WHAT QUESTIONS COULD I ASK DURING THE INFORMATION INTERVIEW?

1. (Background) Tell me how you got started in this field. What was your education? What educational background or related experience might be helpful in entering this field?
2. (Work Environment) What are the daily duties of your job? What are the working conditions? What skills/abilities are utilized in this work?
3. (Problems) What are the toughest problems you deal with? What problems does the organization as a whole have? What is being done to solve these problems?
4. (Life Style) What obligation does your work put on you outside the work week? How much flexibility do you have in terms of dress, work hours, vacations?
5. (Rewards) What do you find most rewarding about this work, besides the money?
6. (Salary) What salary level would a new person start with? What are the fringe benefits? What are other forms of compensation? (bonuses, commissions, securities).
7. (Potential) Where do you see yourself going in a few years? What are your long term goals?
8. (Promotional) Is turnover high? How does one move from position to position? Do people normally move to another company/division/agency? What is your policy about promotions from within? What happened to the person(s) who last held this position? How many have held this job in the last 5 years? How are employees evaluated?
9. (The Industry) What trends do you see for this industry in the next 3 to 5 years? What kind of future do you see for this organization? How much of your business is tied to (the economy, government spending, weather, supplies, etc.)?
10. (Advice) How well-suited is my background for this field? When the time comes, how would I go about finding a job in this field? What experience, paid or volunteer, would you recommend? What suggestions do you have to help make my resume more effective?
11. (Demand) What types of employers hire people in this line of work? Where are they located? What other career areas do you feel are related to your work?
12. (Hiring Decision) What are the most important factors used to hire people in this work (education, past experience, personality, special skills). Who makes the hiring decisions for your department? Who supervises the boss? When I am ready to apply for a job, who should I contact?
13. (Job Market) How do people find out about your jobs? Are they advertised in the newspaper (which ones?), on the Web? by word-of-mouth (who spreads the word?) by the personnel office?
14. (Referral to Other Information Opportunities) Can you name a relevant trade journal or magazine you would recommend I review? What professional organizations might have information about this career area?
15. (Referral to Others) Based on our conversation today, what other types of people do you believe I should talk to? Can you name a few of these people? May I have permission to use your name when I contact them?
16. Do you have any other advice for me?

 

Questions for Information Interviews
Know in advance what information and advice you hope to obtain from the interview, and develop a list of questions to take full advantage of the professional’s time. Create a friendly rapport and show respect for the person’s opinion.
Career Field

• How did you decide to enter this field?
• What do you find most rewarding about your work? Most difficult?
• What training or education is required to perform this type of work?
• Do you have a graduate degree? Is one required to be successful in this field?
• What are the greatest challenges you face in the job/organization?
• Are there alternative methods to gain entrance into the career field, such as internships, volunteer activities, or part-time work?
• What are the entry-level opportunities?
• What do you consider to be the growth areas in the field?
• What related careers might Iconsider?

Organization

• What formal or on-the-job training does the organization provide?
• Considering my skills, interests, and academic background, where do you see me fitting into organizations similar to this one?
• What is a typical career path within this organization?

Lifestyle and Work Environment

• What takes place during a typical work day/week?
• What obligations does your job place upon you outside the normal work week?
• How much flexibility do you have in terms of dress, hours of work, and vacation schedule?
• What do you find most rewarding and/or most difficult about your work?

Job Search

• How does one learn about job opportunities in this field?
• If you were entering the job market today, how would you plan your job search?
• Can you suggest others whom Icould speak with about this field? May I have permission to use your name when I contact them?

 

 

General Questions About the Career Field:

1. What are the various jobs available in this field?
2. What is the employment outlook? How much demand is there for people in this career?
3. What are the typical entry-level job titles and functions?
4. What skills or personal characteristics do you feel contribute most to success in this industry?
5. What entry-level jobs offer the best opportunities for learning?

Questions About the Employer:

1. What products or services are in the development stage now?
2. What kinds of assignments might I expect in the first six months/one year on the job?
3. In what ways is a career with your company better than one with your competitors?
4. Given the dynamics of the industry, how do you see the company evolving over the next five years?
5. What types of training does your organization provide?

Questions About Your Contact's Job:

1. What specifically do you do? What are your duties and responsibilities?
2. Describe some of most challenging situations you have faced in this job.
3. What do you find most satisfying? Least satisfying?
4. Which other departments, functional units, or levels do you regularly interact with?
5. What projects have you worked on have been particularly interesting?

Questions About Preparation for the Career Field:

1. What educational preparation do you recommend?
2. Is prior experience necessary and, if so, what kind?
3. If you were a college student again, what would you do differently to prepare for this job?

Questions About Your Contact's Career Path:

1. In what way did this type of work interest you and how did you get started?
2. What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position?
3. What are related jobs for which your background would prepare you?
4. Where do you go from here in your career?
5. If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? Why? What would you change?

Questions About Organizational Culture:

1. What do you like most about this company?
2. What kinds of behavior are rewarded?
3. How would you describe the atmosphere at the company? Is it formal or more laid-back?
4. What values are most treasured here; what is the company's vision statement?
5. How does the company recognize the contributions of outstanding employees?

Questions About Opportunities for Advancement:

1. What are the advancement opportunities?
2. How long does it take to move from one step to the next?
3. What is the typical career path for someone in this field?
4. Where could I expect to be in three years/ five years?
5. What is the highest position that someone can hold in this career?

Seeking General Advice and Referrals:

1. Do you know of other people whom I might contact who have jobs similar to yours?
2. What do you wish you had known before you entered this field?
3. What kinds of experience, paid or unpaid, would you encourage for anybody pursuing a career in this field?
4. How would you assess the experience I've had so far in terms of the requirements for this field?
5. If you were conducting a job search today, how would you go about it?

Questions You May Be Asked
In an information interview, it is not uncommon for your contact to reverse roles and ask questions of you. Following are some basic questions for which you should be prepared.

• Tell me about yourself.
• How did you become interested in this career field?
• What do you know about this field or about this organization?
• What skills can you bring to this field/job?
• What have you learned from your work experiences or coursework that leads you to this field?

Closing the Information Interview
Be considerate of your contact by being careful not to go over your allotted time without their encouragement. You may say something like, "Well, it looks like I have time for one last question". Your interviewee can then either end your interview with the question, or invite you to ask additional questions. One of the last questions you should always be prepared to ask is to request the names of additional people you can add to your network of contacts. This is especially important if your goal is to obtain more job leads and contacts in the field. Also, ask for a business card and inquire whether they would mind if you stayed in contact with them. Finally, thank the interviewee for their time, and always follow-up with a thank-you letter, either by mail or by e-mail.