Interview Assignment with a Software Professional

Assignment Description:

The interview process and write-up should progress over several weeks. Proper planning will increase the chances of a passing grade.

Here are some guidelines to help you achieve that goal:

  1. Each student will identify and interview a professional in the software field. This person will preferably be a software engineer or first level manager with current software development experience. The interview is meant to expose you to the opinions and experiences of a person actively working on the field. Be sure to take adequate notes, as these will be the basis for your final report. Issues you should address include (but are not limited to) the following:
    1. Your interviewee's name, email, and city of residence.
    2. The companies the interviewee has worked for, including the current employer and length of service there.
    3. The interviewee's position (or title) and the types of software systems he or she works on.
    4. What is the size of the team the interviewee works on or manages?
    5. What technologies are employed: languages, databases, and tools for areas such as configuration management, testing, automated build.
    6. What process does your team follow?
    7. What is typical workday like?
    8. What are the most important skills needed to succeed in the job?
    9. What are some of the ethical issues you feel would be important for me to consider in pursuing a career in this field?
    10. Consider what other aspects would be of interest to you. You must add several of your own questions to this list.
    11. You MAY NOT conduct the interview over email, chat, etc.... It must be a verbal exchange.
  2. To find potential interviewees, brainstorm sources (e.g., friends and relatives, blogs on the Web, companies you might be interested in working in, etc.). You may not interview RIT faculty members or members of your family.
  3. There is an Interview Paper discussion group on myCourses where each student is to post the name and affiliation of the person selected by the specified date in course schedule. To prevent overburdening any particular professional, only one student can interview any specific person. In the case of duplication, the first person to post to the discussion group wins.
    1. Post two extra questions that you plan on asking the interviewee in addition to the questions that are posted.

Format of Deliverable

  1. Submit your final deliverable on or before the Sunday identified in the course schedule. Comply with the following:
    1. A properly structured 2-4 page paper summarizing your interview (as a file in either a MSWord or PDF format).
      1. Make sure to conform with the MLA Formatting and Style Guide.
      2. The lead paragraph must clearly state who you interviewed, their company or organization, and their title or position.
      3. You will be assessed on the paper's content, reflection and mechanics(organization, grammar and spelling). Refer to the assignment's rubric on myCourses.
    2. A copy of the notes, interview transcripts/Q&A, email exchanges, and any other material used in writing your paper should be captured as an Appendix at the end of your paper. NOTE: this material does not count as part of the 2-4 pages.
      1. NOTE: If you decide that you want to record the session to help you recollect and complement your notes, you must make sure to get consent from your interviewee that it is OK for you to record.

Grading:

This assignment constitutes a large portion (10%) of your final grade. Be sure to follow instructions, adhere to deadlines and meet the required format to avoid any penalties on grading.