Career Interview

Activity Description:

Purpose:

To gather information about a woman’s career decisions

Steps:

Identify a woman older than yourself.

Invite this person to participate in an informal interview.

Assure the person that the interview will be confidential.

Conduct the interview, using the following questions:

• When did you start thinking about a career?
• What information did you use to make that decision?
• Who were important career and/or non-career role models?
• Did that decision change? If so, when? What were the factors that influenced that shift?
• Did you have important mentors? Who were they and how have they influenced you?
• What were the non-career events (e.g. family, relationship issues) that have affected how you feel about or how you behaved in your career?
• How do you feel about your current chosen career path? How do you feel about your current employer and position?
• Do you perceive any foreseeable changes? If so, when? What might influence you in that regard?
• Do you have any regrets about your career? Do you have any wishes for your future career?

Change the participant’s name.

Summarize and reflect on the content of the interview.

Activity Source:

Content contributed by Patricia Raskin, Ph.D, Columbia University as a Suggested Work and Family Class Activity