The Importance Of Informational Interview For Career Planning

The Purpose of the Informational Interview

An informational interview is an informal type of conversation that engages a job seeker (potential employee) with an experienced individual working with the area of interest and has been used to seek information, guidance, and clarification on the job, culture and the expectations from the job. The reason for conducting this informational interview is to ensure that I get to know about the prospective industry and company that am planning to work with in future. The event will ensure that I get the desired knowledge that will make me equipped for the career. The courage to participate in an actual employment will also be increased due to the conversation between the experienced person and me in that field (Kumari, 2012). The informational interview will also form a basis for getting advice on my career, the industry, the corporate culture of the company and the leadership of the company.

The meeting for the informational interview was to be conducted in Sydney town in Shangri-La Hotel. The time for the meeting on the informational interview was set at 5:30 pm since most of the people at that hour are off from their jobs, therefore, making it appropriate. The organization of interest that am planning to get a job in the near future is KPMG Australia. The person interviewed during the informational interview is Marwick Godden.  The individual is an assistant officer in the department of human resource in the company (Young, & Muller, 2014). The reason for choosing this person is that he has a strong connection with the company and understands its operations better. The individual also knows the hiring procedures of the company since he deals with the department of human resources that deals with hiring and firing. Therefore, getting information from him will mean that the information will be sufficient and reliable. The forum will also open room for future consideration for a job since I will sell my capability to the individual.

The reason for choosing this individual was because he was attached to the department of the human resource with the company. He was selected on merit since he had the specific qualification and had worked for the organization for quite a long period. I had to secure his contacts from a friend and then organized for the meeting. The informational interview took less than an hour since it was brief and direct to the points of interest (Swider, Zimmerman, & Barrick, 2015). Therefore, during that short period, I ensured that I grasped every critical detail about the organization and also ensured that I made the person understand my education level and the potential I possess for the organization.

There are important questions that I ensured that I ask during the informational interview since I had to get information regarding the same. The crucial issues were ten during the session, and they are as listed below.

1. What previous professional experience has assisted you most in your current roles?

“I had worked for similar companies that provided me with the knowledge that is required in this field.” Asking such a question gives the interviewer an opportunity to understand how a person arrived at the current state and helped them to prepare for the same.

1. What information do you wish you had been informed before you landed for this job and how could it be of use? The vital information you should not miss is the challenges in that field since it prepares the individual psychologically.
2. How do you see this job changing in the next ten years? Jobs and organizations are established in a changing world. Therefore, the organization, the employees and prospective employees should accept that the organization will have to change in the future and be prepared for the same.
3. What do you like least about the career and the organization as a whole? Asking this question will give you an insight into the area of weakness on the job and where the organization has failed.
4. What are the major components of your job on a daily basis?
5. Could you probably suggest some ways in which a student can get some of the experience required as an entry requirement for this job?
6. How has the company embraced technology and how does it make use of the new technology that is emerging on a day after the other for internal communication and marketing the company? The world and the business operations are made to change because of the technology innovations and for every organization to a competitive advantage it should embrace the use of technology.
7. Is there an underlying philosophy of the company, and if so, what is the philosophy? (is it a service, a product or people oriented organization?)
8. What can you inform me on the employment outlook in your occupational field, how is the demand for workers and how rapid is the occupation growing?
9. Who else can you refer me to seek more information regarding the occupation and the company as well?

Professional Development Needs for the Chosen Profession

After the informational interview, I came to understand that there is a need for career development. I did a self-reflection and identified various things that I need to do to advance my career. There was a need to enroll in short courses that related to the degree course that will give me a first hand during many recruitment processes. I was forced to have a self-reflection due to the unforeseen changes that might occur in the organization and in that career path (Boahin, & Hofman, 2014). Therefore, due to that, I had to seek for career path clarification and options, evaluation of the current status and economic changes.

Conclusion

The necessary steps guided the whole informational interview, and we had them followed up to the end of the session. The process ensured that I got valuable information regarding the KPMG Company and that I was optimistic I would get hired later in the future upon completion of my degree studies. The interview offered an opportunity to expand my linkages since I established new networks with various workers of the company. Therefore, it is important for potential employees to conduct an informational interview with multiple stakeholders of a company who can help them in understanding and gaining information regarding the company (Almarzook, 2016). It also promotes an individual to learn their areas of weakness and work upon them before even seeking an employment opportunity with the prospective companies.

Undertaking any professional employment from a company or organization requires readiness and preparedness from the individual. Employment readiness is to ensure that you possess all the requirements that are demanded by a particular employer and that will grant an opportunity for the job seeker to secure the job. Employment readiness ensures that the individual has prepared in various ways (Jackson, 2016). One of the ways is to have the skills and experience required to perform specific duties related to the job descriptions. It is evident that most of the graduate lacks the rigor and validity to secure work readiness.

Organizations strive to get graduates who are work ready and employable. Being ready and employable means that the graduate does have not only academic qualifications but also the necessary skills. Being prepared ensures that the graduate has adequate knowledge regarding the rights of the workplace. The graduate needs to research on what is expected from them in the workplace and ensure that they practice on the same to gain the competence. The placement period in different courses gives the graduates an opportunity to have a learning ground where they can understand better the working place (Kivinen, & Nurmi, (2014). Therefore, it is necessary that every student undergoes a placement process before settling to secure a job for themselves.

The employment aspect in every organization is experiencing a changing environment due to the changes occurring in the business world. The world is under rapid change thus causing dynamism in the business environment. It is the responsibility of the graduates to ensure that they possess all the requirementsand that they get ready to give the best to their prospective organizations. The tutors should also equip the graduates for the task.

Choosing the Right Person for the Informational Interview

The recruitment process in my field adheres to a specific procedure that is regarded to as the standard formula of getting employees. It starts with identifying the need to fill the position. The organization here recognizes that there is a gap that has occurred in the organization due to firing or job turn over and that there is a need to replace such personnel (Ajila,  & Okafor, 2012). Also, the current position holder might have notified the organization of the need to add more labor force in that position and that might prompt the organization to settle in searching an employee.

The second step is planning on how the organization will conduct the recruitment process. The planning involves securing the necessary resources for the recruitment process. The requirements for the candidates should also be set at such a stage. It also consists in making an advertisementfor the job vacancy to inform potential candidates. The next process is searching for the candidates (Almeida Andrade, 2013). The organization opens room for candidates to submit their applications for consideration. Identification of the viable candidates follows whereby shortlisting is done for the viable candidates.

The organization then undertakes recruitment of A-level candidates if they are there who have a direct qualification. The hiring of A-Level candidates undergoes a screening process of the candidates to get the best. If there is no recruitment of A-Level candidates, the company organizes for an interview that is face to face to choose the best for the organization. The offering of the job is made for the best, and they are hired to take their position. The last step after hiring is on boarding of the selected candidates. 

The Myers Briggs type indicator is a well-organized individual test to learn about one’s personality. The testing occurs during the screening and assessment stage in the recruitment process. After doing the online test on the MBTI test, I found that I had ESFJ character after obtaining the scores. Such scores proof that I am an extrovert, sensing, feeling and judging. Some of the resultsseem to be correct about my personality while others are differing with my understanding of the character I possess (Young, & Muller, 2014). It is evident that I am an outgoing person the score on extrovert is right. I talk much, and this makes me have the courage to meet new people and create new networks.

I also get involved in providing care to those in need, and that has become my primary mode of living. I have got feeling that is a surety, and that is because I deal with situations according to my mood or the attitudes towards them. Therefore it is important to note that the MBTI test does not recognize the extent to which the feelinghas gone and what impact they will have to those around me (Kivinen, & Nurmi, 2014).  The score on judging is that I judge situations and make decisions regarding circumstancesand how they fit in my value system. I interpret the judgment score in that I make decisions on the premises on how it provideswith my morals and values. The ESFJ’s value system is defined externally according to the personality test.

The Importance of Asking the Right Questions

The test result is known as extremely sensitive and is hurt when there is some indifference. Such person is described as receiving satisfaction by the happiness obtained from others. The positive attributes of the ESFJ personality outdo the negative ones. The assessment is the fact and matches with my life. To some extend,I love the idea that I have a helping hand that I can spread to others. Therefore, the assessment has provided some benefits since I have gained an understanding of my motivation, strengths, and weaknesses.

Appraisal of the value of postgraduate study and international experience in your discipline area.

Having a post graduate degree in human resource or a related field has some added advantage. There will be gaining new skills during the study, and this will enhance my capability of participating in different forums that are related to the human resource. Also, having international experience is of more value to the original degree. A person will gain more exposure and will expand my network within that field (Ajila, & Okafor, 2012). I will be able to interact with many people on the global scale who knowthe field of human resource.

It is essential to ensure that individual sticks to the ethical requirement of the field. The importance of observing is that the human resource professionals will be able to provide transparency during the recruitment process and that the best candidate is selected for the jobs. The ethical consideration also enables a professional to stick to their line and perform their duties that are pleasing to others and even to the professionals.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the professionals should be prepared as they enter into the job market. The graduates should understand the different aspects of the job, and this gives them an opportunity to do a self-evaluation and understand their personality. Understanding your personality might be helpful in their career development. In case there are positive ones they should be promoted and the negative one can be eliminated.

References

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