Informational Interview
Provide the name and describe the role of the professional you interviewed.
In this interview, the person interviewed is Robert, who has worked as a project manager for 15 years. A project manager is a professional who is in charge of the project’s overall operations, and he ensures that the project is completed within the stipulated time and budget. The interviewee confessed that he has been through various professions, but none has given him the satisfaction he gained from project management. This professional assumes a role in closing, controlling, monitoring, executing, and planning projects. They are responsible for the complete project resources, project team, scope, and failure or success of the project. The project manager is an individual who has accountability when it comes to the successful operations of the project. The interviewee indicated various roles in different industries because of the changing nature of the industry. The project manager must possess an amalgamation of skills, including making queries, identifying unspecified assumptions, addressing conflicts, and carrying out overall managerial responsibility.
What appealed to you most about this job/career path? What surprised you?
What is interesting about this job is the operations involved in this profession. A project manager comprises several skills that are used on a daily basis. Unlike most professions, this job is impressive because it is accompanied by some form of growth. This profession requires the utilization of new skills because of changes in the nature of the project. To some extent, it offers room for career development. Project management encompasses impressive skills that are applied in other realms of life. The passion for transferable skills like communication, team leadership, and planning helps future-proof one’s career and increase one’s demand in the market. What surprised me in this profession is that a project manager possesses some skills that can be used in the management of projects in various industries. Unlike other careers tied to one area, this profession allows one to work in multiple industries ranging from healthcare to education to hospitality.
What did you like the least?
What I liked least about this profession is the availability of the complex software that one must work with to produce exceptional results. In the wake of rapid technological development, there is a need to understand how to use various software and tools necessary for project management. At times, using the software is not an easy task; it requires dedication and hard work. Thus, this profession requires high technology and management skills for one to be successful.
What did you learn about this person’s career path that might apply to you? How might you use the information you learned in this interview in your career search or beginning your career?
From this person’s career path, I learned that success does not come easy as people imagine; one must work hard to acquire it. This individual has worked in many organizations and various positions. He also ascertains that success requires patience because even after graduating from the university, security employment is not as easy as it may sound. He explained that success is like a ladder or staircase, and every step is essential if one is to be at the top. This is an important lesson I acquired, and I will use it in my career to reach where I want to be. Further, I understood that a job is not guaranteed as people think, which makes it uncertain. Therefore, if I follow the same career path as this person, I will be successful in my future career. The information provided in the interview is helpful because I might consider choosing this career its flexibility. The interviewee provided some insights regarding the professional life and what it takes to succeed in any career. Further, the interviewee confirmed that the selection of the career should be based on passion rather than other factors like salary. He confessed that he has always loved to be a project manager since he was in high school, and he indeed achieved his goals.
The artifact used to facilitate the interview is FaceTime. Although there were some restrictions in using this approach, FaceTime facilitated effective communication with the interviewee. It was virtually impossible to observe important cues in communication. In general, communication with FaceTime was successful and enabled me to collect all the needed details.