An Interview of Your Choice

In order to really learn about interviewing, you must practice doing interviews. There is no substitute for direct experience in learning about interviewing. This assignment will be the first of several interviews you conduct during this course.

Find a volunteer to role-play a client. The purpose of this assignment is to introduce you to the experience of formulating questions and gathering information during a clinical interview. You are not expected to have mastered these skills in week 1 nor even by the end of this course. Clinical interviewing is a skill that requires a lot of practice and years of training.

Here, you will simply interview the volunteer who is role-playing a client that is having trouble at work. Be sure to develop a plan for the interview ahead of time. What is the purpose of your interview?  How will you achieve that purpose?

Be sure to follow the ethical guidelines you have read about, including competence, confidentiality, and informed consent. The interview should be at least 10 minutes in length but no more than 20 minutes.

After you complete your interview, provide a thoughtful discussion of the following:

• How did you prepare for the interview? Be sure to list the questions used in your interview and provide a brief summary of the content of your interview.
• How long was the interview?  How much effort was required to keep the interview to the required 10-20 minute timeframe?
• What things made the interview difficult or uncomfortable? Be as specific as possible.  For example, were there things you or your client said or did during the interview that were uncomfortable?
• What factors made the interview welcoming and comfortable?  Again be as specific as possible.
• Did you think you were effective in probing and obtaining information?
• As appropriate, cite the online content, the textbook, and other credible, scholarly sources to substantiate the points you are making.