Investigation Questions

Qualifications

  1. How much formal education is required?
  2. What majors are best prepared for this position?
  3. Is any special training required?
  4. What kinds of work experience would be good background for this position?
  5. What kinds of extracurricular experiences would be a good background for this job?
  6. What specific courses would you recommend?
  7. What specific skills are required? Are any additional skills helpful?

Personal Aspect

  1. Whom do you report to?
  2. How many people (if any) report to you? What do they do?
  3. Do you frequently interact with people? With co-workers, subordinates, supervisors,
  4. Do you primarily work alone or in collaboration with others? Who?

Work Activities

  1. How do you spend a typical day?
  2. How much time do you spend in: paperwork, meetings, telephoning, working with data, supervising, dealing with the public, etc. ?

Setting

  1. Where do you work (office, lab, outside, small business, factory, etc.)?
  2. What are the conditions of the setting (private, office, open space, temperature, clean or dirty, comfortable or rigid, etc.)?
  3. What is the mode of dress (formal, informal, etc.)?
  4. How would you characterize your working relations (you associate with co-workers outside the work setting)?
  5. Do you determine what tasks you will work on and how you structure your time or is that determined for you?

Lifestyle Implications

  1. How many hours per week do you work? Do you put in additional hours, overtime, or work at home? When do you work? (8-5, shift work, Monday thru Friday, evenings, weekends, etc.)
  2. Are you required to travel? How often? How far? Overnight or for extended periods?
  3. What is the salary range for your position? How much vacation? Benefits?
  4. Do you commute to work? How far?

Overall

  1. Are you satisfied with your work? What do you like best? What changes would you make if you could?
  2. Will you make your life career out of this work? Where will you go from here?