It’s never too early to start setting your sights on your dream job, and for high school students, now is a great time to start considering what first steps to take toward a dream career. One of the best ways to gain guidance is to interview successful professionals in your desired field. Read on to learn about the many benefits of interviewing seasoned professionals and how you can interview someone in that field.
Why You Should Interview Someone with Your Dream Job
Learn what to study
When considering your dream job, choosing the appropriate academic path to take may seem pretty straightforward. But when talking to professionals already working in your desired field, you’ll likely be surprised by alternative paths they recommend to help you stand out. Talking to a seasoned professional will give you insights into related and highly complementary fields of study you may not have considered previously. For example, a sociologist might suggest coursework in psychology and anthropology, and a web content writer might find success learning the basics of HTML and CSS.
Learn what experience you need
Just as you may be surprised by the education suited for your dream job, you may be surprised by the experience that will get you there. A restaurant owner, for example, might suggest a temporary job in gardening to foster an appreciation for herbs and what they can add to a meal. Or a marketing director might recommend starting your own business – big or small – to teach you business lessons that will carry you well into the future.
Find out what else you could be doing
Looking for a career in graphic design? High-profile graphic designers will likely tell you to start a portfolio now, as well as a website, to help showcase your work and start building an online presence. They may also tell you to hone skills in disciplines like photography and painting, which intersect with the field of graphic design in interesting ways. Interviewing an experienced professional will help you to become a truly well-rounded professional in your desired career field.
Network
Never underestimate the power of networking. A professional in your desired field will likely not only be flattered by your interest in his or her career, but may also be impressed by your initiative. Learn who they’ve worked with in the past and to whom they might be able to introduce you. You’ll be surprised at how willing they are to connect you with the right people.
How to Get Connected with the Right Person
Sometimes, all it takes is emailing or calling the right person at the company of your choice to get the informational interview you want. More often, you will need to network to get there. Who do your parents, friends, and teachers know? What about the alumni at your school? University alumni associations are an especially great resource, and if you’re not yet university alumni, seek a mentor who is one.
Don’t underestimate the power of online resources either. Many ahead of you have already interviewed professionals in your dream field and have shared the insights they gained with the world. Our digital career library, for example, is filled with interviews with professionals in fields like graphic design, entrepreneurship, software development, broadcast radio, and more, and it gives those mapping out their future career paths the opportunity to get started on the right foot.