interview practice u.s. style: a workshop for international students

The author describes a practice interview workshop customized for international graduate students. The session covered cultural and communication dynamics in the interview process, practice exercises, and a question‐and‐answer period.     

The Effects of a Job-Interview Skills Workshop on Drug-Abuse Clients

By performing a field experiment, we tested the hypothesis that a job-interview skills workshop would improve the employment status of subjects with drug-abuse problems. Subjects from a drug-abuse treatment program were randomly assigned either to an experimental situation that included a workshop that stressed behavioral interview skills, such as preparing for an interview, application completion, grooming, nonverbal communication, and phrasing of answers to interviewer questions, or to a control group that received no treatment. A 6-months follow-up of subjects showed no significant attitudinal differences between the two groups. All three behavioral measures of employment status showed either significant differences or strong trends in favor of the experimental group, however. Possible alternative explanations of results were discussed and future research suggested.     

RELATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS OF VERBAL, ARTICULATIVE, AND NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION TO EMPLOYMENT DECISIONS IN THE JOB INTERVIEW SETTING

Recruiter ratings of 338 on-campus interviews were used in a discriminant analysis procedure to determine the relative importance of the verbal, articulative, and nonverbal dimensions of communication during the job interview. Correlation of seven variables with the discriminant function indicated that appropriateness of content, fluency of speech, and composure were of greatest importance in contributing to a favorable employment decision. These findings were contrary to the recent literature which has emphasized the importance of nonverbal behavior. Implications for job-interview skills training are discussed, and suggestions for a comprehensive workshop model are presented.     

The Consultation-Demonstration Interview

In recent years the consultation-demonstration interview, in which a family is interviewed before a workshop, has become increasingly prevalent. While this method of presenting the therapist's style of interviewing can be an exciting and valuable learning experience, it can also lead to a sense of boredom and disappointment. In some instances, the experience can be traumatic, especially for the family and the guest therapist. Common pitfalls in the organization and planning of the interview are explored, and a number of specific recommendations are made for attempting to maximize the potential in this interview process. Written to both the planner and the leader of the workshop in family therapy, this paper is based on the author's personal experience.     

大学生创业成功技能的结构维度探索

采用访谈法、问卷评定和因素分析法,考察了大学生创业成功技能的结构维度,并开发了中国情境下大学生创业成功技能的评定工具。研究结果表明：（1）大学生创业成功技能包括两个基本维度六个因素,其中“自我技能”包括自我管理、职业规划和信息选择与应用三个因素,而管理与影响技能包括企业管理与战略、客户管理和人际沟通三个因素;（2）基于二维度六因素模型开发的《大学生创业成功技能调查问卷》包括23个有效评定项目,其结构效度和内部一致性信度达到可接受水平,可以用于大学生创业成功技能的自我评定。     

Teaching Job Interview Skills to Alcoholics: Implications for Future Employment Rates

Twenty-three inpatient alcoholics participated in a job-finding skills workshop. They demonstrated better job interview skills and a higher employment rate compared with a control group.     

Creating space for interdisciplinary and interagency learning: the Newham ‘responsiveness’ days

Family therapists in Newham's specialist child and adolescent mental health services describe an interdisciplinary and interagency training day for Newham's children's workforce; the workshop aims to develop co‐learning about communication and collaboration in the context of a rapidly changing service environment, driven by current national and local policy initiatives. The training team attempts to generate a rich learning context using three themes: networking, responsiveness and complexity. The workshop demonstrates that it is perhaps possible to embed complex communication discourses in brief, pragmatic training, enhancing collaboration between professionals in local networks.     

A Preliminary Study of the Empowerment Effects of Strength-Based LEGO<Superscript>®</Superscript> SERIOUS PLAY<Superscript>®</Superscript> on Two Taiwanese Adult Survivors by Earlier Domestic Violence

The objective of this study was to construct empowerment model through strength-based LEGO^® SERIOUS PLAY^® (LSP) workshop and to explore the effects and change connotations of this workshop. Two adult participants who had experienced domestic violence in childhood were invited to a 6-h strength-based LSP workshop. The research instruments included The Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and Critical Positivity Ratio Self-Test Scale. They were employed on pretest, posttest, and follow-up test. Subsequently, group interview was conducted to explore the effectiveness of the strength-based LSP workshop. According to the research results, two participants exhibited a consistently increasing trend on their Critical Positivity Ratio Self-Test Scale. They demonstrated positive changing trend on the posttest involving attachment-related avoidance scale, and their scores on the attachment-related anxiety scale also presented an increasing trend. Furthermore, the textual information collected from the LegoViews revealed that the strength-based LSP workshop could ingrain inner strengths, develop strengths in a relationship, and reconstruct life experience.     

Clergy and Counselors—Collaborating Toward New Perspectives

This article describes a workshop and exploratory study done by counselors for a clergy group that requested assistance in working with families. The counselors focused on 4 family dynamic concepts: communication, distance, hierarchy, and adaptability to change. Data were collected from the same pre- and postworkshop questionnaire that included a Semantic Differential Scale, Likert questions, and an open-ended response technique. Changes occurred in distance and adaptability to change concept perceptions among clergy as a result of the workshop. Nearly 1/2 of the respondents reported feeling more confident regarding family counseling on each of the concepts after the workshop.     

Development of tactical deception from 4 to 8 years of age

One hundred eighteen children, divided into three age groups (4‐, 6‐, and 8‐year‐olds) participated in a competitive game designed to explore advances in children's deceptive abilities. Success in the game required children to inhibit useful information or provide misinformation in their communication with an adult opponent. Age trends were evident for all dependent variables, including success at the task, strategic behaviours, and interview data. Four‐year‐olds were non‐strategic and rarely successful, 6‐year‐olds were increasingly strategic and successful, and 8‐year‐olds were significantly more subtle in their strategies, more successful at the task, and more likely to verbalize an understanding of their opponent's expectations than younger age groups.     

A Program to Meet the Emotional and Social Needs of Gifted and Talented Adolescents

To address the affective needs of gifted and talented adolescents, a 3-day group dynamics workshop became part of a 3-week summer institute. The workshop contained activities designed to increase self-esteem, group cohesion, and problem-solving skills to prepare the adolescents for completing communication projects with retirees.     

The Employment Interview: A Self-Validation Model

I relate two subjects—speech communication and employment interviewing—by applying a developmental theory of interpersonal communication to the initial job interview. Since I view an employment interview as symbolic interaction, I provide a self-validation model that is analogous to interpersonal perception theory. I suggest the usefulness of the model by describing how interviewers and job applicants can enhance their interviewing skills.     

Getting the Job: Attributional Retraining and the Employment Interview1

This study examined the effectiveness of attributional retraining (AR) in an employment interview setting. Our sample consisted of 50 co‐operative education students completing job interviews who were randomly assigned to a control or writing‐based AR condition. Dependent measures included attributions, expectations, and affect, as well as behavior with respect to an interview skills workshop, and actual employment outcomes. Results showed AR to promote controllable failure attributions, expectations, motivated behavior, and interview success, particularly among participants with maladaptive baseline attributions. Findings further revealed AR effects on emotions mediated by post‐treatment attributions. Implications for attribution theory and research on AR in employment settings are discussed.     

Single session treatment of a borderline personality disorder

Debbie, a patient in ongoing therapy, volunteered to assist in a workshop by participating in an interview. The goals of the session were to identify some small, discrete problem that could be worked on in the limited time available, and to demonstrate how a short-term treatment can be used.The issues considered revolved around Debbie's schema. Her early abuse set several schemas that have directed Debbie's life. The goals of the therapy would be to help modify those rules. The single session was a microcosm of a longer-term therapy. Overall, from the reports of the patient and her therapist, on follow-up, she was able to do the homework with the the therapist's assistance and found that it was helpful in countering the negative thoughts. This led to a lifting of the concomitant depression and a diminution in the self-injurious behavior.Many sessions would be needed to reinforce and strengthen the exercise strated in this session. Overall, I would see this session as both a successful treatment session and a demonstration of how identifying discrete, proximal goals can benefit patients with long-standing Axis II problems. The hypotheses and questions led to data gathering and hypothesis testing. Throughout the session, it was essential to be aware of the likely schemas so that some could be used in the session, while others were clearly avoided. By developing a conceptualization or model of the problem(s), a set of interventions could be mobilized within the session and as homework between sessions. By working toward a coping model of treatment rather than attempting to cure long-standing problems, brief cognitive behavioral interventions can be successful.     

What is competent communication behaviour of patients in physician consultations? – Chronically-ill patients answer in focus groups

Many desirable outcomes depend on good patient-physician communication. Patient-based perspectives of what constitutes competent communication behavior with physicians are needed for patient-oriented health care. Therefore it was our main aim to identify competent patient communication skills from the patient’s perspective. We also wanted to reveal any differences in opinion among various groups (chronic ischemic heart disease, chronic low back pain, breast cancer). This study examined nine guideline-supported focus groups in rehabilitation centers. The criterion for study inclusion was any one of the three diagnoses. Enrolled in the study were N = 49 patients (32 women) aged M = 60.1 (SD = 12.8). The interview recordings were transcribed and subjected to content analysis. We documented 396 commentaries in these interviews that were allocated to 82 different codes; these in turn resulted in the formation of 12 main topics. Examples are: posing questions, being an active and participatory patient, being aware of emotions and communicating them. This study represents stage two (‘documentation of patient and clinician views’) in the seven-stage model of communication research. Findings reveal that chronically-ill patients name behaviours that contribute to successful discussion with a physician. These enable us to develop communication trainings and design-measuring tools used for patient-based communication skills.     

The flawed interview of a psychopathic killer: what went wrong?

The flawed interview of convicted killer Christopher Porco illustrates what occurs when a suspect's psychopathic traits are not considered in formulating an interview strategy. Specific areas of the dialogue between Christopher Porco and law enforcement demonstrates that traditional methods of interviewing may not produce a confession or valuable information when it comes to psychopathic suspects. Although the traditional goal of an interview is to obtain a confession or valuable information, law enforcement will have to display flexibility in the interview process by implementing alternative interview strategies and redefining what a successful interview is composed of when these suspects are unwilling to confess to their crimes. Failure to remain flexible, as displayed in the Christopher Porco case, which yielded neither a confession nor valuable information, can jeopardise the strength of a homicide case that ultimately may go to trial. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Teaching about teaching sexuality and religion

Classroom instructors implementing pedagogical strategies for embodied learning about sexuality and religion need institutional support and assistance from colleagues and mentors to be successful. One means of providing institutional and peer support for classroom instructors is to host and lead a pedagogy workshop. Building on the work of Ott and Stephens on embodied learning and other articles and teaching tactics found throughout this issue of Teaching Theology and Religion, this article presents a sample design for a two‐hour workshop with faculty and/or graduate teaching assistants on the topic of teaching sexuality and religion. Non‐expert facilitators can lead this workshop and it is intended to start a conversation about pedagogy rather than to provide definitive answers to end the discussion. The goals are to demystify a taboo topic and to provide concrete strategies for teaching that will promote responsible engagement and a better‐integrated learning experience for students.     

Effect of a résumé‐writing workshop on résumé‐writing skills

What is the best way to teach someone how to write an effective résumé? A workshop format was used to teach college students the skills needed to write a successful résumé. Archival data consisting of student résumés and rubric score sheets were used to determine the effectiveness of a résumé‐writing workshop by using a pre–post design evaluating student résumés. The authors used a rubric to produce quantitative data for comparison purposes. Participants’ postworkshop résumé rubric scores were significantly higher than their scores were before attending the workshop. The authors offer possible explanations for the results and make suggestions for future research.