Just as people network in order to find jobs, students can network in order to identify careers that they want to pursue. If you still have some uncertainty about what careers you want to pursue, you might first want to complete a career assessment and read about different careers. For information about career assessments and to find career descriptions, please see my last blog post: https://www.educ8fit.com/post/career-testing.
Informational Interviews for Careers
Adults often know about the importance of conducting informational interviews when searching for a job, but it can also be helpful for teenagers when trying to determine careers. Adults use networking to identify people with whom to hold informational interviews. Teenagers, however, are typically not experienced enough to have a network of adults in professions of interest. There are a couple of ways you can find people in professions of interest. One is to set up an account on LinkedIn and to search for people who are in your field of interest, connect with them, and ask them if they are willing to speak with you. Perhaps a better route to go through is to go through your local chamber of commerce, which may have an online membership directory. Other routes are to go through include parents, teachers, and other adults you know who can help identify individuals in careers that are of potential interest to you.
Since you are a minor, the location of the interview is important for your safety. First, let your parent(s) know what you are doing just in case you need to talk to them about the interview, and so that they know you are being safe. Your parent(s) might even help you practice in advance. The location should be in a neutral place – not your home and not the home of the person you are interviewing. Zoom can be good a good way to hold the interview. If it is in person, a coffee shop, library, or bookstore can all be good locations.
Career Interview Questions
Go into your interview prepared with questions to ask, some of which might be based on what you have read about the career online. Here are some questions to consider asking:
How did you decide on your career?
What surprised you most about your career after you started it, both positive and negative surprises?
What happens in a typical work day?
What types of people tend to do well in your career and what types tend to not do well?
What advice can you offer to people considering your career?
What college majors make sense for people entering your career?
Are certain schools particularly good at preparing people for your career? Which ones?
What are the likely prospects for your career field five years from now?
Can you think of other individuals I should interview?
I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me. Is there anything I can do to help you or your business?
If you really like the person you interview, consider adding questions like these to your list:
Are you open to having a student like myself shadow you for a day so I can learn more about what happens on a typical day?
Are you open to having an intern in your office?
What types of duties might an intern perform?
I have skills in XXXXX, would it be helpful to your office if I used my skills in XXXXX?
You Science and Educ8Fit Consulting
Educ8Fit Consulting offers career assessments to clients using You Science. You Science does not just look at what interests you, it also tests your aptitude for different careers. You can read more about career assessments on our website at this address: Career and Academic Exploration | Educ8Fit ConsultingMysite. For additional information about what schools might be a good fit for you or your child, please see our website at https://www.educ8fit.com. Please contact us at Educ8Fit Consulting at either Jim@Educ8Fit.com or College Admission Counseling | Educ8fit Consulting | United States, contact for a free consultation.
