Assignment: Informational Interview Report
Overview
Purpose: Learn about employment opportunities in your area.
Instructions
During this course, you need to conduct at least three informational interviews. You must report on one of them by the end of Week 05, and the other two by the end of Week 06.
Learn about Informational Interviews
In Week 02, you learn all about informational interviews. For more information, please refer to the W02 Learning Activity instructions.
Contact People
Refer to the W02 Learning Activity instructions for more information about how to contact people.
You should begin contacting people as soon as you can, ideally in Week 01 or Week 02.
Not everyone you contact will be willing to meet with you, and those that are willing, may not be able to meet right away, so you should start as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most commonly asked question from students is: What should I do if I cannot find people to contact in my area?
Talk to everyone you know
Keep trying! Talk to as many people as you can. Sometimes, unexpected people have contacts you did not consider.
For example, one student was seeking a Data Science internship. His mom worked on the floor of a factory and was not connected to data science in any way. But she suspected there were people at her company that used data, so she mentioned to her manager that her son was studying data science, and asked if there was anyone at the company he could talk with. In the end, this student got an internship at the company.
"Cold Contact" if you need to
It is always best if you know someone at the company, but you can reach out and request an appointment even if you do not know anyone. Many students have successfully had informational interviews by walking into the front desk of the company or contacting people at the company that you have never met (sometimes called a cold contact).
Conduct remote interviews
Also, don't forget that you can meet with people remotely. There are great people all over the world who many be willing to meet with you.
Talk to entrepreneurs
For many people, the right path is to start a new business, rather than work for a company. If this seems like a possibility for you, consider conducting an informational interview with someone you know who has started a business.
Conduct Interviews
Refer to the W02 Learning Activity instructions for more information about how to conduct the interviews. Remember to keep the interview short and remember, this is an informational interview. You should not ask for a job during this interview.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many informational interviews should I complete?
You should complete as many informational interviews as you can! Many students find that completing more than 10 or even 20 of these interviews helped them find the job they were looking for.
For this course, you are required to complete at least three.
Can I conduct informational interviews remotely?
Yes, you are welcome to conduct informational interviews remotely using video sharing software.
Report on your Interviews
When you have completed your interview, please download and fill out the Informational Interview Report form.
Submission
Once you have filled out the document, return to Canvas to submit the document. You will submit your reports for the three interviews in the following locations in Canvas:
- W05 Assignment: Informational Interview #1 Report
- W06 Assignment: Informational Interview #2 Report
- W06 Assignment: Informational Interview #3 Report