BUS 303 Informational Interview

BUS 303 Informational Interview

BUS 303
Informational Interview (Assignment 2)

Overview

An informational interview is a meeting with a working professional who can give you an inside view of occupation, organization, and/or industry that is of interest to you. For this assignment, you will:

1. identify an appropriate interviewee

1. research their industry
2. gain interviewee’s insight on the application of professional skill(s)
3. schedule an interview
4. build a list of appropriate questions
5. conduct a virtual interview and take notes
6. send a thank you note
7. write a reflective report about what you learned and how it applies to your

professional future.

Interviewee Criteria

Your interviewee should be a person with at least five (5) years of professional experience and someone you have not interviewed before for other Mason assignments. Please be sure to let your instructor know the identification of your interviewee by week five (5).

The BUS 303 Informational Interview assignment is meant to expand your network and knowledge in a field of interest. You may choose a professional from LinkedIn, Mason staff and alumni, current or past colleagues, friends, or family members.

Deliverables (combine these into one document)

1. A 2-3-page, single-spaced report about your interview, written in memo format with headings.

1. A list of 10-12 interview questions
2. A copy of the thank you note sent to the interviewee
3. An APA-style reference list

BUS 303 Informational Interview Assignment Details

The first 2-3 pages of your BUS 303 Informational Interview assignment, formatted as a memo to your professor and typed single-spaced, should include the following headings:

1. a) Your Professional Goals and the Interview Purpose (1 paragraph): Briefly describe your career interests and 2-3 career goals and then explain why this interviewee is relevant to those goals.

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BUS 303 Informational Interview_Assignment 2 Spring 2021

1. b)  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.
2. c)  Industry Overview (2-3 paragraphs, must be 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
3. d)  Application of Professional Skill(s) in the Workplace (2 paragraphs): Choose one skill covered in BUS 303 (list can be found at the end of this document) to discuss with your interviewee. Ask your interviewee how this skill is implemented within his/her workplace. Be sure to provide at least one (1) example. What knowledge can they share about this skill? What advice do they have for you on honing this skill?
4. e)  Interview Process (1 paragraph): What worked well with the process of preparing for and conducting your informational interview? Why? What didn’t work well? Why?
5. f)  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 (3) separate pages at the back of your memo:

1. g)  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.
   ***Two questions that should be on your list are, “What are employers in your industry looking for in new college graduates?” and “How is (professional skill) implemented in your workplace?”
2. h)  Thank You Note: A copy of the thank you note (handwritten or emailed) that you sent to the interviewee, preferably within 24 hours of the interview.
3. i)  Reference List: A list of 3–5 sources used for your Industry Overview. Be sure to use APA formatting.

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