Follow the advice for conducting an informational interview outlined in this chapter. Contact a person you’d like to speak with, and tell him or her that you’d like to spend 20 to 30 minutes asking questions to learn more about the person’s career. Review the interview questions in Table 13.1 (see below) and bring them to the interview. To aid your memory, take notes on the person’s responses to your questions. During your interview, pay close attention to the time, and don’t go over. At the end, thank the interviewee for his or her time, and send a follow-up thank-you note or e-mail.
| What kinds of tasks do you perform in a typical week? |
| How does this career affect your lifestyle? |
| What are some of the more difficult or frustrating parts of this career? |
| What are the best parts of your job? |
| Is this career changing? How? |
| Do you usually work independently or as part of a team? |
| Do you have any advice regarding how someone interested in this career should prepare? |
| What types of advacement opportunities are available for an entry-level worker in this career? |
| What is the average starting salary for someone in this career? |
Then, after the interview, write down your responses to the following questions: