Interview
Part 1-Reflection
1. Interviewee Name, Position Title, Name of Company/Organization 3 points
Roshni Vora, Marketing Officer, Crown Paints
2. Describe whether you believe your values, interests, personal qualities and skills would be consistent with the career you chose to explore in your information interview. Use examples from your interview to support your answer.
My values, interests, personal qualities and skills (VIPS) seem to be consistent with the requirements for this career. After discussing my values, interests, personal qualities, and skills, the interviewee was of the opinion that I was proceeding well and that I was heading the right direction in my preferred career. I have conducted self-awareness, and I have identified evidence which is in line with my VIPS. The interviewee also emphasized the importance of possessing certain aspects of VIPS. I was informed that deciding to pursue a certain career is one thing and pursuing a successful career is another thing. The interviewee stressed that I should possess relevant VIPS which are consistent with my career of choice. While some aspects of VIPS can be learned, the interviewee contends that some of them have to be innate. Things like personality and interest in something comes naturally. However, some things like skills and values can be learned and improved over time. On the aspect of skills, I found out that I need to identify and practice skills which can help me become a better marketing executive.
Values-When is interacting with people; I value openness. I also value jobs which afford me an opportunity to travel. When it comes to career success, I value jobs where my earnings are mainly dependent on my own efforts.
Interests- I am interested in selling. As a marketing executive, I will utilize my interests to succeed in my career.
Personal Qualities- People tell me am friendly and outgoing. I make friends easily with people including new people. I am able to initiate and hold a conversation with anyone. Further, I am good in convincing people. These qualities are very critical to effective marketing since it involve meeting new people, convincing them, and having conversations with them.
Skills- Being and outgoing person with good in communication skills, I will be in a position to interact easily with people. Being a good communicator, I understand the importance of listening to people’s concerns, finding out their solutions, and also using verbal and non-verbal communication skills to deliver my message.
3. Express how will this experience impact your tentative career choice?
In this experience, I am more motivated to pursue a career in marketing. I have learned what it takes to become a successful marketing executive. My plans are to look for opportunities to start practicing as a marketing executive during the holidays. I also plan to look for internship opportunities in some companies. The interviewee also advised me to enroll in professional courses in marketing. Right now, I have begun looking for institutions which offer professional courses in marketing. I am yet to decide whether I would like to be an independent professional running my own firm or looking for employment in other companies. However, during the discussion, I was advised to spend some time first in employment so that I gain adequate experience which is very useful in case I would like to venture into private practice.
4. If you were to conduct another information interview, what type of position would you choose and why?
Marketing involves several activities including sales, advertising, promotion, and public relations. This show there is a lot to learn in this field and there are also many options one can choose to specialize in. Therefore, besides interviewing marketing executive, I would also like to interview someone who is working as a brand manager or sales executive. Marketing, sales, and brand management share a lot of things. They are related, and the skills and experience in both fields are transferable. Interviewing as many people as possible will equip me with ideas on what it requires joining each field. Further, interacting with people specializing in various aspects of marketing or jobs associated with marketing will enable me to make decisions as early as possible. With time, it might be hard to try to switch from one field to another. There are also aspects of work which I am more comfortable being engaged in than others. Identifying such fields as early as when I am still in college is very important for my future.
5. What feedback did the employer have on your resume?
After the interview, my interviewee took some time to critique my CV. Some of the comments were made verbal while others were written on the hard copy I gave her. She advised that I need to be careful when using fonts. The font I used to type my name is bigger than is necessary for a CV. Some of the contents were not legible because I had typed them in other colors while I printed the CV in black and white. To avoid similar problems in future, the interviewee suggested that I use only black font color. The interviewee also pointed out that I should include other things like hobbies and membership to professional bodies and also membership to social activities. Further, the employer suggested that I include relevant skills such as those used in my field. According to her, those are some of the things that employers are looking for when they are recruiting. She informed that employers looked at candidate’s academic qualifications and other things such as skills, experience, hobbies, and membership to not only professional bodies but also to those involved in social/community affairs. Generally, the interviewee was impressed with my academic performance and the general organization of my CV. She told me the format met the minimum requirements of a standard CV preferred by employers. She also said the details were sufficient for a recruiter to make an informed decision about a candidate.
6. Other thoughts?
The interviewer also commented that I was dressed smart and that I should dress that way when going for an interview. She was also grateful that I kept my time and arrived at the venue in time. As we finalized our meeting, I asked her to give me contacts of fellow colleagues whom I can contact in case I wish to learn something. The contacts provided helped me to further widen the network. At some point, the employer had mentioned that networking is very critical to successful career and especially marketing. Networking also helps a lot when one is looking for a job or internship opportunities.
Part 2-Information Interview Questions
• When did you found out you were destined to be a marketing officer?
• Who were your greatest influences in your marketing career choice?
• Before becoming a marketing officer, which other experience did you possess?
• Did you found college grades critical to getting a job as you began interviewing ?
• Describe your career path for me.
• What’s an average day like for you?
• If you weren’t a marketing officer, what other profession do you think you would have bee?
• Looking back at your past decisions, positions you have held, and what you study in college, what would you change if you were given a chance?
• In your current position, what do you value highly?
• I would like to request you assistance to get me names of your colleagues whom I can interview for further information pertaining other issues?
