I need help interview

informationalInterveiwexample1.docx

STUDENT NAME

CYFS 101

December 3, 2019

Informational Interview

What is your name, credentials/licensing, and current job title?

Laura Bond MSW, LCSW, C-SSWS. School social worker with the Beaverton school district (Merlo, Upstart).

Can you briefly explain your educational history and a rough timeline of when this took place?

Laura graduated high school in 1988 and attended Dickinson College to obtain a BA in psychology in 1992. She took a year off to work and returned to school at Columbia University for her masters in science and social work.

What was your first job in this field, and what jobs did you have between then and now?

Laura’s first job in a mental health profession was during her year off between getting her bachelors and masters. She worked in a residential home for adults with schizophrenia as a general care provider. During her masters program, she interned at a hospital doing STD screening for an incest survivors group. That was followed up by another internship for a non profit that provided counseling and home visits for struggling families.

After finishing her masters program, she got her clinical license in New York, then she moved to Oregon and got licensed here as well. From there, she worked at Youth Contact in Washington County for three years as a youth and family therapist.

Laura briefly worked for Banks High School before moving to Pittsburgh and working in wraparound services. There, she was a behavior specialist consultant and a family therapist. This only lasted about eighteen months before she moved back to Oregon. She became a clinical supervisor for school based services at what is now LifeWorks NW. She took a break for two years when she had her child, then returned to work for Head Start, as well as teaching at Concordia University.

What was your reason for leaving your previous jobs when you did?

The main reason she moved on to different jobs in various states and cities was because her husband had to move for his job.

How does your education and work history differ from your peers or coworkers?

Many people now have the option to get their degree through a social work school like Portland State and get a bachelors level social work degree before their masters.

What does the average day of a school social worker look like?

The majority of a school social worker’s day involves face to face student support. This includes identifying dysregulated students or those that are in crisis and providing personalized resources and care. The social worker has to be ready to have students brought to them at any point in the day without warning. Additional tasks can include follow ups and check ins to make sure that certain students are making it to class and taking care of themselves.

How does working for a school like Merlo differ from what you might expect if you were working for a traditional school?

The main difference is the population of students that Merlo employees work with. There is more focus on making sure that students meet basic needs instead of solely academic performance. Most standard high schools have a large portion of students on a college track, while Merlo students are more high risk with different personal values and goals.

Is there any preparation or experience you wish you had before starting any of your jobs?

There were many situations that Laura felt under qualified and unprepared to handle in the residential home when she was fresh out of Dickinson College, but after that she felt comfortable in all her jobs. She believes that superiors make all the difference when determining the comfort of a position. Even when she felt like she didn’t know what she was doing, good supervisors made sure she was supported.

In your path to get to where you are now, is there anything that you would have done differently?

She wishes she had a little more time in some of the short lived jobs, but there are no decisions or path choices she regrets. She realizes now that her private practice was too lonely for her personal workplace preferences, but she knows that there are alterations that could have made it easier to stick with it for a longer period of time.

How has your work affected the way you view and interact with people outside of work?

This kind of work tends to make people more interested in the stories of those they meet. Laura has found herself trying to analyze and dig deeper into people’s situations and lives. When she first started in this field, a lot of her friends and family members were fascinated by her work and wanted to know more, but now they’re used to it and it’s less of a talking point. She has had to learn how to keep herself in check and know when people are okay with listening to her talk about her work and recent occurrences at work.

In your opinion, what do you think is the best way for someone to get their foot in the door of working with youth and families?

Internships and field placements acquired through school is a good way to test out different kinds of jobs to make sure that this subject is actually an interest and passion. This can also be an easy way to get experience to add to a resume, and potentially find a job within one of the placements or internships.

What I Learned

Going into this interview, my biggest interest was just hearing someone's personal education and employment history that led them to where they are now. I tend to get nervous that the path I have chosen isn’t the “right” one to get me to my end goal. I try to ask anyone I’m talking to in a social work field what their personal experience is. This interview helped me confirm the fact that there are infinite possibilities when it comes to getting into the kind of work I’m interested in.

I assume the journey was a little easier for Laura with Columbia on her resume, but it sounded like she’s worked with so many people whose lives align more with mine. I feel very grateful to be attending a college with a social work school because I got the impression that a very large quantity of social workers in recent years have been coming out of PSU.

I learned quite a bit about the value of internships and field placements obtained through school. It seems like the most convenient way to gain experience for both my resume and my personal development. So many jobs want significant related work experience, which is hard to obtain if no one will hire me for an entry level position. It was nice to hear that I don’t have to resort to work that I vowed I would never do for the sole purpose of claiming it on resumes. Laura was even able to avoid DHS child welfare when moving through jobs.

I feel like I learned a lot about the inner workings of the social work field in this interview. I had this idea in my head that because social services jobs are so intense and work heavy that the field was cold and unforgiving. I worried that without an arsenal of rich experience I wouldn’t be valuable and fail quickly. My interviewee really stressed what a huge difference a good supervisor makes. She talked a lot about the support she received in new jobs that were out of her comfort zone. Something that is stressed in social work classes is the importance of finding peers to vent to and support system to go to when work gets too heavy. I didn’t realize how much that mentality carries over into the workforce, so it was comforting to hear Laura’s positive experiences.

While I knew a little bit about the daily life of school social workers, I learned more about the kinds of in depth support they provide to students. It’s good to know that there are some school faculty members that care about the longterm wellbeing of students, and in addition to that, take actions to provide follow ups and check ins for more at risk students. Previously, the idea of working anywhere near any kind of school seemed laughable for me, but this kind of work seems like something I could not only enjoy, but succeed in.

I especially liked hearing about Laura’s history with family work. It seems like a lot of social work/CYFS students want to work with either children, youth, or adults. I think I’ve always been more interested in family systems and dynamics. Laura talked a lot about how many individualized issues can be addressed by working with an entire family so that healthy relationships are formed between relatives. Relationships in general are something that I want to study and focus on.

This interview gave me a lot more perspective into the reality of social work with children, youth, and families. I imagine that I will look back on the conversation a lot when it comes time for me to look for a career. Laura provided me with good advice that I know will help me navigate the workforce. I think my opinion on the jobs Laura held has stayed about the same, but my interest in those occupations has been reaffirmed.

LAST PAGE- The student included a screen shot of the thank you email sent to the interview subject here.

Untitleddocument9.pdf

You will conduct an interview with a professional from a field of interest to you. You will prepare in advance a list of 12-15 questions, taken from the class handout (It is OK to include a few of your own too), about the person’s background (education, prior experiences, career path), current position (responsibilities, challenges, best aspects of the position), future goals, and advice to you regarding opportunities within this field. Remember, phone or zoom interviews are acceptable, but you cannot conduct an interview via email or chat!

If you have trouble locating someone to interview by early March, please bring this to my attention.

This assignment is due at the end of Week 8, 5/26/24.

This assignment has four components:

1. Conduct a 15 to 20-minute informational interview with someone from your field of interest.

2. Include a minimum of 10 questions asked and your interviewee’s responses. (1-2 pages)

3. Write a summary of what you learned in the interview and how you may use this contact or information as you plan your course of study at PSU, and consider your own career path. (1-2 pages)

4. Write a thank you note or email to your interviewee. Attach a copy or photo of the thank you, and include it with to your final paper. (1 page)

InformationalInterviewsstudenthandout.pdf

Informational Interviews

One of the best sources for gathering information about what's happening in an occupation or an industry is to talk to people working in the field. This process is called informational or research interviewing. An informational interview is an interview that you initiate and in which you ask the questions. The purpose is to obtain information, not to get a job, although it is possible that an internship opportunity or employment could result.

Good Reasons to Conduct Infor mational Inter views:

 to get first-hand information about a person, profession, or organization  to explore careers and clarify your career goals  to discover hidden employment opportunities that may not be advertised  to initiate contact with professionals in specific career areas and begin developing a network  to build confidence for your job interviews  to access the most up-to-date career information and the needs of employers

Steps to Conduct an Infor mational Inter view:

1. Identify the Occupation or Industry You Wish to Learn About Assess your own interests, abilities, values, and skills, and evaluate labor conditions and trends to identify the best fields to research.

2. Identify People to Interview Start with lists of people you already know—friends, relatives, fellow students, present or former co-workers, supervisors, neighbors, professors, etc. Professional organizations and directories, and public speakers (from events and classes) are also good resources. You may also call an organization and ask for the name of the person by job title.

3. Prepare for the Interview Research all you can about the career field and the person you are interviewing prior to the interview. Decide what information you would like to obtain about the occupation/industry. Prepare a list of questions that you would like to have answered. Prepare to answer basic, but sometimes specific questions about yourself and your background. See page two for examples.

4. Arrange the Interview Contact the person to set up an interview by telephone, or email. Identify yourself and explain that you are a student who is researching careers in the contact’s field and let them know how you obtained their contact information. As a general rule, 15 to 30 minutes should be sufficient time for the interview. A sample script for introducing yourself:

“Hello, my name is _____. I am a student at Portland State University, and I am doing career research in your occupational field. I am wondering if you would be willing to spend a short time with me to discuss your career path and current position. Any information you can share with me is greatly appreciated and will help me in my career exploration and development.”

5. Conduct the Interview Dress appropriately for the environment where you will be conducting interview. Arrive early, bring an updated copy of your resume, and be professional and friendly. Be aware of your nonverbal communication, e.g. body language and eye contact, and be an active listener. Listening is the most important half of communication.

Refer to your list of prepared questions; stay focused primarily on contact person’s job, but allow for spontaneous discussion. Take good notes, including names and contact information of all you come in contact

with. Before leaving, ask if you may stay in touch. This is the first step in developing your network. Also ask your interviewee to suggest names of any others on-site or elsewhere who may be willing to talk with you, and ask permission to use your contact's name when approaching these new contacts.

6. Follow Up! Immediately following the interview, record any additional information gathered. Always send a thank you note or email within a few days of the interview. Thank you notes are a very effective way to keep in touch and a good way to remind people of who you are. Include your name, address, telephone, and email.

Sample Questions for an Infor mational Inter view:

Prepare a list of your own questions for your informational interview. Following are some sample questions:

1. On a typical day in this position, what do you do? 2. What training or education is required for this type of work? 3. What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful in this job? 4. What part of your job do you find most satisfying? Most challenging? 5. How did you get your job? What types of positions did you have before this occupation? 6. What opportunities for advancement are there in this field? 7. How do you see jobs in this field changing in the future? 8. Is there a demand for people in this occupation? 9. What special advice would you give a person entering this field? 10. What types of training do companies offer persons entering this field? 11. Which professional journals and organizations would help me learn more about this field? 12. What do you think of the experience I've had so far in terms of entering this field? 13. From your perspective, what are the problems you see working in this field? 14. If you could do things all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? Why? 15. With the information you have about my education, skills, and experience, what other fields or jobs

would you suggest I research further before I make a final decision? 16. What do you think of my resume? Do you see any problem areas? How would you suggest I change it? 17. Who do you know that I should talk to next? When I call him/her, may I use your name?

Be prepared to share information about yourself: Try to avoid dominating the interview by talking about yourself. Remember you are there to obtain information that will help you learn about careers and about the person you are interviewing. Be aware, however, that many informational interviews have turned into actual employment interviews.

 Why are you interested in this type of work?

 Why do you feel you would be good at it?

 What interests you about this organization or agency?

 How would you sum up your academic and work history?

 What do you want from this contact?

 How will you use the information you gather? —Adapted from the State or Oregon Informational Interview Directory

PSU Advising & Career Services 503-725-4005 402 University Services Building, 617 SW Montgomery St.

www.pdx.edu/careers