BUSINESS COMMUNICATION INSTRUCTIONAL

MODULE

The Informational Interview:

Writing With Consequences
Rationale, Methods, Tips, Schedule,
Student Handouts, and Sample Documents

by
Dr. LeeAnne Kryder
University of California, Santa Barbara

In conjunction with Dr. Mary Ellen Guffey

and South-Western Cengage Learning

The Informational Interview Assignment Cluster:

Writing With Consequences
One of the most successful projects in my business communication courses is
my Informational Interview project. This project (1) gets students out into the
field," (2) requires them to work with primary and secondary sources, (3)
encourages critical thinking, and (4) provides practice with various business
communication genres. These genres include the business letter with enclosure,
questionnaire, summary, oral presentation, and evaluative memo report with
attachments. In addition, the information they gather may also feed into their
quarter-long collaborative project, a business plan or formal report. Ive come to
rely on this project to give students an experience of what I call Writing With
Consequences.
The traditional academic assignment involves the teacher as the sole audience,
with the familiar consequence of a grade. But with this series of assignments,
students experience new consequences: they dont get an interview unless they
write a clear and convincing letter of request; they dont get an informative
interview unless they develop interesting, precise interview questions and follow
through with contact management plans. Their findings must be shared, in
written and oral format, with fellow students (and, sometimes, with the
interviewee).
The following pages contain a definition of informational interviewing and
additional reasons why and how I incorporate this project in my writing courses. I
have included sample student responses to this project, along with assignments
and handouts I give to the students (the symbol indicates for the student)
Finally, I will provide additional instructor advice for implementation and models
of completed student documents.

What Is an Informational Interview?

Lets begin with what it is NOTits not an interview for a job. In fact, I make a
point of stressing this with the students from day one: they may scare off
potential interviewees with a request for an interview. The students are to
contact a working professional to request some time from him or her for data
gathering. That is, an informational interview is a form of primary (first-hand)
research, in which the interviewer (a student) asks a series of questions about
the interviewees area of expertise and, possibly, his/her career path.
This form of research is extremely common in the workplace, but I believe it
hasnt been given enough visibility in academic courses. My commitment to this
assignment comes from personal experience. After completing my Ph.D. in 1982
but finding no teaching position, I found employment as a technical writer at the
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international headquarters of Marathon Oil Company. Within a day at my new

career, I was shocked to discover that the information I needed to do my work
was not available in writing; I had to find people to ask for that information.
I had to learn how to find the right people, persuade them to take time to share
information with a stranger, develop the right questions, and create the best
environment to facilitate that information transfer. Since that initial discovery, I
went on to spend the next eleven years in industry; and I am convinced that
informational interviewing is the quickest, most efficient, and often the only way
to learn what must be learned. This relates clearly to todays emphasis on
knowledge workers and knowledge management (for details, see Mary Ellen
Guffeys Business Communication: Process and Product, Chapter 1). Today,
as a teacher and a consultant, I continue to rely on informational interviews as a
key means for developing and updating curriculum and for better serving my
clients.
Of course, we need to exercise critical thinking when we are evaluating our
interview findings. As with any source, it is always good to compare information
gathered to that of other sources (sometimes, those sources are information
interview findings from additional sources). Often, the interview leads to written
sources (these include internal memos, reports, and spreadsheets), and to
additional persons to interview. For this reason, before my students conduct their
interviews, I have them read and summarize several published sources. Also, for
the final part of this project, I have them assess their source and information
gathered, as well as the method of data gathering they used.

Why Are Informational Interviews Effective?

An informational interview assignment is important in my business
communication courses because it

Provides a means for practicing and developing skill in what is a

common workplace task: learning from others. My experience has taught
me that the first step in an assignment should be asking others--not just
running to the library. Especially when a current situation needs research,
there may be little if any published sources.
Encourages active learning including synthesizing reading. Students
become more active readers because they know their secondary reading will
be used to develop interview questions and preinterview understanding. They
are more engaged in their interviews, because they also know that these
must yield information needed to make their final memo of findings credible
and interesting.

 Establishes a realistic context. This assignment includes a series of

associated subtasks, one of which is a letter of request (for an informational
interview). The students tend to write better for a real reader who is not
simply their instructor. Often, if the reader agrees to the interview, he/she
requests a copy of the interview findings. Again, this is a great motivator for
careful student work and increased enthusiasm for the assignment.
Additionally, the series of tasksboth written and oral--is a realistic
introduction to workplace communication.

Expands our classroom. Because students are seeking information that is

of importance to them, they try to find the best SMEs (Subject Matter Experts)
to learn things I cannot give them. Also, some students find it hard to really
accept classroom ideas (such as the concept that accountants and computer
analysts really need to develop written communication skills) until they hear
the same message from the real world. Additionally, this assignment gives
students an opportunity to explore our campus career center and use our
alumni network.

Gratifies students. My students genuinely like this assignment because they

learn from it and from each other. In our ten-week business communication
course, we also have a large collaborative project. Typically, the students
work in teams of four to five, creating a business plan or formal report. They
also give a group presentation. In contrast, the informational interview
assignment is an individuals project, allowing more freedom to pursue a
strong interest. Also, because the students are often given access to very
special persons and/or information, class members have asked me to
incorporate short oral reports so that they can learn from each other. This
gives students another opportunity to practice oral presentation skills, and
they typically appreciate that.
As the remarks indicate below, not only are the students pleased with the
interview experience, but they learn some unusual thingsthings not typically
learned in class.
I was very pleased with my interview...but I would possibly change a few things. I
wish that I would have tape recorded the interview, since Mr.------- provided me with
so much valuable information.
This [the informational interview] showed me that you actually do have to write.
Even though it is said in class, I dont always completely believe it. Now I am
convinced.
I really enjoyed speaking with -----. We spoke for about an hour, and she offered to
review and critique my resume before internship interviews. I will definitely take her
up on this! She also gave me some good advise [sic] on buying my first suit.

I felt interviewing a professional really increased my interview skills so that I will be

even more prepared when I go for a job interview.

How I Integrated the Informational Interview Into My Business

Communication Class
From the first day of class, I encourage students to start thinking about what
individual would be best suited for their informational interview. I present this as
a special opportunity to explore their possible profession and to develop a
contact who might later provide an internship or additional career advice.
Several subassignments lead to the final report, which appears in both writing
(as a memo of findings) and in a short oral presentation. Although this
assignment is for an individual grade and provides an opportunity to seek
answers to career questions, it may also yield excellent primary data for use in a
students group project. For example, if a group of students is creating a
business plan to start an environmental accounting consultancy, each individual
can include a few interview questions about environmental accounting that can
then be shared with the team. If students were investigating customer service,
they would ask about customer surveys, employee incentives, and so forth.
Out of six typical assignments in the quarter, three assignments are related to
the informational interview, earning 30 percent of the course grade. Please see
Table 1 for a closer look at how I integrate the informational interview project
among other assignments. The following pages present the written assignments
and handouts, just as you would give them to your students (their titles are
accompanied by two symbols), followed by some instructor suggestions for
implementation.
Table 1
Typical Assignment Schedule
(Assignments 1, 4 and 6 relate to informational interview project)
ASSIGNMENT

DUE DATE

% OF GRADE

1. Letter of Request for Interview with

enclosed tentative interview questions
(Individual)

Week 3

10%

2. Resume and Cover Letter (Individual)

Week 5

15%

3. Case study memo of analysis (Group)

Week 6

10%

4. Oral Report of Interview Findings

(Individual)

Week 8

5%

5. Business Plan (Group)

Week 9

40%

6. Written Report of Interview Findings

with attached evaluative annotations
5

of four background articles and/or

Websites (Individual)
Participation and in-class writings (Individual)

Week 10

15%
5%

Student Handout Sheet

Assignment Overview: Informational Interview

As you can see from our syllabus and assignments, you will have two
major projects. One will be a collaboratively developed business plan, and
the other will be an individually developed report of interview findings. To
get to these end products, youll need to pursue a variety of subtasks,
including reading, writing, analyzing, and conducting an interview.
Here is a tentative schedule of activities for your informational interview
assignment. Please consult your syllabus for the exact due dates.
Weeks 1-3

Do background reading (includes article summaries).

Identify one person to interview, with one or two backups if
this first choice doesnt materialize.
Send me an e-mail by __________________
naming your first choice and explaining, briefly, why
you chose him/her. Name your two other backup
choices.
Develop a tentative list of interview questions.
Write a letter of request and enclose a tentative list of
questions. Get letter and questions critiqued (have
reviewer use attached form); revise as needed.
Submit for grade as Assignment #1

Week 4

Revise letter and questions per instructor advice.

Send revised letter to proposed interviewee.

Weeks 4-8

Follow up letter with contact to confirm interview

arrangements.
Conduct interview.
Assemble and analyze raw notes.
Prepare for oral presentation.

Week 8

Deliver short oral presentation of interview findings

(Assignment #4).

Week 10

Write and submit memo of findings, with article summaries

and raw notes attached. Submit for grade as Assignment #6.

Assignments and Support Materials for Instructors

Assignment #1 Support Materials for Instructors
Preparation:
As a class, we have practiced
summarizing and evaluating. We have discussed the difference
between a summary and a critique.
We have reviewed business letter formats, and have
read assignments (see Reading, below) and discussed conducting
informational interviews and writing open and closed interview
questions.
Often, I will have our class meet for a field trip to our campus
career center, so that I can be certain they are familiar with its
services. It has a library with many references on companies and
professions; it also has an alumni databasesee below. If time is
short, the library trip becomes an out-of-class assignment.
Finding an interviewee. We have discussed methods to locate
an appropriate interviewee and one or two backup choices from
sources such as these:
Alumni (our career center maintains a list of alumni who are
willing to help undergraduates)
Current or former employers, coaches, teachers
Campus recruiters
Campus staff professionals (internal auditors, Director of
University Accounting, bookstore managers, Publications Editor,
Staff Training Manager, etc.)
Professional associations: on-campus clubs (like the
Accounting Club or Investment Club); local, off-campus
chapters (Society of Women Accountants, Science &
Engineering Council, Sierra Club, etc.)
Family* and friends (especially a roommates parent or a
siblings boyfriend or girlfriend)
The yellow pages of the local telephone directory or the Internet
Reading:

Chapter 11 in Guffey's Business Communication:

Process & Product ("Report Research and Basics").

I encourage students to follow their dreams and not pick a safe choice, like a mother or father! I advise
them that they should avoid the comfortable choice sometimes, so that they can practice doing something
challenging. Also, if students take a chance and request an interview from someone famous in his/her
profession, they may get that great opportunity to meet such a person.
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Student Handout Sheet

Assignment #1: Letter of Request and Interview Questions

Your assignmenta Business Letter with enclosureis an opportunity to develop

and demonstrate a number of skills:
Searching for primary (unpublished, first-hand) sources; searching secondary
sources (articles youve read which helped create interview questions)
Writing clear, concise, correct, coherent prose
Producing bottom-line writing
Using effective business letter format
Producing audience-centered writing, with appropriate tone and word choice
Specifics:
Write a letter requesting an informational interview. Decide whether you wish this
interview to provide an opportunity for you to learn more about your possible
career or to learn more about an organization that you wish to work for. The
person you select could be an expert met via the Web or discovered through a
published article. It could be an entrepreneur who conducts a green business.
When looking for someone in your anticipated field, especially consult the Career
Centers Career Net and other professional organizations. Sometimes your
contact may be a parent of a friend or a manager in a company where you
currently work (one student got an interview with his banks presidentjust
because he asked).
Follow the letter format reviewed in class. Your relationship with the audience
will probably determine the specific format (block, semiblock, personal
business style), word choice, and tone.
Use the direct request organizational pattern for the letter: (Introduction
establishes rapport AND provides the purpose for the interview;
subsequent paragraphs provide details to support the request; conclusion
ends the letter with courtesy and explains the next action.)
Enclose tentative interview questions. As a reader courtesy and as a
communication aid, enclose a copy of tentative interview questions. The
questions should come from your readings and class discussion. Give
publication data (MLA style) for two of the sources you used to develop
your questions. Include the following core questions that everyone in
our course will ask:
How much time do you estimate that you spend during a typical work week
on
(a) written communication and (b) oral communication?
What types of documents do you typically write?
What would you do differently if you were in school or college today?
What advice do you have for my classmates and me?
Be sure to staple the questionnaire to your letter before submitting it.

Make every effort to actually conduct the interview in person. Let me know if you
cant. Well determine a viable alternative, or you will contact your back-up choice.

DO NOT procrastinate on this project, although the interview notes and assessment
arent due until later. It takes time to plan for and execute a worthwhile interview.
Student Handout Sheet

Improvement Stage of the Writing Process: In-class Critique

One of the best ways you can move your writing from adequate to excellent is
to build in time for revision. Thats what were practicing today.
Consider playwright Neil Simons words: Rewriting is when playwriting really
gets to be funIn baseball you only get three swings and youre out. In rewriting,
you get almost as many swings as you want and you know, sooner or later, youll
hit the ball.
Todays Tasks:
As editor

As writer

Read and evaluate a classmate's the letter and its enclosure

the tentative interview questions). You may make comments
on the document itself, but also mark your answers to the
questions below. Sign this evaluation sheet when youve
completed the task, and use it for a discussion between you
and the writer. That writer will need to attach this critique
sheet to the final draft.
Collect two evaluation sheets from two different editors, and
attach them (as the final sheets) to this assignment due ___.
Be sure to discuss comments with each editor.
.

Evaluation Criteria (Before reading, ask the writer WHY this person was selected to be
interviewed. Is there any existing connection/contact?
Also, ask what typical spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors
the writer makesthen, look for these when editing! )
1. Clear purpose--the
bottom line ?
2. Appropriate detail for
content ?
3. Format correct?

4. Next action?
5. Mechanics?

Is the letters purpose clearly

presented in the first
paragraph?
Does the reader have enough
information to understand the
request and make a decision?
Which format did the writer
follow? block, semiblock
personal business
Does the reader know what, if
anything, is to be done next
and who will do it?
Spelling, grammar,
punctuationare these
correct?

Yes

No

Comments

Yes

No

Comments
Comments

Yes

No

Comments

Yes

No

Comments

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6. Enclosed questions

Are the enclosed questions

clearly and correctly
expressed? (These, too, must
be proofread)

Yes

No

Comments

Student Handout Sheet

SAMPLE STUDENT LETTER (letter used with permission)

P.O Box XXX
Santa Barbara, CA 93102
October 15, 200X
XXXXX XXXXXX, Manager
Coopers & Lybrand
4675 MacArthur Court, Suite 1600
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Dear Mr. XXXXXX:
We met over lunch at the UCSB Accounting Associations Beach Party on
October 12, 20XX. I really enjoyed our conversation and am interested in
learning more about your firm. I would like to talk to you about a group project I
think would be an excellent opportunity for this. The project is on "Issues and
Communication Practices Within the Accounting Profession."
I have enclosed an outline of what taking on this project would involve for your
office. It includes the types of questions and documentation my group is
especially interested in.
The information we compile will be used in a formal written report to the
Instructor and in an oral presentation to other students of accounting. I would be
happy to provide you with a copy of our report when the project is finished.
If you have any questions or would like to contact me, I can be reached at XXX
XXX-XXXX. I will contact you on Friday, October 25, to discuss this further. I look
forward to speaking with you again.
Sincerely,
Sandra Wilcox
Accounting Student
Enclosure: Project Outline
Instructors note: Sandras contact was unavailable for an interview. Fortunately,
she contacted a manager from another Big Six Accounting firmand liked the
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firm so well that she joined it after graduation. She works there now, as an
accountant! See Sandras report of findings later in this packet.

Note: Student Sample (Tentative Interview Question List)

Enclosed with student letter from Sandra Wilcox, October 15, 200X)
Project Outline
Issues and Communication Practices
Within the Accounting Profession
A team of four students will conduct four one-on-one interviews with
professionals from your office.
The interviews need to be completed by Wednesday, November 6, 20XX.
The interviews can be conducted in person, over the telephone, or by email.
Each interview should last approximately 15-30 minutes.
During the interviews, the group members will review various types of
communication used in your office including the following:
Writing
How often?
What type?
Internal vs. external
May we view/have samples?
Oral Presentations
How often?
What type?
Internal vs. external

Team Work
How often is it used?
What does it accomplish?
What are some of the problems?
Changing Technology
How is technology affecting communication within the profession?
With clients?
Specifically, how is the Internet affecting communication?
12

How important are oral and written communication skills to career success
in this field?

Post-Assignment #1 Advice for Instructors

After the teacher comments on and grades assignment #1, students revise their
letters and interview questions (as needed) and send these revised documents
out quickly to the proposed interviewee.
Within three to five working days after the letter has been submitted, the
students should follow up their interview request with a phone call (or e-mail if
phone number isnt known). This contact is both an effort to expedite the preinterview activities and a useful check to see whether the interviewee is still at
that location, or possibly on vacation, or hasnt yet received the letter. Students
should practice sounding courteous and positive in their calls to confirm interview
arrangements such as date, time, and location.
Before students begin to conduct their interview, I share with them some
pointers I have developed over the years (see Interview Tips handout and
Guffey checklist on subsequent pages). Although we have never had any student
who felt his/her personal safety was threatened, I always give students some
cautionary suggestions for an in-person interview. Here are some additional
problems that can arise, along with some tips for instructors:

Encourage shy students who are uncomfortable with one-to-one

contact, in person or on the telephone. Sometimes these are international
students, still uncomfortable with spoken English, or they are insecure
freshmen.
Tip: I allow students to work together in the interview; in this way,
students get two opportunities (each student must still contribute
individual assignments, so each student must secure one person to
interview) to practice interviews AND they get the moral support that they
need. Each has to write up one of the joint interviews.

Keep students on track so the assignment gets done.

Tip: I have students give a brief, oral status report on their
interview efforts usually during Week 6. After five years of experience with
this assignment, Ive had only two students who failed to complete their
interviews. These were freshmen engineering students who lacked
motivation and time management skills. Because of them, I began the
oral presentation and the optional doubling up for interviews.

Give international students extra help. They have fewer networks in

the US, and they may be shy for several reasons.
Tip: The early e-mail to me helps alert me to potential problems and gives
me an opportunity to offer individual suggestions.
13

Be prepared for an occasional bad interview. Typically, the interviewee

has said yes but really didnt have time or the willingness to participate in
a good interview.
Tip: Often, I will have all students ask several core questions, which
then can be shared as a class (especially if in a computer lab). That way,
we can get some more meaningful numbers (at least 25 interview
sources) to then compile in charts and tables for an exercise in visual
communication. This is an opportunity to really see how we can use
figures to support our purpose. These charts are available for inclusion in
their final reports (memo and oral presentations). Thus, even if an
individual students interview is not very positive or informative, he or she
can still learn from the information gathered by other students.

Typical Interview Questions From Students

What types of writing do you do? (e-mail, letters, progress reports, proposals,
etc.?) May I see samples?
What is your current position at XYZ? Would you briefly describe your
responsibilities?
What was the hardest transition for you from school or college to work?
What are the most fascinating aspects of this job? The most frustrating?
What would you do differently if you were just starting out in the field now?
On average, what is the typical male-to-female ratio at XYZ?
What is the basis behind the name change from the audit department to
the assurance department?
If you were to hire someone for an entry-level position, what would you like
to see on the resume? In the interview?
What are some typical customer complaints? How do you find out about
these? How are they resolved?
Do you survey your customers for their suggestions in improving customer
service? May I see a copy (have a copy) of one of those surveys?

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Student Handout Sheet

INTERVIEW TIPS
For detailed instructions, consult the checklist on the following page.
Below are some additional tips:
Before your in-person informational interview
Watch your personal safety. DO NOT meet this person after hours or
before work unless you are in a public place, such a coffee shop.
Tell others, especially a close friend and/or roommate, WHERE you are
going and WHO you are meeting. Leave the NAME of the person you are
meeting, and his/her PHONE NUMBER where you can be reached.
Advise your friends and/or roommate as to WHEN you plan to return. If
you are interviewing the person at his/her office, remember that you may be
invited to stay for a tour of the office or to go out for coffee or lunch. This may
extend the time of your return.

Before your telephone informational interview

Advise your roommate(s) that you will be conducting an important
Interview over the telephone. You would appreciate their courtesy
please avoid picking up the phone during that interview, yelling, or pulling
pranks during the session.
Review your answering machine tapeis it fit for your professional contact
to hear (he or she may call you at a prearranged time). You may wish to
rerecord that greeting.
Review your interview questions. Make sure they are ready for your
interview in a convenient, quiet spot. If you are using a portable telephone,
make sure that you know where it is and that it has been recharged. Dont run
out of telephone time because of your battery!

Advice from other students from previous classes:

Try your best to do the interview in person:
I think it would have been more informational and helpful if the interview had
been in person. That way I could also see the body language response
throughout the interview. M. Escobar (6/8/99)

Use e-mail as a last resort:

If I were to redo this interview, I would speak to the interviewee via
telephone or in person. I believe that I would receive more in-depth and
accurate answers to my questions. M. Davidson (6/8/99)

Use a tape recorder (but ask permission before you begin!)

...bring a tape recorder, since it is a little distracting to have to take notes.
H. Barry (6/10/99)
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Student Handout Sheet

Checklist for Conducting Informational and Other Interviews

by Dr. Mary Ellen Guffey
Before the Interview
Prepare for tape recording. Ask for permission to tape record. If granted, practice
using your equipment.
Do your homework. Learn as much as possible about the interviewee, the
organization, and the topic.
Develop schedule of questions. Group similar questions together, and prepare
transitions between groupings.
Consider sending questions in advance. You can often collect better information if
the interviewee knows in advance what will be asked.
Dress professionally and arrive on time. Appropriate attire adds to your credibility.
During the Interview
Begin by showing appreciation. Thank the interviewee for giving you this time.
Explain your purpose. Tell what you hope to accomplish, and explain how you will
use the information.
Seek permission to quote. Request the interviewee's consent to use his or her
words.
Ask questions clearly. Follow your schedule but be prepared to probe for more
information when appropriate.
Stay on track. If the interview begins to stray from your target topic, gently bring it
back in line.
Listen; don't talk or debate. Remember that your goal is to learn from the
interviewee. Be prepared to listen more than you talk. And don't debate issues.
Be interested. Show respect by maintaining eye contact. Don't stare out the window,
slump, or doodle.
Record minimal notes. Leave space on your question schedule so that you can jot
down important responses.
Concluding the Interview
Announce conclusion; ask for additional comments. After finishing your
questions, ask whether you have forgotten anything or whether interviewee has
additional ideas.
Ask whether you may call to confirm or follow up. Seek permission to verify facts
or follow up on points after you leave.
Offer to send copy of transcript or report. Be prepared to share results.
Express thanks. Show your appreciation.
After the Interview
Transcribe immediately. While the information is fresh in your mind, prepare a
transcript of your notes or recording.
Send a copy of the report. Provide a copy of your transcript or report to the
interviewee, along with a written thank-you letter.

16

Student Handout Sheet

Assignment #4: Oral Report of Findings

Try out some of the techniques for information transfer that we discussed in
class. Because you must distill your interview findings into a 5-minute
presentation, you need to identify the key facts and assessments worth sharing.
Your audience needs to know:
Name of Interviewee:
Position/ company name
Channel of communication: telephone, fax, U.S. mail, e-mail, inperson or other
Why you selected this person
What were some of your key findings? How did these compare with
your expectations?
What, if anything, would you do differently next time?
How valuable was this interview to your understanding of the XXXX
profession?
Consider the audio-visual aids you might use for this presentation
overhead transparencies, handouts, photos, and objects (samples of the
documentation your engineer creates? Brochures about the company your
accountant works for?)
Practice, practice before your presentation!

17

Student Handout Sheet

Assignment #6: Written Report of Findings

Prepare and provide a written report, in memo format, for me. This written
report should include:

Introduction, providing purpose, background (include factual

information on your interviewee: name, position, company,
location of the interview, interview date, duration of the interview
and WHY you selected him/her), and methodology

Findings, presenting key findings on your topic gathered from

your primary source (the informational interview) and secondary
sources. Include at least two types of visual aids: one must be a
table, while the other may be any variety of graphic. Be sure to
refer to your appendices.

Conclusion, containing your final Analysis and

Recommendations

Attachment Items. These will vary, but you must include

the raw data (notes you took during the interview) and
annotated sources. This is an alphabetized list of all sources,
primary and secondary, written in MLA format. Each secondary
source must have an evaluative summary (a brief summary of
the source, with your assessment as to how useful it was to
your research project).

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Excerpts from Student Interview Findings and Annotated

Bibliography (reprinted with permission)
Findings
by Sandra Wilcox
Interviewee:
Contact Information:
Date/ Location:
Duration of Interview:

XXX, Senior Accountant, Audit Services

Deloitte & Touche LLP, 1000 Wilshire Blvd.,
Los Angeles, CA 90017-2472.
Phone __________ E-mail ___________
DD/MM/YY/ Los Angeles (D & T office)
About one hour

Writing
What types of writing do you do as a Senior Accountant?
We generally use preformatted correspondence for writing addressed to clients. The use of
computers has made this very efficient. Many types of writing such as reports and engagement
letters, are preformatted due to content guidelines from AICPA as well as firm standards.
For client correspondence that is not preformatted, we have a little more creative freedom, but the
manager or partner in charge will review the letter before it is sent. They will let you know if they
want you to make changes. I have had a partner review a letter and say We should change the
tone here.
I also use a lot of E-mail both within the office and to clients. A lot of clients prefer this. This is only
for less formal correspondence, such as a request for information on a certain area. E-mail is
great for Technical Bulletins or things that need to get to everyone in the office, because you can
send it to everyone with one button. No phone tag.

Oral Presentation
Do you give oral presentations?
I do not do very much formal oral presentation. I do a great deal of informal oral presentation to
my audit teams. As a senior, I am responsible for coordinating and budgeting the audit. I do a lot
of planning for the report. I assign tasks to the first and second year staff. This is mostly in a small
group or one on one.
The most important skill for new staff is interpersonal skills. We try to read clients reactions and
tailor our communication to their tastes. We try to tell if they are the Chit Chat type or the nononsense type. If they like to chat we do not want to offend them by rushing in and out. A no
nonsense executive might find chit chat annoying. We try to fit the clients needs.
Technical skills are very important. We maintain a high standard but the applicant pool is full of
students with the necessary grades; when we recruit, we look for communication skills as well.

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Training
Does Deloitte & Touche have any formal training programs for communication?
We have extensive training in Technical, Written, Computer, and Communication skills. I am doing
an evaluation of a first-year staff members Verbal Skills this week. It is my job to offer her
constructive criticism. What she does well, where she could improve, how to work on it, and
whether she is meeting her goals.

Teamwork
How often do you work in teams?
I would say 95 percent of my work is with a team. Once in a while there is an engagement that is
just a review of a company. One person may be sent out for something like this.

Changing Technology
How is technology affecting communication within the profession?
We have just made a large switch in our technology base. Everyone in the audit department has
an IBM Thinkpad. We have changed over to a new software that uses Excel and Word on
Windows 95. It is called Audit System 2. It lets us link all kinds of documents, both text and
spreadsheet. It can check the numbers in the text portion against the spreadsheet. It has an
Index that is like a file manager for each client. My E-mail is linked so that I can send it the office.
No more printing. This is new technology and Im sure others will pick up on it; but for now we
have an advantage.

As a Senior, What skills are you concentrating on developing?

I am concentrating on my interpersonal skills, time and resource management as well as
organizational skills.

Other Information
I really enjoyed speaking with XXXX. We spoke for about an hour, and she offered to review and
critique my resume before internship interviews. I will definitely take her up on this! She also gave
me some good advise[advice] on buying my first suit.
XXXX agreed to send me some sample documents over the weekend; I will include them in our
group report.

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Excerpt from Annotated Bibliography

by Anthony Jolly
AICPA Software for the Paperless Audit. Ohio CPA Journal. 55 (June
1996): 31-32.
This article asserts that paperless audits have become the norm rather
than the exception. It details how much of an audit is done over an
Electronic Data Exchange System. XXX, manager at the Costa Mesa
office of Deloitte and Touche, winter 1997, interviewed for this assignment.
He also spoke of paperless audits, and we will include this type of
information in the Speed of Customer Service section of our report.
Albrecht, W. David. CPA Firms on the World Wide Web. Ohio CPA
Journal 55(June 1996): 25-29.
This article acquaints the readers with reasons why a website on the
World Wide Web is helpful for CPA firms. This article helped us in our case
memo and will prove helpful again in our final report. We will use it in the
Online Communications part of our report.
Deleo, Wanda; Letorneau, C. Angela. Writing: a Natural Part of
Accounting. Management Accounting 76 (Sept. 1994): 80.
Deleo describes the sentiments of partners in Big Six accounting firms
regarding writing. [The article] also describes the current and future use of
writing in accounting courses. This should help us in building the Written
Communication part of our report. It should also help us construct our
vision of the Accountant of the Future.
Demery, Paul. KPMG Looking to Balance Tier One and Tier Two Services.
Practical Accountant. 29 (November 1996): 10.
Demery has gathered information from high-ranking individuals in KPMG
Peat Marwick describing the companys move to include consulting as the
third major branch of their firm (the other two major branches being audit
and tax). This article corroborates information from our interview notes,
and we can use it in our consulting section.

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Conclusion
Over the years, as Ive varied this assignment with different business and
technical communication classes, Ive remained convinced that this informational
interview project is challenging and worthwhile. Besides its academic worth, this
project also seems to be transformative: most students feel closer to the
profession they aspire to practice in after completing this assignment. Whether
freshman or senior, each student seems to blossom with the achievement of
going outside, into the real world and making a connection. Most professionals
treat the students with respect and serveeven if only for an houras a mentor
to the students. With so much to gain, this assignment cluster is worth a try!

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