Essay Instructions: Write a five-page paper describing the importance of your major, and the impact that society may encounter should your major become obsolete.
Select an individual to interview that has at least 20 years of professional experience in your major, in this case (Business management),and who has experienced highs and lows as a result of the profitability and economic recessions such as the one we’ve recently experienced. ( maximum of 10 questions )
Helpful Hints for Preparing Interview Questions:
Questions are the heart of any interview. In an effort to conduct an effective interview, and to ensure the most appropriate questions are asked, you must first consider the purpose of the interview. Three questions that might assist you determining the purpose of your interview are:
1. Why am I conducting interviews rather than gathering information from other sources?
2. How will the data collected from the interviews be used, and in some cases, protected?
3. What are the anticipated results once the interview(s) are complete?
After determining the purpose of your interview, and conducting the appropriate research (if any), and selecting interviewees, it is time to put together your Interview Guide. This Guide will include all the questions and possible probes you will ask in the interview. This is your roadmap that will assist you in gathering the information you seek, as well as developing a productive relationship with your interview.
Phrasing the Interview Questions
In the information interview, you want to ask questions that will elicit the information you need. Carefully-worded questions can motivate interviewees to answer freely, accurately, and thoughtfully. There are five factors in phrasing questions that can help or hinder the interview process:
1. Language ??" Use words that interviewees will understand. Be specific, precise, and concrete. Watch for words that sound similar and might cause confusion. Avoid language that will offend or insult the interviewee. (Your purpose is to gather information from your interviewees, not to promote your own beliefs or agenda.)
2. Relevance ??" Interviewees must understand the relevance of questions asked. Every question must be asked with the purpose of the interview in mind. Questions must be asked in logical order (i.e., group questions about the same topic together).
3. Information Level ??" Do not ask questions for which interviewees do not have the information. Do not ask questions that will insult the interviewee’s intelligence.
4. Complexity ??" Phrase questions so they are simple, clear requests for limited amounts of information. Use simple, not simplistic, language. Do not ask multiple questions, such as, “How and why did you begin your photography career?” or “What movies have you seen lately? How would you rate them and why?”
5. Information Accessibility ??" Situational constraints, such as a noisy room or lack of privacy, may inhibit interviewee from providing the information you need. Psychological restraints, such as strong emotions associated with a question, may also inhibit an interviewee from providing the information you need.
The paper should include the following sub-sections: Introduction, Background of Major, the Individual’s Professional Experience, Personal Experiences that Provoked Second-Thoughts, a Ten-Year Outlook on Your Major, and Conclusion.
Your interview questions should be developed to support each section of the paper. Though your paper has a subject, create a unique sub-topic that might clearly describe what your paper is about. Include at least 5 references to support your opinions. Be critical, clear, and concise in your writing.