From: Sarvnaz Soofiani

To: Professor Wayne C. Hackett

Communication 1010-027
Subject: Interview Analysis Memo
November 21, 2015

Interview Analysis Memo

For my Communication class project I interviewed Shawn. He is an Industrial/Manufacturing
engineer with extensive experience in Manufacturing and consulting. He has a Bachelors degree in
Industrial Engineering and a Masters degree in Manufacturing Engineering from Northwestern
University. I was introduced to him by a friend.
Summary of Lessons Learned
I learned that Industrial engineering is a very broad field. Today Industrial engineers work in such
settings as IT, hospitals, logistics, banking, Manufacturing, utilities and many others. In a nutshell,
industrial engineers deal with how products are created (tangible or not), quality of those products, and
the cost of making the products. Their education consists of computer systems, mathematics, statistics,
management, economics, and design. They are among the highest paid engineers and the job growth rate
is expected to be 20.3% over the next ten years.
Typical working schedule is 8 A.M until 5 P.M, Monday through Friday. Consulting engineering
involves extensive travel and longer hours due to the nature of the business. Because things change
rapidly, there is not really a typical day for an Industrial engineer. There are new challenges every day.

Industrial engineers must keep up with the advancing technology through attending seminars or
training sessions for new procedures or processes. The cost is usually covered by the employer.
My interviewee invested over $40,000 for his education in early 80s. Today annual average cost
is around $40,000 for private universities. A Masters degree will increase your chances of finding
employment sooner, as well as a higher salary.
According to Shawn, key to a successful career is being happy at the place of your employment.
If you do not get along with your boss, it does not make sense to stick around and be miserable. You
should enjoy going to work, not have to.
At the beginning of the interview process I was nervous, but Shawn put me at ease by telling me
I am the one who is being interviewed, not you. I felt more in control with every question I asked
Shawn. I learned that the same questioned will be asked of me when I go for a job interview. Now I have
a better understanding of the process by watching Shawns body language and listening to the tone of his
voice. If an interviewee tries to take control of the situation by asking questions, take back the control by
focusing on the purpose of the interview by directing the questions back to the interviewee. Mutual
respect is a must. Be pleasant and enjoy the process.