D R. D E B O S BO R N

CAREER COUNSELING INTAKE INTERVIEW

SIMILAR TO “REGULAR” INTAKE INTERVIEWING

• Main Purpose:• Understand the concern, underlying emotions and fears,

barriers and supports

• Other purposes:• Gather information• Identify needs/problems• Identify contributors to the problem• Determine barriers (perceived/real) and supports• Diagnose (possibly)• Identify negative/dysfunctional thoughts• Develop preliminary goals

COUNSELING SKILLS NEEDED

• Basic listening skills• Reflection of feelings, paraphrasing, summarizing,

confronting, silence, clarifying, open-ended questions (but not too many – don’t make it an interview), pacing

• Career counseling knowledge• Tools for self-knowledge• Tools for occupational knowledge• Tools for job search• A plan (career theory)

POSSIBLE CAREER PROBLEMS

• Career/major choice or change• Expanding/narrowing career or educational

options• Negative career thinking• Job search (resume, interviewing, networking)• Pre-foreclosure on options• Underemployment, unemployment• Career transitions (self/partner)• Issues suggested by career theory:• Holland-incongruence• PEC – lack of fit, values not valued• CIP-dysfunctional thinking

OTHER CAREER PROBLEMS

• Mental health issues – which came first?• Anxiety, depression, self-esteem• Personality disorders

• Disability• Discrimination

INTAKE INTERVIEW SEQUENCE

1. Welcome2. Confidentiality3. Current status4. Life roles/potential conflict5. Problems interfering with career development6. Develop goals and objectives

SAMPLE INTAKE QUESTIONS

• What brings you by?• What options are you considering?• How do you typically go about making decisions?• How would you like this decision to be different?• What role has your family played in how you see yourself and your options?• What role has your culture played in how you see yourself and your options?• What other factors are important to you as you are making this career

decision? • What do you think is keeping you from making a career decision/reaching

your goal? • Ideally, what would you like to accomplish by the end of our last session?• Tell me about your occupational and educational history• What are your current plans?• If you had to choose today, what would you choose? • Other supports• Other issues-depression, anxiety, poverty, discrimination?• At this point in my career development I am trying to…”?•  

ADDITIONAL SESSIONS

• Working sessions• Assessment• Information/research• Goal setting• Job search (mock interviewing)

FIRST SESSION – DO’S

• Go over purpose of the sessions• Confidentiality• Use basic counseling skills• Get a clear picture of their expectations• What do they want to occur by the last session? Is it

reasonable?

• Determine a goal for meeting• Ask pertinent questions• End on time

FIRST SESSION – DON’TS

• Chew gum• Look unprofessional• Forget about confidentiality• Forget to record (test first!)• End too early or go over time limits• Leave without a clear goal in mind• Ask too many questions• Forget your basic counseling skills• Rush or panic

Remember – you are getting their story!!!

THE STORIED/NARRATIVE

APPROACH

NARRATIVE/STORIED APPROACH

• Constructivist Approach

• Differs from traditional approach

• Post-modern approach

ASSESSMENT IN THE NARRATIVE APPROACH

Occupational identities created, not discovered

Quantitative Qualitative

ARE THERE PATTERNS?

Yes, but….

“A pattern is always interesting but a pattern interrupted is much more interesting.” -Vincent Versace

OPENING SEQUENCE

1. Questioning2. Asking3. Explaining4. Agreeing5. Identifying

STORIES

STEPS OF STORY CONSTRUCTION

Co-construct

Deconstruct

Construct

START WITH A LIFELINE (CO-CONSTRUCT)

X X

Birthdate Today’s

date

1. How much of your lifeline represents birth-graduation? Mark it, and write graduation date.

2. Continue with lifeline to present.3. Future?

ROLE OF COUNSELOR

Track story development

Note limits

Explore alternative stories

Ask influencing ?s

SAMPLE OF INFLUENCE QUESTIONS

DefiningMoments

Sparkling Moments

OPENING

SPACE

Peopled stories

Preferences Constructionbegins

Going in YourPreferred

Direction?

Choose

What would your grandmother say?

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

• What does that experience say about what's important to you?

• What is the significance of that moment in your life?

• What have you learned from that experience?”

DECONSTRUCTIONHistory

Chapters

Opening spaces

• Find exceptions• Use the missed

opportunities• Imagine different

experiences• Identify different

points of view• Future orientation

CONSTRUCTION –EXPLORE LIFE ROLES

Current/potential roles (family, student, worker, leisure, community)

FINISH WITH A GOAL MAP

CAREER STYLE INTERVIEW

1. “How can I be useful to you?”

2. Holland types3. Success formula4. Questions – Take notes!

5. Other questions… (see Blackboard)

EARLY MEMORIES

Three

Feelings

VICTORY

Action VerbHeadline

SUMMARIZING PROCESS

Counselor quietly reviews notes• Repeated words, phrases, interests• Note action words• Themes• Potential Holland types

SHARE/VERIFY IMPRESSIONS

Next steps?

Does reflection fit?

Both share