Seminar 1: Asking effective questions

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Seminar 1 Asking effective questions
conductingeffective interviews

Session 2 About information interviews
forming good questions
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Purpose of information interviews

• To
• find out more/clarify about a job or ask for
  advice
• have certain information about a selected field
  of work.
• But not to
• ask for a job

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Why information interviews are important

• Important as part of the job-seeking
• process as they allow you to
• practise your English language skills (verbal
  non-verbal)
• find out updated information about the career/the
  company which you are interested in
• clarify your own understanding of the
  career/company (i.e. misconceptions)
• help you make choices about what you want to do
  in the future
• establish some kind of network with people
  working in the field understand how they got
  involved

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Interview procedures

• As this seminar focuses highly on asking
  effective interview
• questions, you will need to complete 1-6, and 9
• independently (supporting tips are on the course
  web).
• Select a field of work which interests you.
• Determine the specific purpose of your interview.
• Conduct research on your topic of interest.
• Identify your interviewee.
• Contact your interviewee directly or through
  another person stating the purpose of your
  interview.
• Set a meeting for the interview.
• Form interview questions
• Conduct the interview and remember to record the
  interview.
• Send a thank you note to the interviewee and all
  those who have assisted you in the process.

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Selecting a field of work which interests you

• Task 1
• Form groups of 5. Discuss the
• possible field of work you are
• interested in for e.g. one you
• may want to be in when you
• graduate from the university or
• one which you have always
• wanted to find out more about.
• Also, think about possible
• companies and interviewees to
• contact.
• Fill in the form given.

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Name ______________________________
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Companies professionals past years students
have approached
IT Officer Assistant Project Manager
Doctor
Operations Director
Sports Recreation Manager
Vice President
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Why forming good questions is important

• No second chance at the interview
• Get information that you need
• Avoid unnecessary/unwanted information

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Identifying criteria for good bad questions

• Task 2
• Below are some questions a group of students
• asked a computer systems manager during an
• information interview with the purpose of finding
• out more about the job of a computer systems
• manager in FedEx Hong Kong.
• Read the questions and identify which you think
• are good or bad questions. What makes the
• questions good or bad?
• Based on your answers, come up with some criteria
• headings to assess questions.

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(No Transcript)
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• Task 3
• In groups of 5, make a few statements on
• what you would qualify as good/bad
• questions.
• Good questions are
• Bad questions are.

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Preparation for the next session

• Complete interview procedures 1- 6 independently.
  
• Do research on your field and topic of interest.
• Go to the course website for details on
  contacting interviewees.
• Identify your interviewee and contact him or her
  to set a meeting for the interview.
• If possible, send out the letters by the next
  session. This may seem early but the process may
  be slow. Getting your contact early will ensure
  that you have ample time to conduct the interview.

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Images from

• http//www.prospects.ac.uk/profsearch/servlets/Get
  Image?ipsaccountno9MIDLA01idno5141
• http//www.ymcahk.org.hk/general_new_e/
• http//www.astri.org/en/company.php
• http//www.i-cg.com/icg/
• http//www3.ha.org.hk/pwh/