Trends and Globalization in Business Management - Essay Example

An informational interview will give an idea of the career paths available for individuals in a particular field. Furthermore, one can get tips from professionals on how to prepare for a certain career. An informational interview enhances one’s communication skills and warms up one for a real job interview. It will be the beginning of establishing professional relationships with people who are in the same industry as one’s career (UC Berkeley Career Center, n.d.). The building of networks like these may, later on, create job leads in the future.

Informational interviewing also has its drawbacks. One must be careful about choosing the professional to interview. If the interviewee is a person who is not happy with his job, then the views that he might share may be biased and will affect the interviewer negatively. Another disadvantage is that some interviewees might misconstrue the informational interview as a request for a job. Some professionals may think that the interviewer is there to gather confidential data about him and his company.

What obstacles would prevent you from conducting an informational interview?
The obstacles that will prevent one from conducting an informational interview include not knowing someone whom one can interview. Lack of contacts may make it difficult to get a professional to interview. In addition, there are some professionals who may not be open to the idea of being interviewed about their jobs. Not having the confidence to talk with a professional is another impediment to conducting the interview.

How would you prepare for an informational interview?
Preparing for an informational interview means having to do some research about the person one is going to interview and about his organization (Crosby, 2002). Visiting the company’s website will help a lot in the conduct of the interview. The next step is to prepare a brief background about oneself and have a resume ready in case it is asked for. The person to be interviewed would definitely want to know something about his interviewer. The interviewer should also be ready to state the objective for the interview so that the interviewee will not get the impression that one is just there to ask for a job recommendation or gather confidential data. A major preparation for the informational interview is the advanced formulation of the questions that one intends to ask. If the questions are prepared beforehand, then the time of the interviewee will not be wasted, as well as the interviewer’s own time. An important reminder for the interviewer is to dress appropriately and to arrive on time.

Landing a job that one dreams of is a real challenge today. Although globalization has made it more competitive for job seekers, it is not impossible to get the job that one desires. With the right qualifications, attitude, enthusiasm, and network contacts, one can still achieve his career goal.
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