524 Employment Questions Ask People (Storytelling)

Ask people these 524 employment questions for storytelling.

I have interviewed hundreds of people about their jobs, trade, employment, occupation, business ownership and careers. Based on the answers I received in those interviews, I have put together a list of writing prompts and questions about employment to ask people when writing narratives. The employment series includes eight categories that range from jobs during youth, adult years and retirement. Use these prompts and questions to help you

• Identify events and memories you can write about
• Organize and write your narrative and story
• Develop questions to ask other people about their life’s
• Organize, research and write stories about others
• Know what type of information to include in narratives and stories
• Identify memorabilia, artifacts, photos, documents to include in stories
• Develop ideas for journaling, story starters, poetry, memoirs, and more

Writing Prompts and Employment Questions 

The “Employment” writing prompts and questions to ask people are part of a 28 article, 108 category series entitled “7,500-plus Questions About Life to Ask People When Writing Narratives.” The prompts and questions are provided to help you look at family relationships from as many angles as possible when writing narratives about yourself, your family, and others. The categories and types of topics covered include:

• Child Employment (Age 0-11). Find 11 prompts and questions. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. These questions cover the type of jobs you had as a child, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

• Teenager Employment (Age 11-18). Find 26 prompts and questions. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. These questions cover the type of jobs you had as a teenager, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

• Adult Employment (Age 18-25). Find 77 prompts and questions. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. We have divided employment into three different periods to account for experience and change during career and employment. This is the first period. These questions cover your changes in your career, jobs, unemployment, thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

• Adult Employment (Age 25-45). Find 98 prompts and questions. We have divided employment into three different periods to account for experience and change during career and employment. This is the second period. These questions cover your changes in your career, jobs, unemployment, thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

• Adult Employment (Age 45-65). Find 142 prompts and questions. We have divided employment into three different periods to account for experience and change during career and employment. This is the third period. These questions cover your changes in your career, jobs, unemployment, thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

• Working from Home. Find 19 prompts and questions. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. These questions cover the decision to work from home, thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

• Owning A Business. Find 112 prompts and questions. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. These questions cover the decision to be in business, how the business evolved and grew, thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

• Retirement. Find 99 prompts and questions. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. These questions cover the decision to retire, what the person did in retirement, thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Approach each topic from the point of view of the person/lives you are writing about. You don’t have to ask every question. Review the questions and determine which ones are most appropriate to ask. I would encourage you to modify and add questions as you desire.

I have prepared a couple of other resources that will provide value in interviewing for and writing individual, personal, and family narratives: “Complete Guide for Conducting Oral History Interviews” and “Complete Guide to Writing A Personal Narrative.”

Child Employment (Age 0-11)

Writing Prompts and Questions about Employment

“Child Employment (Age 0-11)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Employment and Career. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. What kind of tasks did you have to do?
2. Did you get an allowance or wage for what you did?
3. Did you do a job for neighbors like cutting the lawn, babysitting or others?
4. How much did you get paid?
5. What did you like or dislike about the jobs you had?
6. What did you spend your money on?
7. Did your parents own a business that you helped out with?
   • What did you do for them?
   • Was it hard to have your parents like a boss?
8. What did you want to be when you grew up?
   • Why?

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Teenager Employment (Age 11-18)

Writing Prompts and Questions about Employment

” Teenager Employment (Age 11-18)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Family Relationships. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. What was your first job as a teenager?
2. Did you wait tables, pump gas, take care of children or others?
   • Did you like it?
3. Did you like your boss?
4. How did you find your first job?
   • Did you look in the newspaper?
   • Did your parents help you out?
5. Did your parents own a business where you worked?
   • What did you do for them?
   • Was it hard to have your parents like a boss?
6. Why did you have a job?
   • Was it to earn spending money? Save for college? Other?
   • Did you need to help your family out?
7. Did your parents want you to learn to be responsible?
8. How much did your first job pay?
   • Did you think that this was a lot of money?
   • Did you ever get a raise?
9. How did you deal with the responsibility of a first job?
10. Were you dependable?
11. Did you take your job seriously?
12. Did you change jobs as a teenager, or did you stick with the same one? Why?
13. What did you want to do when you were older?
14. Did you take steps to get experience in this area?
15. Was balancing your work with school, sports, others?
    • Was it an issue? An issue for you? If so, how did you do it?
    • What lessons did you do during this period?

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Adult Employment (Age 18-25)

Writing Prompts and Questions about Employment

“Adult Employment (Age 18-25)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Employment and Career. We have divided employment into three different periods to account for experience and change during career and employment. This is the first period. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. After High School, what were your desires, dreams, expectations for a life-long career/employment?
   • Did you know what you wanted to do with your life?
   • What steps did you take to learn more about your desired career?
   • What type of education or training did you receive?
   • Can you explain all the training you went through?
   • Did you have to complete an internship during your education?
   • What did you like most about your education?
   • Was there a time during your education that you changed the direction or modified your career aspirations?
   • Did you feel your training helped you prepare for your job/career?
2. Did you have a part-time or temporary job while you were searching for a full-time job?
3. What expectations did you have about what your and your first full-time job would be like?
   • Did your expectations turn out to be true?
4. Talk about the process you went through to find your first job?
   • What specifically did you do? What worked best?
   • Did you find the job by yourself, recruited, or have a connection like a parent or a friend to introduce you?
   • How long did it take to find your first job?
   • What do you remember about the interview process?
5. What was your first job?
   • Why did you choose this job?
   • Did you take a job that was available to pay the bills?
   • Did you like it?
   • Did the company tell you why they hired you?
6. Describe the company where you worked.
7. What was the company name?
   • Where was it located?
   • What did the company do?
   • Did you have to move to work there?
8. Was this job the first step in your career path?
9. What were your responsibilities at this job?
10. What his job, an entry-level position?
    • Did the company have a career path where you could progress to jobs that had more and more responsibility?
    • Did your responsibilities change over time?
11. How much were you paid?
    • Did this seem like a lot of money to you?
12. Did you have benefits?
    • What were they?

13. With whom did you work?
    • Were they the same age as you was/were?
    • Did you feel like you fit in, or did it take a while to feel comfortable with them?
    • Did you become close friends with anyone?
14. What type of work environment were you in?
    • Did you work indoors or outdoors?
    • Was it a desk job or otherwise?
15. Did you have a lot of contact with other people?
16. Did you have to learn how to operate any new equipment in this job?
    • Tools?
    • Office machines?
17. What type of training/education did you receive at work?
    • Describe the training or program that you had?
    • How did you feel about the training?
    • Did you have any mishaps while you were learning?
18. What was the hardest thing about your new job?
19. Were you ever hurt on the job?
    • If yes, how?
    • Describe what happened after you were hurt?
    • Were you able to return to work? Explain.
20. Did you like or dislike working 40 or more hours a week?
21. Do you remember any of your tasks, assignments, or jobs that you remember?
    • Describe what you remember.
22. How did you feel about the job? Was the work challenging?
23. What did you like and not like about the job?
24. Who was your manager?
    • Did you like your manager?
25.  Did you have a mentor during the early years of your first job?
    • What did you learn from him or you?
    • Why did you look up to this person?
26. Describe what you learned in the transition from training to the first job?
    • Did you become more responsible?
    • Did you learn a specific skill?
    • How did it help you in life?
27. How long did you keep your first job?
28. Did you stay with the company? If not, why? If yes, why?
29. Did your first job help guide your career?
30. What advice would you give to your family?

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Adult Employment (Age 25-45)

Writing Prompts and Questions about Employment

“Adult Employment (Age 25-45)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Employment and Career. We have divided employment into three different periods to account for experience and change during career and employment. This is the second period. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. How long were you in your first job?
2. Provide an overview of how your career progressed after your first job?
3. What were some of your goals for the future of your career?
   • How did the goals change over time, and why?
   • What goals did you achieve?
   • Were the goals worth it? Explain?
   • If you could do it over, what goals would you change?
4. For each job/position, please describe?
   • Where did you work?
   • About what year did you start?
   • Did you find the job by yourself, recruited, or have a connection like a parent or a friend to introduce you?
   • Did the company tell you why they hired you?
   • Why did you choose to work in this position?
   • How much were you paid? Did this seem like a lot of money to you?
   • Did your salary change too?
   • Did you have to move for a new job?
   • How long did you stay at this job?
   • What were you told about the job and responsibilities?
   • Where the responsibilities the same or different than described?
   • What were your expectations for the job? Were your expectations met? Explain?
   • Describe the work environment?
   • Did you receive any training? Explain.
   • What did you like and dislike about the job?
   • What were the responsibilities?
   • What type of projects did you work on?
   • What are you most proud of during the time you had the job? Please explain.
5. Did your job allow you to spend time with your family? Explain.
   • What were the pros and cons of work in relation to family life?
6. Did technology change during the time you were working?
   • If yes, how?
   • How did technology change the direction of your career?
   • How did technology change your job?
   • What were the pros and cons of technology?
7. With whom did you work?
   • Were they the same age as you was/were?
   • Did you feel like you fit in, or did it take a while to feel comfortable with them?
   • Did you become close friends with anyone?
8. What type of work environment were you in?
   • Did you work indoors or outdoors?
   • Was it a desk job or otherwise?
9. Did you have a lot of contact with other people?
10. Did you have to learn how to operate any new equipment in this job?
11. What type of training/education did you receive at work?
    • Describe the training or program that you had?
    • How did you feel about the training?
    • Did you have any mishaps while you were learning?

12. Were you ever a manager?
    • Talk about being a manager?
    • What were your responsibilities?
    • Did you apply for the job? What was the process like?
    • Where have you chosen to be a manager? Or did you want to be a manager?
    • What did you like and not like about being a manager?
    • What type of training did you receive as a manager?
    • What type of projects were you responsible for?
    • What are you most proud of during your time as a manager?
    • Did you like it?
13. Were you ever hurt on the job?
    • If yes, how?
    • Describe what happened after you were hurt?
    • Were you able to return to work? Explain.
14. Were you ever laid off or have a time when you did not have a job in your chosen career?
    • Why were they not employed at a job?
    • Did you have a part-time or temporary job while you were searching for a full-time job?
    • How long were you between jobs?
    • Describe the experience?
    • What steps did you take to find new work?
    • What did you learn from the experience?
    • Did you take a job that was available to pay the bills?
    • What was the hardest thing about your new job?
    • Did you feel you were a good manager? Explain.
    • How many people did you manage?
    • What were some of your challenges with your team?
15. Who was your manager?
    • Did you like your manager?
16. Did you ever feel guilty for working outside of your home?
    • If you had children, did you feel that you didn’t spend enough time with them
17. Did you have any other jobs that you worked in addition to your primary job?
    • What did you have for the second job?
    • Did the job change the course of your career?
    • Did the job develop into a career?
    • How long did you have the second job?
    • What is the most memorable experience?
18. Did you have any mentors during this period?
    • What did you learn from him or you?
    • Why did you look up to this person?
19. What type of training, books, education did you do on your own to become stronger at your job?
    • What books or training were most influential and why?
20. Do you have any regrets from this period? Explain.
21. What lessons did you do during this period?
22. What advice would you give to your family?

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Adult Employment (Age 45-65)

Writing Prompts and Questions about Employment

“Adult Employment (Age 25-45)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Employment and Career. We have divided employment into three different periods to account for experience and change during career and employment. This is the third period. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. What were some of your goals for the future of your career?
   • How did the goals change over time, and why?
   • What goals did you achieve?
   • Were the goals worth it? Explain?
   • If you could do it over, what goals would you change?
2. For each job/position, please describe?
   • Where did you work?
   • About what year did you start?
   • Did you find the job by yourself, recruited, or have a connection like a parent or a friend to introduce you?
   • Did the company tell you why they hired you?
   • Why did you choose to work in this position?
   • How much were you paid? Did this seem like a lot of money to you?
   • Did your salary change too?
   • Did you have to move for a new job?
   • How long did you stay at this job?
   • What were you told about the job and responsibilities?
   • Where the responsibilities the same or different than described?
   • What were your expectations for the job? Were your expectations met? Explain?
   • Describe the work environment?
   • Did you receive any training? Explain.
   • What did you like and dislike about the job?
   • What were the responsibilities?
   • What type of projects did you work on?
   • What are you most proud of during the time you had the job? Please explain.
3. Did your job allow you to spend time with your family? Explain.
   • What were the pros and cons of work in relation to family life?
4. Did technology change during the time you were working?
   • If yes, how?
   • How did technology change the direction of your career?
   • How did technology change your job?
   • What were the pros and cons of technology?
5. With whom did you work?
   • Were they the same age as you was/were?
   • Did you feel like you fit in, or did it take a while to feel comfortable with them?
   • Did you become close friends with anyone?
6. What type of work environment were you in?
   • Did you work indoors or outdoors?
   • Was it a desk job or otherwise?
7. Did you have a lot of contact with other people?
8. Did you have to learn how to operate any new equipment in this job?
9. What type of training/education did you receive at work?
   • Describe the training or program that you had?
   • How did you feel about the training?
   • Did you have any mishaps while you were learning?
10. Were you ever a manager?
    • Talk about being a manager?
    • What were your responsibilities?
    • Did you apply for the job? What was the process like?
    • Where have you chosen to be a manager? Or did you want to be the manager?
    • What did you like and not like about being a manager?
    • What type of training did you receive as a manager?
    • What type of projects were you responsible for?
    • What are you most proud of during your time as a manager?

1. 11. Did you like it?
   12. Were you ever hurt on the job?
       • If yes, how?
       • Describe what happened after you were hurt?
       • Were you able to return to work? Explain.
   13. Did you have to juggle being a parent and career?
       • What were the challenges?
       • What were the rewards?
   14. Did you ever feel guilty for working outside of your home?
       • If you had children, did you feel that you didn’t spend enough time with them
   15. Did you ever work from home? Explain?
       • Why did you stay home instead of work?
       • Were you not expected to work?
       • Did you need to take care of the children?
       • Did you ever feel pressure from others to go to work?
       • Did you think that people looked down on you because you didn’t have a “career”?
       • What did you like about being home?
       • Was there anything that you disliked?
   16. Were you ever laid off, fired, or have a time when you did not have a job in your chosen career?
       • Why were they not employed at a job?
       • Did you have a part-time or temporary job while you were searching for a full-time job?
       • How long were you between jobs?
       • Describe the experience?
       • What steps did you take to find new work?
       • What did you learn from the experience?
       • Did you take a job that was available to pay the bills?
       • What was the hardest thing about your new job?
       • Did you feel you were a good manager? Explain.
       • How many people did you manage?
       • What were some of your challenges with your team?
   17. Which job did you like the least and which the most?
       • Why?
       • What about you, bosses?
   18. Did you ever have any disappointments in the workplace?
   19. Were there any projects that failed?
   20. Were you passed up for any promotions?
   21. What did you learn from these experiences?
   22. What were the most rewarding aspects of your jobs?
   23. Did you make a difference in some way?
   24. What accomplishments were you proud of?
   25. Did you ever change your line of work?
       • If yes, what made you decide to switch?
       • Were the job opportunities better?
       • What about the pay?
   26. Did you ever take a significant amount of time off of work?
       • Why?
       • Were you ill?
       • Did you travel?
       • Did this affect your employment?
   27. Which job did you like the least and which the most?
       • Why?
       • What about you, bosses?
   28. Did you ever have any disappointments in the workplace?
   29. Were there any projects that failed?
   30. Were you passed up for any promotions?
   31. What did you learn from these experiences?
   32. What were the most rewarding aspects of your jobs?
   33. Did you make a difference in some way?
   34. What accomplishments were you proud of?
   35. Did you ever change your line of work?
       • If yes, what made you decide to switch?
       • Were the job opportunities better?
       • What about the pay?
   36. Did you ever take a significant amount of time off of work?
       • Why?
       • Were you ill?
       • Did you travel?
       • Did this affect your employment?
   37. Who was your manager?
       • Did you like your manager?
   38. Did you have any other jobs that you worked in addition to your primary job?
       • What did you have for the second job?
       • Did the job change the course of your career?
       • Did the job develop into a career?
       • How long did you have the second job?
       • What is the most memorable experience?
   39. Did you have any mentors during this period?
       • What did you learn from him or you?
       • Why did you look up to this person?
   40. What type of training, books, education did you do on your own to become stronger at your job?
       • What books or training were most influential and why?
   41. Do you have any regrets from this period? Explain.
   42. What lessons did you do during this period?
   43. What advice would you give to your family?

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Working from Home Writing Prompts and Questions

“Working from Home” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Employment and Career. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. Did you ever work from home? Explain?
   • Why did you stay home instead of work?
   • Were you not expected to work?
   • Did you need to take care of the children?
   • Did you ever feel pressure from others to go to work?
   • Did you think that people looked down on you because you didn’t have a “career”?
   • What did you like about being home?
   • Was there anything that you disliked?
2. Would you have worked outside the home if you could have?
   • Why did you work outside the home?
   • Was it expected?
3. Did they need the money?
4. What type of work did you do at home?
5. Describe what a workday was like?
6. What skills and knowledge were needed to perform your duties?
7. Did your skills improve over time?
8. Did you have enough interaction with other adults during the day?

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Owning A Business

Writing Prompts and Questions

“Owning A Business” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Employment and Career. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. What prompted you to have your own business or work for yourself?
   • Where did the idea come from?
   • Did you develop or purchase the business?
   • How old were you when you started your own business?
2. How many businesses did you own?
   • Answer the questions in this section about each business.
3. Describe your business.
   • What was your business? A service, retail shop, or farm, for example.
   • What type of work did you do?
   • Where was the business located?
   • Describe who your customer was?
   • What type of equipment did you use in your business?
4. How did the business develop over time?
5. How did technology change the course of your business?
6. What were the challenges of running your own business?
7. What were the rewards of running your own business?
8. What your business full-time or part-time?
9. How many people did you have working for you?
   • Were you able to find the type of employees you needed? Explain.
   • What made a good employee?
   • What is hard to find employees?
   • What did you value most in an employee?
   • Did you ever have to discipline an employee? Explain.
10. Was it hard to “get away” from work?
11. Was it challenging to find good people to help?
12. Did you feel like you had the knowledge and skills to run your own business?
    • If yes, what knowledge and skills did you feel were most important?
    • If no, what knowledge and skills did you need to acquire?
13. What type of training, books, education did you do on your own to become stronger at your job?
    • What books or training were most influential and why?
14. Did you enjoy being your boss and having control over all aspects of the business?
15. How did you finance your business in the beginning?

1. 16. Were you able to get a loan, or did you not need much capital to start it up?
   17. Was there ever a time when the business was not growing or going the way you wanted? Explain.
   18. Was there ever a time when you thought the business would fail?
       • What caused the difficulties?
       • Were you able to get through this time, or did your fears come true?
   19. How did your business change over the years?
   20. What do you wish you knew about owing a business before your start?
   21. Did you have any special training to start your business?
   22. Did you ever feel as if your business had “made it”?
       • When was this? What made you feel this way?
   23. Did you ever have family working for your business?
       • What were the pros and cons of having a family work for you?
       • Did you have a family that you were developing to take over the business? If yes, who? How did you train them?
       • Did they finally take over the business?
   24. As the business grew, did you ever think of selling the business?
       • Did you sell the business? To whom?
       • Why did you sell the business?
       • Did you stay with the business? Why?
       • What role did play in the new business?
       • What were the pros and cons of staying with the business?
       • When did you leave the business? What did you do?
   25. Did you ever declare bankruptcy?
       • If yes, describe what lead to the decision?
       • What is chapter 7, chapter 13 or other?
   26. What your business ever involved in a legal lawsuit? Explain
   27. What lessons did you learn from having your own business?
   28. What advice would you give to others about owning a business?

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Retirement Writing Prompts and Questions

“Retirement” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Family Relationships. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. Did you ever have any pressure from others to retire?
   • Who?
   • Why?
2.  As you matured, did you ever look forward to your retirement?
   • Why?
3. Did you think about or plan for your financial security after retiring. If so, what did you do?
4. As you got closer to retirement age, did you look forward to retiring?
5. Were you ready or reluctant to leave the workplace?
6.  How old were you when you retired?
7. What were your goals and expectations for retirement?
8. Did you have a retirement party?
   • Who attended?
   • Did you receive any gifts?
9. Did you feel as if you were financially secure when the retirement age came around?
10. Did you think you had been able to prepare sufficiently, or did you worry about what might happen if you became ill?
11. What did you plan to do after you retired?
    • Did you have any special projects that you wanted to work on?
    • Did you want to travel?
    • Did you want to spend more time with your family?
12. What was the most challenging part about retirement from a career?
13. What were the pros and cons of retirement? Explain.
    • What did you do to get over these feelings?
14. Did you decide to work part-time or volunteer after you retired?
    • Why or why not?
    • What did you do for work?
    • What did you like and not like about work?
    • What work fulfilling?
15. Were you able to spend a lot of time with your family after retiring?
    • What did they do together?
16. Did your circle of friends change after retirement? Explain.
17. Had many of your friends had been in the working world?
18. What was the best part of retirement?
19. What were the challenging parts of retirement?
20. Did retirement change your outlook on life?
21. What lessons have you learned about retirement?
22. What would you tell others about retirement?
23. What advice would you give to your family?

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