09 Apr Outline responsibilities the professional performs on a day-to-day basis
Outline responsibilities the professional performs on a day-to-day basis, what an organizations corporate culture is about, or what law/medical/graduate school really consists of.?Occupational Interview Assignment GEB 3035 Effective Career Management OI Assignment Overview and Objectives An occupational interview is an interview conducted with a professional to collect information about an industry, career field, specific type of job, or even a graduate or professional school program. An occupational interview is NOT a job interview. The purpose of an OI is to help define and expand career options by developing up-to-date knowledge about career industries or occupations of interest, probable companies for future employment, or even investigating graduate/professional school programs for future enrollment. In addition, OIs will help expand your professional network, build confidence for future internships and job interviews, and identify professional strengths and weaknesses. To acquire the most up-to-date information, there are few resources more helpful than talking directly to an insider in an area(s) of interest. Through tassignment, GEB 3035 students will attempt to discover vocational knowledge including what an insiders profession is really like, what responsibilities the professional performs on a day-to-day basis, what an organizations corporate culture is about, or what law/medical/graduate school really consists of. Tassignment involves conducting five informational interviews with persons who have a specific type of knowledge that can assist with educational and career planning. Interviewee Options You may interview anyone for tassignment. Ideally, you will strategically select your interviewees based on the area of career development most relevant in your current season of life. If you are interested in health care, education, or marketing, consider selecting a handful of individuals to interview in the health care, education, or marketing industries. If you want to work for a specific company (Disney, Raymond James, etc), interview professionals who work inside those organizations to learn about corporate culture and/or learn how those organizations are internally structured and staffed. Interested in graduate school or law school? Consider interviewing admissions officers, current graduate or law students, and/or even professors. The key consideration is you may interview any individual you wish as long as it assists your career development. Other potentials interviewees may include, but are not limited to: Working professionals (in various industries/fields/geographic locations of interest) Graduate or professional school admission officers, current students enrolled in the program of interest, and/or professors or deans employed by the program Any current or previous supervisor(s); current or previous co-workers; current or previous co-workers from other departments in an organization Neighbors, former neighbors Family members co-workers, family members friends, family members, relatives Any other individual not listed here who can provide career insights! Page 2 of 2 Assignment Directions Before you launch out to interview your subjects, please read the following documents to get the most out of tunique assignment. Tassignment is typically one of the highlights of GEB 3035 for many students. Documents to read (all located on our GEB 3035 Sakai site, under the OI assignment): a. Informational Interviewing: Get the Inside Scoop on Careers Author: Olivia Crosby, Occupational Outlook Quarterly, US Department of Labor b. OI Supplemental Resource 1Informational Interviewing Author: University of California Berkley Career Center c. OI Supplemental Resource 210 Ways to Make the Most of an Informational Interview d. Sample Questions for Use During Occupational Interviews e. Examples of exemplary OI papers submitted by former students After reading thdocuments and successfully interviewing your subjects, address the following information in your write-up for each OI submission: 1. Occupational Interview (i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Extra Credit) 2. Interviewees name, Interviewees position title 3. Interviewees organization 4. Date and location of interview 5. Summary of interview content a. The goal is to capture the main points from each question asked during the interview. Students can provide a complete transcription of the conversation OR summarize key points without transcribing every word. You may select to do either of thoptions, whichever helps you learn and reflect on your experience the most. b. For each question asked, make sure you submit a complete response in the writeup, completely answering the questions you asked during the interview. Incomplete or insufficient information will lose points. See exemplary papers from former students for typical response length and content. c. Although there are no minimum number of questions to ask during the interviews, students should ask enough questions until new insights are acquired and/or verified occupational/industry/graduate school information relevant for personal career advancement. 6. Your personal reaction a. Your personal reflection includes summarizing key points, insights, general impressions, excitement, disappointments, or clarity discovered as a result of tinterview. Make statements like What I took away from tinterview was , I learned X and Y from tinterview which I did not know, What impressed upon me the most was ____, and/or I was surprised/disappointed to learn ____. b. Your personal reaction section is more than simply parroting back facts and data from your interview. Tsection is designed for synthesis and evaluation of what the information acquired actually meant and to provide an opportunity to infuse self-knowledge with new career knowledge. Enjoy making unique discoveries as a result of completing tassignment!
