BUS 303
Assignment 3
Fall 2021
Assignment 3: Informational Interview
Deliverables (combine these into one document)
A 2-3 page, single-spaced report about your interview, written in memo format
An APA-style reference list
A list of interview questions
A copy of the thank you note emailed to the interviewee
Due Date and Submission Instructions
Due Sunday, November 14th, by 11:59pm–
You will submit your final report to a link in Module 12 (Week 12) of Blackboard.
You will be also be asked to submit a bulleted list of your 2-3 take-aways to our Blackboard discussion board for your classmates to view, in addition to submitting your final report for grading. More on this to come during Week 12.
Learning Goals
Learn to identify appropriate sources of career information
Gain experience contacting and persuading a professional to meet with you
Expand your knowledge of your profession and industry
Practice active listening in an interview setting
Learn how to synthesize and organize relevant information
Become familiar with the professional memo format
Assignment Summary
An informational interview is a meeting with a working professional who can give you an inside view of an occupation, organization, and/or industry that is of interest to you. You will identify an appropriate interviewee; research their industry; schedule an interview; build a list of appropriate questions; conduct an interview and take notes; email a thank you note; and write a reflective report about what you learned and how it applies to your professional future.
Your interviewee should be a person with at least five years of professional experience and someone you have not interviewed before for other Mason assignments. As this assignment is meant to help build your network, you may not interview Mason professors, current colleagues, friends, or family members. This person should be new to your network.
Assignment Details
The first 2-3 pages of your assignment, formatted as a memo to your professor and typed single-spaced, should include:
Your Professional Goals and the Purpose of the Interview (1 paragraph): Briefly describe your career interests and 2-3 career goals and then explain why this interviewee is relevant to those goals.
Biography of Interviewee (1-2 paragraphs): Sum up the interviewee’s professional biography, including his/her professional background, current title and responsibilities, organization, and a summary of the interviewee’s career journey, from beginning to date.
Industry Overview (2-3 paragraphs, based on research): Provide an overview of the industry (not your interviewee’s company), including market size, types of careers in the industry, nature of work in the field, types of writing and communication skills required, and other skills needed. Incorporate information from both the interview and additional research you have done. Use 3-5 sources of information for this section and provide in-text citations using APA formatting. (You will also provide a list of references at the end of the paper.) A good place to start your research is the GMU Library BUS 303 InfoGuide: http://infoguides.gmu.edu/BUS303
Interview Process (2 paragraphs): What worked well with the process of preparing for and conducting your informational interview? Why? What didn’t work well? Why?
Reflection (2-3 paragraphs): This is the most important part of your memo. Synthesize 2-3 meaningful highlights or “take-aways” from the interview and reflect on their implications for your career.
Next, include the following items as three separate pages at the back of your memo:
Interview Questions: A list of 10-12 questions you thoughtfully prepared prior to the interview, in the order that you intended to ask them. (It’s okay if you don’t end up asking them exactly as you planned—but it’s important to have a list.) You need to write these questions yourself; do not plagiarize a list of questions from the internet. Think about what you would really like to know from this person. One question you should definitely ask is, “What are employers in your industry looking for in new college graduates?”
Thank You Note: A copy of the emailed thank you note that you sent to the interviewee, preferably within 24 hours of the interview. (Make sure it’s the sent version.)
Reference List: A list of 3-5 sources you used for your industry overview. Be sure to use APA formatting.
Audience
Your primary audience for this memo is your professor. The Blackboard discussion board is for you and your classmates.
Evaluation Criteria
Was the interviewee thoughtfully selected based on the career goals articulated, and did the person meet the criteria of an appropriate person to interview?
Did the author effectively synthesize relevant information about the interviewee, the organization, and the industry?
Did the author provide appropriate industry research?
Did the author demonstrate thoughtful reflection about the interview process and include both successes and challenges of conducting the interview?
Did the author effectively summarize the most important interview findings and reflect on the applications of those findings to his/her career?
Was the report written as a professional memo in the specified format, with topical headings by section?
Were the interview questions purposeful, logical, and carefully crafted?
Was the emailed thank you note timely, thoughtful, and professional?
Was the writing clear, concise, coherent, proofread, and polished?
Identifying the Interviewee
First, identify an executive or working professional who can provide a valuable, informed, and practical perspective about your potential career and the types of skills and knowledge required to succeed in that career. If you are not sure about your career plan, take advantage of this opportunity to interview someone whose career or job you find appealing. Use tools such as LinkedIn, Handshake, and the GMU library databases to identify potential interviewees; here’s a helpful video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mABh4Y6Jovo.
After researching the individual, organization, and industry, courteously request an informational interview and try to schedule it as soon as possible. The interview must be held in person and be with someone who works outside of the university and your family business. When you contact the prospective interviewee, introduce yourself professionally, explain the purpose of the interview and ask for 30 minutes of his/her time. Schedule the interview as soon as possible because interviewees often have to cancel and reschedule due to other commitments. You may need to contact several potential interviewees in order to find one who can do the interview.
Preparing for the Interview
Before the interview, learn as much as possible about the interviewee (via the company website, LinkedIn, etc.), the interviewee’s industry (current trends, market needs, recent news, types of jobs and careers, average salaries, etc.), and the organization for which he or she works (company website, company “About Us,” “Investor Relations,” or “News” pages, Glassdoor.com, etc.). If possible, download or request the interviewee’s résumé in advance.
Prepare your list of 10-12 questions to ask your interviewee. Do not just take questions from the Internet; instead, tailor your questions to the person you’re interviewing and what you hope to learn from him/her. Avoid vague questions such as, “Is social media useful for you?” It is more useful to ask specific but open-ended questions, such as, “My research shows that many marketing professionals are using social media as a major component of their organization’s marketing strategy. How is your organization using social media to attract new clients? What types of technical skills are necessary to effectively implement social media marketing strategies?”
Conducting the Interview
Dress professionally (even if meeting virtually), arrive at least 15 minutes early (if meeting in person), and be prepared to guide the discussion. During the interview, take some notes to help you remember the conversation but do not ask the interviewee to slow down so that you can take detailed notes. As the interview is coming to a close, take a minute to skim your notes and ask the interviewee to clarify anything that is ambiguous. Before leaving, ask permission to contact the interviewee later to clarify a point or two, if needed. Request a business card and give the interviewee your card, if you have one. (This you can’t do virtually; however, you can ask to connect with them on LinkedIn, if you haven’t already.)
During the Interview
Be pleasant and purposeful. You are there to get information, so don’t be shy about asking questions.
Use the list of questions you have prepared, starting with the less complex and difficult ones, and then moving to the more challenging questions. Be flexible and be ready to ask appropriate follow-up questions, based on the interviewee’s responses.
Practice active listening and let your interviewee do most of the talking.
Be mindful of the time and do not take more time than you scheduled, unless the interviewee agrees.
After the Interview
Immediately after leaving the interview, use your memory to help you expand your notes. No matter how good your memory is, you might forget some important points if you do not complete this step right away. Once your notes are complete, begin jotting down ideas about what you learned from the interviewee and how you might apply this knowledge to your career. Send the interviewee an emailed thank you note within 24 hours, and keep a copy to turn in with your memo.
Memo Format
A memo is a professional document used in organizations to share important workplace information. Memos should be clear and concise and they should be divided into sections marked by headings. Check our Blackboard course for more on memo writing, as more will be shared in future weeks, and please ask questions if you are confused. While most organizations have their own templates, to create a memo for this assignment you can use a memo template from Microsoft Word.
To organize your memo effectively, include topical headings (use this assignments memo topics as a starting place, but tailor each to your individual interview (e.g., instead of “Biographical Information,” you could say something like, “James Jackson’s Career”). Single space the text within paragraphs and add a space between paragraphs. All text should be 12-point font, and the document should have one-inch margins.
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