Career Compass Interview Packet
Career Exploration Project • Adult Interview 01
Career Compass: Real Pathways & Advice
Student:
Date:
Interviewee Profile
Adult's Full Name:
Relationship to You:
Years in This Field:
Current Job Title & Employer / Industry:
Primary Work Setting:
[ ] Office [ ] Remote [ ] Field/Trade
Part 1: Career Origins & Choices
-
How did you choose or stumble into this career? What factors (interests, people, coincidences) guided you?
-
What education, trade training, licenses, or early experience were essential to get started?
Part 2: Work Realities & Daily Life
-
What does a typical day look like? What specific tasks or problem-solving take up most of your energy?
-
What is the most rewarding aspect of your career, and what is the hardest or most stressful part?
Part 3: Retrospective & Wisdom
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If you could go back to high school or your early 20s, what would you do differently regarding your career?
-
What is one piece of candid advice you think every young person needs to hear about the working world?
Interviewee Initials / Signature:
Interview Date:
Page 1 of 4
Career Exploration Project • Adult Interview 02
Career Compass: Real Pathways & Advice
Student:
Date:
Interviewee Profile
Adult's Full Name:
Relationship to You:
Years in This Field:
Current Job Title & Employer / Industry:
Primary Work Setting:
[ ] Office [ ] Remote [ ] Field/Trade
Part 1: Career Origins & Choices
-
How did you choose or stumble into this career? What factors (interests, people, coincidences) guided you?
-
What education, trade training, licenses, or early experience were essential to get started?
Part 2: Work Realities & Daily Life
-
What does a typical day look like? What specific tasks or problem-solving take up most of your energy?
-
What is the most rewarding aspect of your career, and what is the hardest or most stressful part?
Part 3: Retrospective & Wisdom
-
If you could go back to high school or your early 20s, what would you do differently regarding your career?
-
What is one piece of candid advice you think every young person needs to hear about the working world?
Interviewee Initials / Signature:
Interview Date:
Page 2 of 4
Career Exploration Project • Adult Interview 03
Career Compass: Real Pathways & Advice
Student:
Date:
Interviewee Profile
Adult's Full Name:
Relationship to You:
Years in This Field:
Current Job Title & Employer / Industry:
Primary Work Setting:
[ ] Office [ ] Remote [ ] Field/Trade
Part 1: Career Origins & Choices
-
How did you choose or stumble into this career? What factors (interests, people, coincidences) guided you?
-
What education, trade training, licenses, or early experience were essential to get started?
Part 2: Work Realities & Daily Life
-
What does a typical day look like? What specific tasks or problem-solving take up most of your energy?
-
What is the most rewarding aspect of your career, and what is the hardest or most stressful part?
Part 3: Retrospective & Wisdom
-
If you could go back to high school or your early 20s, what would you do differently regarding your career?
-
What is one piece of candid advice you think every young person needs to hear about the working world?
Interviewee Initials / Signature:
Interview Date:
Page 3 of 4
Part 4: Synthesis & Takeaways
Career Comparison & Personal Reflection
Student:
Class/Period:
Now that you have interviewed three working adults, review your notes side-by-side. Analyze common threads, contrasting viewpoints, and how their journeys inform your own future goals.
Section A: Side-by-Side Comparison Matrix
Comparison Dimension
Adult 1: (Job Title)
Adult 2: (Job Title)
Adult 3: (Job Title)
Path Type: Direct route vs. winding detours?
Key Skill or Mindset: What mattered most in their field?
Key Regret or Pivot: What would they change if restarted?
Section B: Synthesizing Insights & Personal Takeaways
1. Patterns & Common Threads: What surprised you most about how these adults entered their careers? Did you notice any common trends or unexpected detours?
2. Contrasting Advice: Where did the adults agree in their advice, and where did their perspectives differ? Whose advice resonated with you most, and why?
3. Looking Inward: How has hearing these three stories influenced the way you think about your own career interests, values, and educational decisions?
4. Actionable Next Step: Name one specific skill, hobby, course, or hands-on experience you want to explore during this school year to test your interests.
"Your career is not a single decision—it is a series of experiments and adaptations."
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