Paper needed (Smart goals ,Informational Interview

The paper focuses to conduct an informational interview to choose a mentor who possesses experience in the field of interest i.e. IT. To gain insights on a career path in the selected field from a knowledgeable person, an informational interview is described in the paper (Dlabay, Burrow, & Kleindl, 2016). A list of questions is prepared and answers are gathered from a mentor.

Purpose: The purpose of the report is to gather information from a mentor who works in a good position in the selected field of IT consisting of background experience and knowledge.

Scope: The scope of the paper is collecting insights from professionals so that knowledge in industry and profession could be attained that is helpful for career development.

Biography of mentor:

Hi, Mr. Michael, My name is Akash. James indicated you as an excellent person to take advice and potential information on the IT field. I am a class at Trine University and I am collecting information for job search. The mentor’s career path is information technology where the position is IT, analyst. Mentor has experience in the field of interest and is involved in the hiring procedure of entry-level candidates. The mentor’s position is software engineer having three years of experience in this field with expert skills.

Report structure:

The report describes the introduction of the informational interview where results of the interview i.e. critical information are gathered for each list of questions prepared. Finally, the outcomes of the interviewee are gathered and interpreted.

1. Typical day for an entry-level professional in your profession

A typical day for an entry-level professional in the IT field is utilizing a computer to evaluate and develop solutions for business problems and complete a given project. In the entry-level IT profession minimum skills and knowledge on IT networks, troubleshooting, computer procedures, and design activities are required. The day for such professionals is providing suggestions to incorporate unique technology for a company or design innovative systems/applications by selecting software and hardware. An entry-level professional must have a basic understanding of operating systems thereby needing to provide technical support.

2. Decisions made in career path

I have chosen Information Technology (IT) sector as the fastest-growing field that delivers huge opportunities to make innovations related to big data, AI, cloud computing, and cyber security. I have selected IT because technology professionals could easily start their careers at entry-level. It provided quick employment with a good pay scale. I have selected the software engineer position as it delivers the opportunity to learn new things every day based on changing technologies (Ledbetter, 2021). This position offers unique challenging activities while completing the project so that system and technology knowledge is attained.

3. Best and least about the occupation

The best about an occupation is spending a good time in programming and building new things. Everyday work is enjoyed in current occupation as the job profile helps to communicate with different programmers existing in the project thereby writing unique software programs that ensure to create enterprise applications and systems. For me, being a software engineer enables me to maintain a less stressful career thereby work contributed is rewarding. This occupation helps to deliver value effectively. The position offers excellent opportunities to work on numerous projects so that knowledge on controlling different elements is learned (Quang, Zakaria, & Hieu, 2016). Few least element experienced in the occupation is the negotiation of specifications with managers. Here, the managers don’t understand the message but they possess sturdy opinions.

4. Elements industry look for in the people they hire

To hire people, the IT profession mainly considers the capability and skills of individuals. For instance, the knowledge on the technical and analytical areas is viewed during the hiring process. Managers hiring for a company looking for a bachelor's or Master’s degree in computer science or information technology domain. The field considers interview and IT skills along with long-term capability to generate positive outcomes and returns for the organization. An individual needs to fit in the work environment of IT as the industry considers candidates who transform their skills to real-time actions by achieving deadlines and acting as a team player. Most human resource managers believe that basic knowledge and experience are required even for an entry-level job.

5. Activities, classes, or other parts of your college experience best prepared you for your career

My college experience was great as I have an excellent academic record that supported me to achieve a graduate role as a software engineer. The activities performed in the course helped to improve my knowledge and traits. I had a great experience while attending course classes and completing unique activities because my college offered good support to prepare me for future roles. It helps to increase my communication and interpersonal skills by assigning different activities and academic projects (Moradi, Faghiharam, & Ghasempour, 2018). There were different programs to develop technical, personality, and leadership skills at college that prepared me for my future career. I had a great learning environment that guided me to expand my knowledge. The college experience highly benefited me in a workplace environment.

6. Best decision you made as an undergraduate concerning your professional life

As an undergraduate, by considering my professional life I understand the field in which I am interested. I thought regarding my skills and values before deciding to enter the information technology sector. I have taken the best decision to start my career in the IT field to gain new opportunities and exhibit my skills in the interested area. As an undergraduate student, I had the self-determination to make the finest decision that promotes my career and provides innovative opportunities to succeed in professional life. By considering my professional life, I have self-assessed and prioritized my choices in the right way to enter the IT sector after completing my graduation.

7. Skills and Experience that are most impressive in your field

Skills

In the IT field, the most impressive skills are coding, analytical, communication, and project management knowledge. It is necessary to have good communication abilities to interact with the workforce whereas traits related to coding are a primary requirement to enter the IT profession. Knowledge of software development, networking is required along with problem solving and creative traits. In the field, impressive skills like technical writing and leadership exist.

Experience

The experienced impressive in the current field includes a degree that acts as the greatest asset. The technical capabilities and acquired industry certifications also play a crucial role in the field. Operating system knowledge, computer and networking capabilities along with coding and designing are key experiences notable in the IT field (Tsihrintzis, Virvou, & Watanabe, 2013).

8. Media outlets that should be read or watched to be in the loop of industry

The media outlets like the social platform Twitter should be tracked to be in the loop of industry. Twitter provides the latest information on technology as things happen in the IT sector and news stories could be viewed. Twitter accounts that should be followed are @TechRepublic, @Gigaom, @ZDNet, @TheNextWeb, and @TechCruch. Updates from tech leaders and supporters could be read by following @alexia, @jasonfried, @KentBeck, @Martinfowler, and @hamids. Outlets like newspaper articles of TechGig, Computer World, and TechCrunch should be read. Few companies recommended are Oracle, IBM, Microsoft and the online groups suggested are stack overflow, Reddit, and free code camp.

9. Future outlook for your industry and changes taking place in this type of work

IT industry delivers a promising future to individuals as the field consists of rapidly transforming technologies like artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data analytics, and the internet of things (Panda, Mishra, Balamurali, & Elngar, 2021). The future of IT is promising as various technology organizations will collaborate on new solutions thereby evolving unique cultures by taking operations to next level. IT field is committed to driving the progress of the future as software services will be improved. The changes in the field of work occur as technology innovation and transformation are expected to minimize operational and technical problems of business.

10. Would you be willing to review my résumé and offer your opinion and advice

Yes, I would review your resume and offer you feedback on significant attributes required in the field of IT. After reviewing your resume I could identify your activities, strengths, and weak areas. Based on that I will offer advice in the field of interest to gain an excellent entry-level position in your career.

11. Would you be willing to connect me with anyone else you know who might be able to offer some advice

Yes, I would be willing to connect you to professionals to provide advice on career options. I am willing to connect because it provides an opportunity for you to identify various positions in IT thereby finding an excellent fit for the position that matches your skills and requirements.

From the report, knowledge on how graduates enter the selected field of interest IT is obtained from the results of the informational interview. It is clearly understood about the best occupations, skills, experience, and knowledge required to enter the IT industry at entry-level. It is understood about the future outlook of industry and awareness on how decisions are made while entering new career and professional life. I would utilize this information to attain an excellent position in the IT field by understanding the right career paths. The advice and tips provided by the mentor will be utilized for the preparation of a career, improving weak areas, and enhancing skills in the desired profession. In the selected IT field I would connect with online platforms, attend conferences, and approach new ways to increase job networking and gain knowledge on a career path in the technology field.

References Dlabay, L., Burrow, J. L., & Kleindl, B. (2016). Principles of Business. Cengage Learning. Ledbetter, D. (2021). Just Make It Work: An Honest Guide to Navigating the First Decade of Your Career. Donte Ledbetter. Moradi, S., Faghiharam, B., & Ghasempour, K. (2018). Relationship Between Group Learning and Interpersonal Skills With Emphasis on the Role of Mediating Emotional Intelligence Among High School Students. SAGE Journal, 8(2), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244018782734 Panda, S. K., Mishra, V., Balamurali, R., & Elngar, A. A. (2021). Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Business Management: Concepts, Challenges, and Case Studies. CRC Press. Quang, V. K., Zakaria, N. H., & Hieu, B. T. (2016). Information Systems and Software Engineering. International Journal of Advanced Computational Engineering and Networking, 4(4), 48-54. Tsihrintzis, G., Virvou, M., & Watanabe, T. (2013). Intelligent Interactive Multimedia Systems and Services: Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Intelligent Interactive Multimedia Systems and Services (IIMSS2013). IOS Press.