Informational Interview Exercise:

Research Assignment

Objective: To prepare for your informational interview. In order to ask relevant and useful question during your interview, you will need to better understand your chosen field. For this assignment you will analyze the labor market of your chosen profession, evaluate your industry's labor market needs, learn about trends and role/job requirements, uncover strategic issues and identify business challenges. The paper does not need to answer every question that you have, but should help you uncover "industry insider" questions for your interview.

Deliverable: 3-5 page summary of research findings for your specific career focus. Include information on industry trends/challenges, company profiles, and job responsibilities. Below are some questions that can help you focus your efforts. Do not simply answer the questions on this resource document; this should be a narrative paper of your findings.

The paper should be a synthesis of your research from CareerBeam or other sources. It should be written in your own words and if material is used either as a research source or as a direct quotation, be sure to use best practice in providing citations for other's work. Information on academic integrity can be found in the Additional Info section of this course on the Course Home page.

Resources: There a number of resources available to you for this assignment, including CareerLeader's career resources, CareerBeam's organization and industry research databases, and numerous other resources accessible through GGU's library including Reference USA. You will find instructions for accessing and using CareerBeam in the Week Three Additional Resources section of the course.

Consider the following questions to guide your writing:

Industry:

1. What are the industry trends?

2. What companies/organizations are the major players?

3. What are the services or products in the industry?

4. What is going on in the industry today?

5. What are the critical issues/challenges facing the industry? How are companies handling these issues? What are the costs of not addressing these issues?

Company/Organization:

1. What is their service or product?

2. What is their reputation?

3. How long have they been in business?

4. Have they been profitable in the past few years?

5. What is their market or industry position?

6. Who are their competitors?

7. What are their management philosophy, company culture, and/or mission?

8. Where is the company located?

9. How many employees?

10. How is the company organized?

11. What other companies are related (subsidiaries, divisions, parent company?)

12. What is their business model and funding sources?

13. Is it publicly or privately owned?

14. Have there been recent changes in management?

15. Has the company downsized or are they in a hiring mode? Why?

16. What is the career potential in the company?

17. What are the critical issues that are facing the company? How have they been handled? What strengths or skills can you bring that might address those issues.

18. What are the names and positions of the key stakeholders and decision makers?

19. Who is the CEO and executive staff? What are their reputations?

Role or Function:

1. What background, education, training and experience is required?

2. What skills are highly valued?

3. What is the typical path of training for this field/role?

4. What type of work schedule is common? Overtime? Flex Time? Travel?

5. What type of environment is typical in the field? High or low pressure? Autonomy? Supervision? Competitive?

6. Is the kind of work consistent with your values?

7. What are the typical salary ranges for entry level and/or experienced professionals?

8. What professional associations are active in this field?

9. Who are the people and products that support this function?

10. What are the advantages and disadvantages in working in role/field?