Boise State University Career Guide - 2025 - Flipbook - Page 14
WHAT TO ASK
What to Ask in Your Informational Interview
What are you hoping to get out of this informational interview? Create questions based on your goals.
Here are some topic ideas to get you started.
If your goal is determining whether this
career is right for you, ask about:
If your goal is researching the organization
or strategic networking, ask about:
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What a typical day looks like
What made them choose this career and why it’s a
good ft for them
What they fnd most enjoyable or rewarding about
their job, and what they fnd most challenging or
least enjoyable about their job
What interests, abilities, and characteristics
they think someone should have to enjoy and be
successful in this career
What type of job you’ll likely start in and what your
career progression might look like
What other types of jobs exist within this career
feld that may be similar or diferent from this
person’s job
If your goal is determining how to best
prepare for this career, ask about:
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What the required education is, and if there are
certain majors, minors, certifcates, or elective
courses that will make you a more competitive
applicant
How much and what kinds of experience you’ll
need to compete for entry level positions
What types of experiences will be the most
impressive and help set you apart from other
applicants
What professional organizations you should join
as a student and how to get involved with local
chapters
What else you can be doing to meet and build
relationships with professionals in this feld
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Why they chose to work for that organization,
what they like about it, what they may dislike
about it, and how the experience compares to
other organizations they’ve worked for
The mission, values, and goals of the organization
and how those impact the work this person does
Things the organization is doing that make
it unique or diferent from its competitors or
counterparts
What qualifcations and attributes are most
important to have for this type of position with this
organization
The process by which positions in this feld are
flled at this organization and elsewhere
What the best ways are to set yourself apart from
the competition in a job search
Tips specifc to resumes, portfolios, profles, cover
letters, applications, interviewing, or other job
search aspects
At the end, always ask if there is anyone else they
would recommend you contact for an informational
interview as well.
More about informational
interviewing
Scan the QR code or go to
boisestate.edu/career/
career-planning/
informational-interviewing/
