Research Study 3, Research Brief 2, 2018 Customized Employment as an Evidence-based Practice: What are Informational Interviews? by Dr. Katherine Inge, Nancy Brooks-Lane, and Dr. Carolyn Graham INTRODUCTION The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of People with Physical Disabilities conducted a series of focus groups with recognized national experts and implementers of customized employment. The objective of this qualitative research was to develop of a description of customized employment that agencies can use when supporting individuals with disabilities. professionals representing national experts and implementers of customized employment participated. The calls were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed to identify themes associated with customized employment implementation. The research provides insight into the practices that are associated with customized employment that facilitate integrated employment outcomes. This research brief focuses on informational interviewing as reported by these participants. QUESTION: What is an informational interview? ANSWER: An informational interview is a business term that is being used to describe an essential element of customized employment. The purpose of an informational interview is to learn about a potential career when information is not readily available. They are informal conversations with people who work in the area or career of interest. An individual who wants to learn more about a chosen field identifies people who are willing to talk about their careers or jobs. When used as a customized employment practice, the focus is on getting to know a business in a similar way that discovery focuses on getting to know a job seeker. Informational interviews may help the job seeker and the employment specialist learn more about how the person’s interests and skills may meet the needs of business. One focus group of implementers discussed how informational interviewing can guide people who support the job seeker to focus on a specific individual’s interests. When asked how customized employment differs from other approaches to finding people with disabilities a job, one participant in the group stated the following: I think that the way we approach employers is completely different.... this whole approach of informational interviewing and not assuming you know what an employer does.... but actually getting in there and learning about businesses. QUESTION: How do you identify businesses where you can conduct informational interviews? ANSWER: Businesses are selected, because they represent a specific job seeker’s interests or “vocational themes.” In other words, a business is selected for an informational interview based on what was learned about a specific job seeker during discovery. Discovery considers who the individual is first, and then businesses are identified where informational interviews can be conducted. Typically, job
Research Study 3, Research Brief 2, 2018 Customized Employment as an Evidence-based Practice: What are Informational Interviews? by Dr. Katherine Inge, Nancy Brooks-Lane, and Dr. Carolyn Graham INTRODUCTION The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of People with Physical Disabilities conducted a series of focus groups with recognized national experts and implementers of customized employment. The objective of this qualitative research was to develop of a description of customized employment that agencies can use when supporting individuals with disabilities. professionals representing national experts and implementers of customized employment participated. The calls were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed to identify themes associated with customized employment implementation. The research provides insight into the practices that are associated with customized employment that facilitate integrated employment outcomes. This research brief focuses on informational interviewing as reported by these participants. QUESTION: What is an informational interview? ANSWER: An informational interview is a business term that is being used to describe an essential element of customized employment. The purpose of an informational interview is to learn about a potential career when information is not readily available. They are informal conversations with people who work in the area or career of interest. An individual who wants to learn more about a chosen field identifies people who are willing to talk about their careers or jobs. When used as a customized employment practice, the focus is on getting to know a business in a similar way that discovery focuses on getting to know a job seeker. Informational interviews may help the job seeker and the employment specialist learn more about how the person’s interests and skills may meet the needs of business. One focus group of implementers discussed how informational interviewing can guide people who support the job seeker to focus on a specific individual’s interests. When asked how customized employment differs from other approaches to finding people with disabilities a job, one participant in the group stated the following: I think that the way we approach employers is completely different.... this whole approach of informational interviewing and not assuming you know what an employer does.... but actually getting in there and learning about businesses. QUESTION: How do you identify businesses where you can conduct informational interviews? ANSWER: Businesses are selected, because they represent a specific job seeker’s interests or “vocational themes.” In other words, a business is selected for an informational interview based on what was learned about a specific job seeker during discovery. Discovery considers who the individual is first, and then businesses are identified where informational interviews can be conducted. Typically, job
Q_and_A_Informational_Interviewing2.docx