Running Head - INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW ASSESSMENT 0

Informational Interview Assessment

Alice Kang
OLPD 3496 - 002
February 23, 2016
Prof. Clark

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Overview
The objective for this informational interview is to increase the capacity of our insight and
knowledge relating to business and marketing professionals for prospective student. In this paper,
I will be discussing the description of why and how this interview was conducted, provide the
transcription between the interviewer and the interviewee, and present an analytical reflection
based on my experience.
Description
I initially hoped to interview a professional individual with a marketing position in a career that is
applicable to occupational therapy. In result of compiling research on Frasers official website, I
found that Fraser is a non-profit company that employs these two positions; the means to service
people who have developmental disabilities like autism spectrum disorder and marketing and
communications. Fraser complimented both my major and career target, so I decided to email the
Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Brenda Beukelman.
I personally know someone who works in social services for Fraser; however, I decided to make
an attempt to contact Brenda myself. I found Brenda simply on Frasers official website and
searched her on LinkedIn to ensure she had adequate professional experience in business and
marketing. Seeing that she had 21 years of experience in marketing and human resources, I was
convinced she would be a credible representative for this assignment. Undeniably, it was
challenging to find a day to meet due to conflicts in our schedule, so we mutually assessed that an
informational interview over the phone would be the best alternative.

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Transcription
Interviewer: Alice Kang (bolded)
Interviewee: Brenda Beukelman- VP of Marketing and Communications
Interview Setting: phone interview

(Start of interview)
Can you tell me about your education background and your job experience related to
marketing?
I have an undergrad degree in Sociology with a minor in Business and an MBA in Marketing,
both from University of St. Thomas. I started my career in human resources and after seven years,
transferred into marketing. My first marketing job was to rebuild the marketing communications
function for a health care system. I was in that role, and loved it, for eight years. I then worked
with a health care consulting company on a wide array of projects; including market assessments,
brand development, recruitment of physicians, and marketing communications.
What is your job title and description? And how many years have you been working with
Fraser?
I am the VP/Chief Marketing Officer at Fraser and have been here for six years. I lead the
strategic marketing efforts of the organization. We are a small, but mighty, team of five, which
develop and deliver all communications, social media, PR, collateral development, web site, event
support, and signage.
For someone who has not heard of Fraser, how would you explain to him/her what this
organization is?

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Fraser is a non-profit specializing in mental health and autism services for children and adults. We
have six clinic locations, over forty independent and supported living facilities (apartments, group
homes, etc.) and a Fraser School, a child care, and a preschool facility.
What is Frasers mission statement?
Our mission is to make a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of children, adults and
families with special needs. Our tagline is Special Needs, Bright Futures
Is it important to you that a company has similar values to your own?
Yes, very much so. As I mentioned above, I loved my previous job at the health system. However,
my son was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder at the age of 4. That was a life changing
event, as I left my career to be at home to become his therapy buddy and learn as much as I
could about how to be the best parent to him and our other two children. As he grew and needed
less interventions/treatments, I went back to work in consulting. However, I realized that if I was
going to work outside the home, it had to be worth more than just a paycheck. I also learned so
much about special needs and have a passion to help families understand the complex words and
world of autism. Working at Fraser was the perfect match both personally and professionally. I am
able to provide a unique perspective on programs and communications. It also helps me make
something positive out of the sadness we felt when we received his diagnosis.
What is a typical day at work like for you?
I check my email when I wake up, make sure there are no crisis events or public relations needs. I
head into the office after getting three kids ready for school and spend the remainder of the day in
meetings or interacting with my team. I usually check in the evening to make sure everything is
wrapped up from the day. My team is fabulously fun, so we have a good laugh most every day
about something!

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Can you share your toughest situation?
It was not easy to make a lateral move from one function to another in terms of establishing
credibility. I was a young, female and motivated to make changes. Some found this very
frightening and chose to actively work against me. My direct superior, being one of them. He
would publicly criticize me and override my decisions. One day I walked into a completely empty
floor. All doors were closed, nobody around. I knocked on a door that I hear music coming from
and a staff member cautiously opened the door and told me he did not want to be involved in the
situation. I had no idea of what he was talking about, but soon learned my supervisor had been
meeting with my staff without my knowledge and redirecting the work. I was shocked, hurt, and
scared. I took the issue to HR and they began to investigate as they deemed it to be a hostile work
environment. I was nearly eight months pregnant and went into labor two weeks early. During my
maternity leave, my boss was let go due to the situation and others that did not support a positive
and professional work environment. What I learned was to stand up and put a stop to disrespectful
behavior before it becomes a pattern. I nearly convinced myself it was just part of the job. In my
effort to prove I was strong enough for the job, I allowed a toxic situation to brew that greatly
impacted me, my family, and the whole team.
Has there been any significant change since you first worked at Fraser? Such as
advancement in technology or more prevalent use in social media?
Definitely. Our web site has been through two complete overhauls and we are starting our third.
Social media was barely on the radar and wasnt used for business purposes. Smart phones are
now viewed as a necessity rather than a luxury.
What skills or personal characteristics do you feel contribute most to success in this
industry?

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The ability to adapt and innovate quickly, to expect change, and accept accountability for both the
successes and the mistakes.
If you ever left your job, what would most likely drive you away?
Given my previous experience, I value a healthy and functional workplace. If the culture here
became negative, I would not stay. The executive leadership team works well together. The other
possibility would be salary. Working for a social service non-profit does not pay the same as other
industries. However, at this point in my career it is a good tradeoff for the flexibility I have here.
Does your work relate to any experience or studies you had in college?
Yes, nearly all of it. Even the horrible statistics class!
If you were a college student again, what would you do differently to prepare you for this
job?
I dont think I would change anything. I interned at four places, three while I was still in school. I
think this was key to landing my first job.
Do you believe grades matter more than job experience?
No. Having the highest GPA definitely does not directly correlate to being the best on job
performance. In my opinion, a job (or internship) experience tells a prospective employer you
have work ethic and have had a sample of what life is like in the field. Nobody asked me what
my undergrad GPA was after that first job. And not once, did anyone ask what my MBA GPA
was!
How does Fraser evaluate your job performance?
On the success of completing our annual goals. I have a dashboard of metrics to meet and follow

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on a monthly basis. I also evaluated on my leadership, communication skills, business judgment,
and commitment to the mission.
How is working for a nonprofit company different?
We do not have the budgets to simply buy what we would usually have in the for-profit world,
like market research data or software that would be considered standard. I had some adjusting to
do when I came from consulting to Fraser.
What obstacles do you see getting in the way of the companys growth?
The biggest challenge is having enough resources to meet the demand. We have grown over 20%
in the past four years. This is unheard of growth. Sadly, the number of children diagnosed with
autism or a mental health disorder continues to grow and there is no cure in sight. The only thing
families can do is seek treatment, which creates an enormous demand for our services. We have
stretched our infrastructure thin and are taking a year to rebuild and then continue with more
growth and expansion.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I knew you would ask that! In five years, I hope to be as happy as I am now. I may be able to
entertain new opportunities that offer more money or take a whole different career direction and
get into advocacy work for childrens mental health needs.
What sacrifices have you made to succeed in this field and do you think they were worth it?
Looking back, for the most part, it has been worth the sacrifices because I learned something from
the experience. However, the situation I mentioned before with a previous supervisor was not
worth the toll on me personally or professionally.

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What do you think is the most important interview question and why?
When I am hiring for a new team member that will be reporting to me, I always ask if they are an
early initiator or pressure prompted with deadlines. There is no wrong answer, but the ability
answer the question well shows me they have insight into their work style. The question comes
from doing a level II Myers-Briggs exercise with my team years ago.
The question involves explaining two points on a continuum; the left being early initiating when a
deadline is known and the right being completely pressure prompted. From 1 to 10, where do you
fall? 1 being extremely eager to begin lying out your plans and wanting as much time as possible
between starting and finishing. A 10 means they are very comfortable with working under
pressure, knowing they do their best work under a time constraint, and dont begin until the
deadline is looming. Again, no right or wrong.
I learned I was an early initiator, probably a 4. However, the majority of my staff at that time
ranked themselves between 7-10! That explained why I was always stressed about their ability to
hit a deadline and they got irritated if I asked how things were going when the deadline was
weeks away! It was a revelation for all of us and helped us work better together.
Analysis
This informational interview assignment has led me to gain professional insight in preparation in
regards to both business and occupational therapy practices. Interviewing Brenda has helped me
envision where I could be in the future and guided me to distinguish the skills I need to work on
to be a solid applicant.
Envisioning the Future

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Brendas description about her position and what Fraser is as a company helped me envision the
possibility of marketing as a career. She stated that, as the Vice President of Marketing and
Communications, she is accountable for all communications like social media, public relations,
collateral development, web site, event support, and signage. She mentioned that adaptation is a
vital characteristic for a potential employee due to the rapid advancement in technology and social
media. I applied this to myself and I was happy to acknowledge that I can easily adapt and learn
fast to new programs and technological tools.
Her personal and inspiring story of her sons diagnoses and how it substantially influenced her
decision to work at a lower paid organization led me to ruminate over the beneficial aspects of
marketing. I learned that marketing has the potential to be just as profound and meaningful as
occupational therapy as long if the company coincides with my ethical values. She emphasized
that she quit her consulting job, to take on a job at Fraser that acquired more meaning and
personal development. This helped me visualize the type of organization and environment I wish
to work in, in that the organization would be built on a foundation of ethical business practices
that adhere to their core values.
Improving Skills
In any informational interview, uncovering salient characteristics or skills in an employee that
entails not only minimum qualifications for the company, but qualifications that will make you an
exceptionally successful employee is always noteable advice. She mentioned that accepting
accountability for both successes and mistakes are virtuous qualities people often overlook.
Agreeably, I think people should perceive their mistakes as a learning experience, move on, and
avoid making the same mistakes again. There are times when I can be highly critical of myself,
and if I fail to surmount to my expectations, then it is a burden that often dwells. I agree with

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Brenda in that lamenting over mistakes, which are inevitable in any occupation and life itself,
would be shameful because a mere mistake can blind you from seeing a well-deserved
accomplishment. This is a challenge that I will continually work on for both my career and my
personal development.
Culture at Fraser
I went to her office located in Fraser school to drop off her thank you card, and it was then when I
saw what a normal work day was like at Fraser. The administration had their own front desk and it
branched off to smaller offices. Given that it is inside a school, the attire is conservative, but
casual. Fraser promotes a welcoming and collaborative atmosphere that reach out to their
students, parents, residents, and curious students like myself.
Conclusion
If my decision to work at Fraser was exclusively based on the interview and my research, I would
eagerly seize the opportunity, but a couple of people I know that are employed by Fraser have
informed me of the amount of emotional and physical stress involved. I was also told that they
can over dramatize their image, in that not many of the children are medically diagnosed as
autistic and are in fact highly-functional. Regardless, I have immense respect for Fraser and their
mission, but I think there are other companies out there that better compliments to what I am
looking for in a career. In regards to my thoughts for this assignment, I thoroughly enjoyed the
interview and I thought it was informative and provided clarity to a dynamic future. This
interview is one thing out of the many opportunities and resources for students alike to utilize for
optimal preparation. This assignment encourages students to engage and network with people in

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the same interest or field that can enable navigation in finding passion for a bigger and brighter
future.

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Bibliography for Presentation

Beukelman, B. (2016, February 18). Informational Interview on Marketing Position at
Fraser [Telephone interview].
Fraser MN. (2014, May 16). Fraser Employees Make a Difference. Retrieved February 23,
2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYkqbiovvmk
Mission, Vision & History. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2016, from
http://www.fraser.org/About-Fraser/Mission-Vision-History