Learning from Interviews
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If your learner had the opportunity to interview a professional, would he or she be prepared?
We can’t possibly know everything about every profession. No one can. However, parents do have the ability to coach middle and high schoolers through the process of being prepared to ask questions, should they find themselves in a situation where they can ask questions.
This is an important step in empowering teens to learn from people in professions of interest.
Let’s say your high schooler is interested in veterinary medicine. Your background is in business and finance.
How do you help your young adult learn more about vet medicine?
Find a trusted professional who is willing to share his or her passion, and then ask. Most people are eager to talk about what they love. In the process, your young adult is afforded a chance to learn about the education requirements, niche areas of the profession, and perhaps the career outlook at the time when you learner will be trying to land a job. Should an ongoing mentor relationship form, there may be a potential connections made for future employment.
Identifying a person who could be interviewed is the first step. The second step, preparation, is key. Intentionality often reaps the greatest reward (another one of those life lessons our high schoolers learn from experience.
Preparing for an interview is essential. If someone carves out time from his or her busy schedule to meet with a high schooler, preparation is a form of respect. The meeting not only allows the learner to glean the most helpful information possible, but also shows gratitude for the professional’s time. Some high schoolers will decide they need help brainstorming a list of questions to be asked. Others may determine there is a need to role play a mock interview. And, there will be some who prefer to work more independently, creating a list and seeking input or feedback once their preparation is complete. This process is another step on the path to discovering how one learns best through the unique benefit of experiential opportunities.
When our high schoolers showed interest in an area and wanted to talk to professionals or tradespeople, we developed a list of questions. Here is a list to jump start the thinking process. I offer a full list in the appendices of my book, More than Credits.
How did your high school experiences benefit your career?
Where did you attend college?
How or why did you decide to choose this college?
How did your post-secondary studies influence your career?
Which post-secondary courses were particularly beneficial in your career preparation?
Is there something you feel would have been helpful—maybe even a different major—than what you pursued?
How do you see your career field changing in the next five years?
When preparing to interview someone in a trade or technical field, we adjusted our list of questions to address trade-specific aspects of a field. The complete list is also included in the book, but these samples provide a place to start as you and your learner develop a list of questions.
Did you earn industry certifications and if so, which were helpful to you?
What should I consider as I research post-secondary education options?
What skills do you use every day?
What types of writing do you do in your field?
The high school journey is more than taking tests and finishing study guides.
There is a place for these in education, but it is important to remember these aspects of learning should not overshadow and crowd out some of the most beneficial ways our young adults gain knowledge—through experiential learning opportunities like interviewing professionals.
More than Credits is available on this site or through Amazon.
