Step 1: Download the sample assignment and review, type the date, your name and section (-1 if the name, date, and section is incomplete)
Step 2: Read more about “Informational Interviewing†using the links below
Step 3: Identity, contact, and set up a face to face meeting time to interview ONE manager. When you request the interview please let the interviewee know the interview will take approximately one hour and be least 20 questions in length. If they can not commit an hour to you, you will need to identify another person to interview.
Step 4: Conduct the interview in person. Only in extreme cases of distance will non-in-person interviews be accepted, this requires pre-approval from your course instructor, you must submit a copy of this approval with your assignment if granted. Remember to:
- dress professionally
- arrive on time
- be polite
- be professional
- come prepared with a pad of paper and pen (not electronic media) and take good notes
- request a business card (If they do not have a business card: one from the business with their name written on it, a screenshot of their LinkedIn page, or a screenshot of their yelp page, preferred in this order).
- use the list of questions provided for this exercise.
You must ask a minimum of 20 questions. Interviews should take about an hour. You will find that in the course of the interview, you may want to be spontaneous in adding follow-up questions.
Step 5: Send in the mail a handwritten thank you card (must be handwritten, NO EMAIL, NO LINED PAPER, only note cards that go into an envelope with a stamp) within one day of the interview. With your submission, you must include a scan or photo of your note AND the person’s business card in addition to your interview questions and answers. Submit this with your final submission.
Step 6: After the Interview, reflect on the information you gathered. Open up the sample assignment begin your analysis. Paying close attention to:
- Contact information of the interviewee (2 points)
- Answering the leadership questions (2 points)
- Type the responses of the interviewee in paragraph format, single sentences are too short and will not be accepted. (3 points)
- Submit the business card (or alternative listed above) (1 point) and photocopy of the thank you note in your final submission. (2 points)
