Interview Tips

Career Corner (Sarah Raymond)
   Homecoming is coming up and some advice I gave to first year students attending the career fair earlier this month was to start by talking to people. Developing a professional network starts early, especially at Montana Tech.

One of the wonderful things about Montana Tech is that it is personal. You aren’t a number, at least in most classes. Believe it or not, your faculty does get to know you. I hope you have experienced that already. Getting to know people begins on campus and in the classroom. Take advantage of meeting people, including alumni whether they are coming into your classroom to give a presentation or coming to campus to participate in an employer advisory board. Homecoming week is a great time, because there is a lot of activity. These contacts are essential to you as you continue in your degree program.

You really do have more contacts than you realize (classmates, faculty, friends, family, etc.) In general, most people want to help college students. Alumni are particularly interested in helping you. Try it out! Conduct an “Informational Interview” or start to build a “Professional Network,” because this is going to help you achieve your career goals -- whether or not you have even indentified any goals yet! They may be able to help!

Informational interviewing can give you insight on what the real world experience of a specific job may be like. This will help you make a better personal decision when it comes time to thinking about your own employment, whether it is summer, internship or full-time. No one else can give you a better sense of the challenges and opportunities, the specific and perhaps hidden demands, the drawbacks and limitations that working in their profession may involve. Talking to someone who is doing what you think you would like to do is the best way to find out what the day-to-day activities are in a position. More importantly, you may learn if the reality of the job matches what you think it would be like. This is always good to know before you graduate.

“Be a polite college student with a clear question,” is advice from career-guru, Donald Asher. When setting up an informational interview, don’t start the conversation asking for a job, but rather that you are seeking information about a certain career field to help make an informed career decision. During the interview itself, remember your purpose is to get information from someone who has real-world experience in the field. You are looking for information that will help you understand the day-to-day realities of the subject's line of work.

It is a good idea to prepare a list of questions in advance to help you be clear about your goal of the contact. You don't need to take them with you, though it is probably a good idea, especially on your first few interviews. It helps you keep the discussion on track and assures that you come away with all the information you need and want.

Hopefully you will have a natural flowing conversation. This means the interview may depart from the "script" suggested by your list of questions. You want to get the answers to each of your questions of course, but you also want to stimulate discussion and allow for you to get to know one another. Someone who talks freely can provide valuable insight on subjects you haven’t even considered. An open discussion might also give you the opportunity to mention your skills and interests.

At the end of the informational interview, be polite. Thank them for their time and assistance, and let them know they have been helpful. Ask if it is alright to keep in touch to help build a professional network of future colleagues. In the current economic times, personal relationships are an important key to unlock the employment opportunities that exist.

After the informational interview, make a careful record of the results. Ask yourself: Does it use your skills, and satisfy your interests? Also, determine the needs and problems you might face if you were to choose this line of work. What you have learned and how it might affect your career decisions and job search process. Send a short thank you note to everyone who assisted you; remember they have volunteered to be a resource for you.

Any time is a great time to do some exploration in your major and start talking to people. There are handouts available on the Career Service website including a list of questions to help get you started. Plus we have many alumni who are willing contacts for you to speak to and conduct an informational interview. Let Career Services help you Get into It!

SIDEBAR


Top 10 Questions to ASK in an Informational Interview

10. How did you get into this field?

9. Why did you choose this profession?

8. What does the future look like for this profession?

7. Please describe a typical day on your job.

6. What do you like most about your job? (least?)

5. What skills and abilities have you found most important in your work?

4. How did you prepare yourself for this kind of work?

3. What do you wish you would have known before you graduated?

2. Is there anything else I should know about this profession?

1. Do you have another contact I could interview in this industry?