Guidance & Careers
Career Guidance Interview
A career guidance interview is a one-to-one conversation that helps a student think about what they want to do after their studies. The adviser does not hand over an answer: the questions bring out interests, strengths, constraints and ideas the student may not have put into words yet. Here are the questions to ask, from the broad picture to the next concrete step.
17 questions
When to use this template
- At key moments of the school or university year, such as before choosing a specialisation or applying for further study.
- When a student says they have no idea what they want to do, or on the contrary has a plan that has never been tested.
- In the final year, to prepare for the move into work or into a new programme.
- After an internship or work placement, while the experience is fresh and can inform the student's choices.
Questions to ask
Getting started
- 01What would you like to get out of this conversation?
- 02How would you describe where you are in your studies right now?
- 03When you think about the future, what comes to mind first?
- 04Is there anything about your plans that worries you?
Interests and strengths
- 05Which subjects or activities make you lose track of time?
- 06What do other people usually ask you for help with?
- 07Which achievement, in or out of school, are you most proud of?
- 08What kind of tasks do you tend to avoid, and why?
Ideas and options
- 09Which jobs or fields have you already thought about?
- 10What attracts you in them, and what holds you back?
- 11Have you spoken to anyone who works in these areas? What did you learn?
- 12What matters most to you in a future job: for example, stability, creativity, helping others, income or location?
Reality check and next steps
- 13What do you still need to find out before you can decide?
- 14Which constraints do you have to take into account, such as budget, location or family expectations?
- 15What is one thing you could try this month to test an idea?
- 16Who could help you with that step, and what can we do on our side?
- 17When shall we meet again to talk about how it went?
Tips for a useful conversation
- Let the student speak first and resist the urge to suggest careers in the first ten minutes.
- Ask for concrete examples: a moment they enjoyed teaches more than a stated preference.
- Treat family expectations and money as real parameters, not obstacles to be ignored.
- Present options as things to test, such as a visit, a talk with a professional or a short project, rather than as final choices.
- End with one small action and a date for the next conversation so the reflection continues.
Mistakes to avoid
- Steering the student toward the adviser's own preferences or toward the most popular paths.
- Asking “what do you want to do in life?” as the opening question, which overwhelms most students.
- Treating the first answer as a decision instead of a starting point.
- Giving a list of options and not planning any follow-up.
Let Passisto Students hold these conversations
The AI agent holds regular voice check-ins with your students and flags those who need help, so advisors can act early.