident or confused about your future after this conversation? (1-page minimum)

You will also send your interviewee a mock follow-up email thanking them for their time.