SofiaSotelo

InterviewProject:Part1
COMM1010
PreliminaryResearch
MyInterviewee:
IhavebeenfortunateenoughtosetupaninterviewJimStewart.Mr.Stewartisthe
schoolpsychologistatCopperHillsHighSchool.IchoosetointerviewthisindividualbecauseI
havealwaysbeeninterestedinhisoccupationandcanseethisbeingacareerIwouldliketo
pursue.Iamcurrentlyastudentatthehighschoolheworkswith,whichmadecontactinghim
fairlysimple.AlthoughIhaveneverhadapersonalconversationwithMr.Stewart,Iknowhe
hasbeenatremendoushelptosomeofmyfriendsandpeers,whichIfindadmirable.
IfirstcontactedJimStewartbyspeakingwiththeCopperHillsHighSchoolscounseling
center.Mycounselorinformedmeastowherehisroomwaslocatedwithintheschool.Ifirstmet
withMr.StewartinhisofficewherewediscussedwhyIwasinterestedininterviewinghimand
whentheinterviewwouldtakeplace.Theinterviewwillheheldinhisoffice,asishisrequest
andbecausethisiswherehespendsamajorityofhistime,whileheisatwork.Theinterview
willbeheldMonday,September30th,2015atthreePM.
CareerResearch:
MyinterestinthiscareerbeganwhenItookmyfirstpsychologyclass.Ihavealways
foundlearningaboutourcognitive,emotionalandsocialbehaviortobefascinating.AlthoughI
enjoyedlearningaboutvariousconceptswithinpsychology,Iwasmostengagedbytheideaof
learningdisabilities.Alongwithlearningaboutwhypeopledothethingstheydo,Ialsoenjoy
beingabletohelpotherindividuals,whichiswhyIfeelaschoolpsychologistwouldbean
adequatecareerchoiceformyself.
Schoolpsychologistsaremembersofschoolteamsthataimtoimprovestudents
learning,behaviorandmentalhealthabilities.Aschoolpsychologistsmissionstatementwould
betohelpstudentssucceedemotionally,socially,academicallyandbehaviorally.Itisalsothe
schoolpsychologist'sjobtocommunicatewithstudents,parents,schooladministratorsand
teacherswhenthereisasignificantproblem.SomethingIfindadmirablethatschool
psychologistsdois,createstrongerbondsbetweenastrugglingstudentandtheirfamilyand
community.
AccordingtotheBureauofLaborStatistics,thereareabout1,1202,280psychologists
workinginelementaryandsecondaryschoolsinthestateofUtah.Theannualmeanpayscalefor
schoolpsychologists,livinginUtah,isaround$34,090$62,820.Individualsstrivingtobecome
schoolpsychologistswillneedtoobtainabachelor'sdegreeineducational,counselingorgeneral
psychology.Schoolpsychologistsarerequiredtotakeclassesinalloftheabovefieldstobetter
theirunderstandingofeachconcept.Inaddition,moststatesrequirethecompletionofa1,200
hourinternshipwithajobinthepsychologyfield.


InterviewPlan
Opening:
HelloMr.Stewart,mynameisSofiaSotelo.Thankyoufortakingthetimetomeetwith
metoday.Ifitsalrightwithyou,Iwouldliketorecordourinterview,forfuturereferencesand
willbejottingdownafewnotes.Theinterviewwillbenolongerthanthirtyminutes.
AsImentionedwhenwefirstspokelastweek,thepurposeofthisinterviewistodiscuss
thecareeryouhavechosen,formyCommunication1010class.Ihavealwaysbeeninterestedby
yourspecificcareerchoice,andafterresearchingyourprofession,Iamhighlyconsidering
pursuingacareerinthefieldofpsychology.
Iwouldliketoaskyouafewquestionwhichrelatetoyourjob.Thesequestions,and
theiranswers,willassistinthebetteringofmyunderstandingonwhatthelifeofaschool
psychologistisreallylike.Iwouldliketoaskyouacoupleofquestionssurroundingwhyyou
chosethiscareerasaprofession,theeducationrequiredforthejob,anordinarydayonthejob,
howthejobmayaffectyourpersonallifeandtheoveralljobenvironment.Ifyouhaveany
questions,feelfreetoaskastheycometomind.Areyoureadytobegin?

Body:
Topic#1TheStartofYourCareer
1. Howdidyoudecidetobecomeschoolpsychologist's(Primary,Open)

Wouldyousaythiscareerwasthecorrectcareerchoiceforyou?(Secondary,Open)
Wereyouinterestedinothercareersinthepsychologyfield?(Secondary,Closed)
Ifyes,whatweretheyandwhydidyouschoolbeingaschoolpsychologistover
theothercareer(s)?(Secondary,Open)
2.Didyouhavepreviousjobswithinthepsychologyfield?(Primary,Open)
Ifyes,whatwereyourpreviousjobs?(Secondary,Open)
3.Whatweretheeducationalrequirementsyoucompletedforthisjob?(Primary,Open)
Doyouhaveotherdegrees,certificates,etc,thathelpedyourcareer?(Secondary,
Closed)
Ifyes,whatarethey?(Secondary,Open)
Didyouhavetocompleteaninternshiporshadowsomeoneintheprofessionfora
njdfhjd
certainamountofhours?(Secondary,Open)
Whatotherjobscouldyoutransitionintowithouthavingtoattendmoreyearsof
schooling?(Secondary,Closed)
4.Listfurtherskillswhichwouldbehelpfultohaveforthiscareer.(Primary,Open)
Didyouhavetheseskillsbeforeenteringthejoborweretheylearned?(Secondary,
s
Open)
5.Whatwasthehardestpartaboutsecuringyourcurrentjob?(Primary,Open)
Wouldyousaythisjobisacompetitivecareer?(Secondary,Open)

6.Howdoyouearninayear?(Primary,Closed)

Hasyoursalaryincreasesinceyoubeganworkingasapsychologist?(Secondary,
Closed)

Topic#2AnOrdinaryDayOntheJob
1. Canyouwalkmethroughatypicallydayatwork?(Primary,Open)

Typically,whattimedoesyourdaybeginandend?(Secondary,Closed)
Doyouhavetostayattheschoolafterschoolhours?(Secondary,Closed)
2.Howisflexibleisyourschedule?(Primary,Closed)
Whenareyourdaysoffofwork?(Secondary,Closed)
Isitdifficulttoscheduledaysoffofworkforvations?(Secondary,Closed)
Doesyourworkscheduletendtointerferewithyourpersonallife?(Secondary,Closed)
Ifyes,howso?(Secondary,Open)
3.Whatwouldyousayyouenjoythemostaboutyourjob?(Primary,Open)
Whatissomethingyoudislikeaboutyourjob?(Secondary,Open)
Areyourlikesanddislikesbasedonthejobitselforthelocationyouareworkingat?(
7Secondary,Open)
4.Ifitsalrightwithyou,Iwouldliketoaskyouafewquestionsabouthowthisjobaffects
yourpersonallife?(Secondary,Closed)
Ifyes,dothethingsyouhearatworkfromyourstudentsfollowyouhome?(Primary,
Open)
Howdoyoucopewithhearingdifficultstoriesaboutyourstudentslivesandnotletting
itaffectyourlifeonceoutofwork?(Secondary,Open)
5.Doyouoftenleavetheschoolwithadditionalwork?Ordoesyourjobendwhenyoureoff
schoolgrounds?(Primary,Open)
Ifyes,whatdoesyouroutsideworkinclude?(Secondary,Closed)

Topic#3WorkEnvironment
1. Howwouldyoudescribeyourinteractionwithstudents?(Primary,Open)
Doyoufeelcomfortablearoundthestudents?(Secondary,Closed)
Aretheresituationswhereyoudon'tfeelascomfortablewithyourstudentsthanothers?
(Secondary,Open)
Doyoufeelthatstudentstrustyou?(Secondary,Closed)
2.Howwouldyoudescribeyourinteractionwithyourcoworkers?(Primary,Open)
Isitdifficulttocommunicatewithteachersandadministrationwhenastudentisgoing
throughsomethingsignificant?(Secondary,Closed)
Doyoupreferoneononecommunicationwithstudentsorcommunicatinginformation
otherstaffmembers?(Secondary,Closed)
3.DoyouenjoybeingtheonlypsychologistatCopperHills?(Primary,Closed)


Wouldhavingmultiplepsychologistsworkinginthesameareabebeneficial?Whyor
why

not?(Secondary,Opened)
4.Whatareyourthoughtsonworkingataschool,likeCopperHillsthathasalargestudent
population?(Primary,Opened)

Wouldyoupreferworkingwithasmallergroupofstudents?(Secondary,Closed)
Doyouenjoythediversityofstudents?(Secondary,Closed)
5.Whatwouldyousayarethedifficultiesassociatedwiththisjob?(Primary,Opened)
Whataretheeasiertasks,ifany?(Secondary,Closed)

ClearHousingQuestions:
IsthereanythingelseyoufeelisimportantthatIhaventalreadymentioned?
WhoelsewouldyourecommendthatIspeakto,inregardstoajobinpsychology?
Isthereanythingelseyoudliketoshare?
Isthereanythingyoudliketoaskme?

Closing:
ThoseareallthequestionsIhaveforyou,thankyouagain,fortakingtimeoutofyour
daytomeetwithme.Ihavedefinitelylearnedmoreaboutthiscareerfromspeakingwithyou
thanIwouldhavebysimplyconductingresearch.Thisinterviewhasbeeneyeopeningtome
andInowunderstandthatthiscouldpossiblybethejobIwanttopursue.
Lastly,IhavethisevaluationformIwouldlikeyoutocompleteandsendbacktomy
professor.Theevaluationisverystraightforwardandwillreflectmyperformancethroughoutthe
interview.Iwouldappreciateitifyoucouldbecompletelyhonest.Althoughtheevaluationwill
notaffectmygradeintheclass,Iwillnotbegivencreditfortheinterviewassignmentuntilmy
professorreceivesit.Ihavewithmeanenvelope,addressedandstamped,readyforyoutosend
tomyprofessor.
Thankyouagainforallowingmetointerviewyouaboutmyfuturecareerinterests.Itwas
nicetomeetyou.

WorkCited:
AboutSchoolPsychology.(2012).RetrievedSeptember25,2015,from
http://www.nasponline.org/about_sp/index.aspx

SchoolandCareerCounselor.(2014,January14).RetrievedSeptember25,2015,from
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/communityandsocialservice/schoolandcareercounselors.htm#tab4

SchoolPsychologyCareers.(n.d.).RetrievedSeptember25,2015,from
http://careersinpsychology.org/becomeaschoolpsychologist/