Informational Interview about Educational Backgrounds and Work Experiences in the Psychology and Education Field - Assignment Example

September 14, Informational Interview Profiles of People Interviewed I would like to pursue a career inpsychology and education. As such the people I interviewed possessed educational backgrounds and work experiences in these fields of discipline. The people interviewed are as follows: (1) my psychology professor, Professor Dickinson, because she is an educator and she used to be a medical practitioner, as a therapist; (2) my aunt, Mrs. Carter, who was a part time professor at SFSU; and (3) a teacher at Burlingame high school. Responses to Self-Reflective Questions How do you know this person, if at all and what positions do they hold? As briefly noted, the people I interviewed held positions relating to the field of discipline I intend to pursue: psychology and education. As such, the three (3) held positions as professors and one was a medical practitioner who applied the degree in psychology. How did it feel to set up the interview and conduct it? First of all, when I learned of the requirements of the interview, I was anxious and excited. I felt challenged since I do not know the approach that must be taken to enable gathering the needed information. Second, since I was immensely interested in pursuing a career as an educator with theoretical competence in the field of psychology, I am intent on learning relevant insights from people who are currently in the same profession. Finally, despite the mixed emotions, I affirm the need to abide by the academic requirements to achieve the learning objectives. What was the key information that you gained from the interview? The key information gained from the interview focused on the steps they took leading into their careers. I was given insights on the good and bad parts of the job; or the challenging aspects as well as the rewarding portions. I was keenly interested in determining the rationales for deciding pursuing their careers. Finally, I was also provided with crucial information on the qualities they felt were needed to do their jobs. Were you excited or disappointed with the information that you learned? Why? I was excited with the information that I gathered and which provided new insights in the chosen profession. The information that was shared enabled confirming that the chosen career is indeed right for me. By indicating the good and bad parts or the challenges and successes, one realized that despite the difficulties, the benefits and rewards are potentially fulfilling. Likewise, their stories that they shared confirmed that I really wanted to assume similar roles and responsibilities expected from the profession. The compensation, working environment, and potentials for growth match my long term professional goals. What is your next action step? From the information gained from these interviews, I affirm that I would continue pursuing higher education, both in psychology and education. I realize that the first step is to gain degrees in these programs. Afterwards, I plan to pursue masteral degrees in both programs to assist in gaining advanced theoretical frameworks on both fields of disciplines. As I gain employment, either in the medical profession or as an educator, the initial career experience would shed light on which area of endeavor I would specialize in. Interview Form in Summarized Responses 1. Why did you choose this career or profession? Prof. D: I always wanted to be a teacher whose focus is teaching the field of psychology. I am fascinated with the human mind and how people’s behaviors are affected by intellectual faculties. Mrs. C: It has been my longtime dream to be an educator. I was influenced by my secondary school teacher who was my inspiration and who motivated me to enter this career. Burlingame teacher: I am committed to providing knowledge to students from diverse backgrounds. I am fond of sharing what I have learned through the teaching profession. 2. What are the most challenging aspects of your profession? Prof. D: It is always challenging to motivate students to learn. Also, there is a challenge when I encounter problems or pressing concerns that need to be addressed in the most viable manner. Mrs. C: The most challenging aspect of an educator is keeping students focused and interested to learn. In addition, there are times when there are challenges in balancing one’s time between work and family obligations, especially when there are increased academic demands. Burlingame teacher: I feel that there are challenges in providing high quality of education in contemporary times. Likewise, teachers should accurately assess the demands of the students depending on their personalities and academic needs. 3. What are the most rewarding aspects of your profession? D: The most rewarding aspect is seeing one’s students graduate and apply what has been learned in their respective careers. C: It is rewarding to see students appreciate learning what I share. When they are thankful and happy, the smiles on their faces are considered rewarding and uplifting. B: The rewarding part of being a teacher is seeing my students graduate and realizing that I had been an instrumental part of the personal and academic growth. 4. What qualities should be possessed by candidates to succeed in your career path? D: The qualities that should be possessed include genuine interest in this profession, commitment, dedication, patience and perseverance. C: The candidates who want to succeed as educators should love teaching. Likewise, the candidate should have exemplary people skills, communication skills, and a strong commitment to serve the interests of the students. B: Educators should always have a desire for continuous learning. Likewise, to succeed, candidates in this career should have innate enthusiasm for the profession so that whatever challenges are encountered, one would not give up. 5. What is your advice to someone who wants to pursue a similar career? D: My advice is to pursue this career if this is your long time professional goal and to do the best that you can to succeed the objectives that have been set for personal and professional growth. C: My advice is to go on to achieve one’s dreams. Good luck! B: For someone who wants to pursue a career as an educator, my advice is to study hard and share whatever one learned to future students. Let the experience be a learning input to be shared and applied in future contexts. Read More