SAMPLE QUESTIONS

These questions are grouped according to the different career values.

1. ACHIEVEMENT
• What gives you a sense of accomplishment in this occupation?
• What kinds of things do you find challenging about your job?

2. ASSOCIATES
• How much of your job involves interaction with coworkers? the public?
• Is there a team approach to your work?
• What kind of people do you help?

3. CREATIVE
• Do you get to express individuality in your work, or do you have to follow strict guidelines?
• Do you have leeway in your job to be creative and imaginative in what you do?

4. ENVIRONMENT

• What kind of conditions do you work in- noisy, quiet, crowded, city, rural?
• What is the work atmosphere like?
• Do you have the chance to relocate? Where could you go?

5. ETHICAL
• Under what circumstances can you refuse to do something not in tune with your ethical beliefs?

6. FINANCIAL BENEFITS

• What is the possible salary range for someone in this occupation?

• Do you receive benefits (company car, dental plan, etc.)?
• What is an average starting salary for this occupation?
• Are there incentives for upgrading or taking extra courses to improve your education? (ex. salary
increase)
• Are you paid for your overtime hours?

7. INDEPENDENCE

• How much time do you spend working alone?

• Do you have complete control over how you do things?

8. INTELLECTUAL

• What do you find most challenging about your job?

• What kinds of opportunities for advancement are there?
• How much learning and research do you do? Is there a lot of problem solving? What type?
• Does your occupation take full advantage of your capabilities and education?

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9. LIFESTYLE

• Do you have weekends off?

• Do you have set hours or do they vary?
• Do you get time off? How much holiday time do you have?
• Do you move around a lot? Is there the possibility of being transferred?
• Are you on-call very often?
• Approximately how many hours do you work in an average week?
• How much flexibility are you allowed in your job in terms of dress, hours, vacation, or job location?

10. MANAGEMENT

• Do you supervise others?

• Do you evaluate others in terms of performance?

11. SECURITY

• How is the job market in your field?

• How stable is this job?
• What is the future demand in this occupation?
• What sorts of changes are occurring in this field?
• How long do employees stay with this organization? Why do they typically leave?
12. SOCIAL RECOGNITION

• Do you feel respected as a result of the work you do?

• How is your achievement recognized?
• Is your job performance reviewed on a regular basis? How?
• What social obligations go along with your job?
• Is there a lot of public exposure?

13. SOCIAL SERVICE

• Does your work bring about social change?

• Do you help others in society?
• Does the community benefit from your work?

14. VARIETY

• Do you do the same thing everyday?

• What is the most exciting thing about your job?
• Do you travel very often?
• Do you have to complete one project before starting another?

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Here are more sample questions to ask.

GETTING YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR

• What kinds of things did you do before entering this occupation? Which were most helpful?

• What do you look for or find most impressive in potential employees?

• What is the best way to enter this occupation?

• Are there any professional journals/ career-related literature/ organizations that would help me to learn
about this field?

• How much do employers value internships? volunteer work? summer jobs? unrelated work
experience?
• How do people find out about job openings? Are they advertised? If so, where?

• What coursework have you found most helpful?

• How can I get experience in this field while I am still in school?

• How is a typical job interview in this industry conducted?

• Are there any professional groups that I can join that would be beneficial to me?

• If you could go back in time, would you do anything differently in your preparations for this occupation?

• What is the typical entry-level position(s) for this job?

• How important is it to have the “right” degree or courses to have a chance to develop a career like yours
today? What are other qualifications that you as an employer/employee consider important?

• Does your organization offer summer or part-time employment (or volunteer opportunities) for students
who are looking for related experience? Can you suggest other work/volunteer experiences that would
be advantageous to have?

• How did you get your present job?

• What are some of the “do’s and don’ts” in trying to develop a successful career in your field?

• What are the people like who usually excel in this field? What personal qualities do you need to
succeed?

PROS AND CONS

• Would you choose the same occupation if you were just starting out? Why or why not?

• Do you have any special words of warning or encouragement as a result of your experience?

• If you could change any aspects of your career, what would you change?

• Why did you enter this occupation? Was it all that you had expected it to be? Was it better or worse?

• What is your favorite thing about this occupation?

• What are some of the major stresses in your work? Do you consider this to be a low/ medium/ high
stress job?

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JOB DUTIES

• Could you outline your primary job responsibilities and indicate the percentage of time that you devote
to each?

• Is there such a thing as a typical week in your job and could you briefly describe it?

• Are there any duties that you perform on a regular basis? What are they?

OTHER QUESTIONS

• What other occupations can you get into with the same background?

• If you had to choose another related occupation, what would it be?

• Are there any other occupations that you would suggest for me to explore as an alternative to this one?

• Can you recommend any other individuals’ within/outside this organization who are involved in similar or
related positions that I could talk to for more information?

• Are females in this occupation viewed differently than males?

• Are there any experiences that you have had (work-related or otherwise) that have helped you in your
occupation?