Communication

ASSIGNMENT 6: Interview

Learning Target (Curricular Competencies):

  • Use acknowledgements and citations to recognize intellectual property rights
  • Respectfully exchange ideas and viewpoints from diverse perspectives to build shared understanding and extend thinking 
  • Explore appropriate spoken language formats for intended purposes

Effective communication is critical to success not only in dramatic performance or public speaking, but also in in business and life. 

Concerned about an upcoming interview?  Anxious about being asked to give your thoughts?  Fearful about needing to provide oral critical feedback?  Intimidated by an angry customer? You are definitely not alone.  This assignment puts you in the driver's seat. 

The purpose of this assignment is to provide students with a practical exercise in information-gathering interview skills while at the same time providing them with some information about possible career choices.

Task:

Option A

Students should locate a person (not a friend or family member) who currently holds approximately the same job and title that he or she hopes to hold in five years. Schedule a fifteen to twenty minute interview with this person. The student is the interviewer; this is NOT a fake job interview, it is a practical information-seeking interview in which the student hopes to find out everything possible to help them prepare for that position.

You should prepare a few open-ended questions.  Here are some suggestions…

Suggested Questions: 

  • You may want to begin with career questions about the interviewee’s job title, duties, responsibilities, typical day
  • Ask for advice about educational requirements for the job
  • You may ask technical questions, if interested, that relate to your career choice
  • Ask for personal advice, if appropriate (courses, internships,  co-ops, study abroad)
  • You may want to end with questions about the future, e.g., the company or industry in five years
  • Ask a couple of environmental questions, e.g., does the company have environmental policies?  Do they have a recycling program? Does the interviewee’s job deal with environmental issues?  What are the environmental concerns within that industry?
  • What do you like the most (or least) about the job?
  • What is the impact of oral and written communication on your work and your progress in your profession?

These questions are only a beginning, you will certainly want to develop others so that you have a full sense of the demands and responsibilities of the position held by the interviewee and the nature of their field.  Include a clear introduction and conclusion.

Submit

  • your interview notes and the interview script.
  • If you recorded it, you could submit that.

 

And now the panic begins.  I have no idea about possible career choices!  I am uncomfortable asking a total stranger to interview!  Aaaaagh!

Option B

INSTEAD...Do all the background research on your possible career choice and do a mock interview with a friend and family member.  You or your interviewee can be the “expert” in the field as you will have all the relevant information at your fingertips.

Submit

  • Provide your research notes INCLUDING all the relevant citation information
  • Your interview script.  Include a clear introduction and conclusion.
  • Your recording

 IMPORTANT

Be sure to acknowledge your sources in MLA format.  Read the handout on MLA CITATION in Class Handouts at the top of the course.  Or use the Course Resource links at the side of the front page.

There are also a number of online sites that will generate your citations for you!!  Try citationmachine.

Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.  

Learning Target: (Exemplary 6/6): Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective.  A clear introduction and conclusion are included, and interview questions generate answers that are more than just one or two words.  All parts of the selected assignment are complete.  Student demonstrates the ability to access relevant and accurate information from diverse perspectives and from a variety of sources to respectfully exchange ideas and viewpoints and to build shared understanding and extend thinking .

Oral Presentation:  (Exemplary (6/6):   Interview is delivered in an interesting, clear and informative manner.  Final product is of professional quality and demonstrates great attention to detail in its delivery. Spoken word can be clearly heard without distraction and is delivered with appropriate passion and inflection to support the overall message and inform the audience.  

Submission: 

Use the "2.6 Interview" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.