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Assignment Two
Interview and Analysis

In this assignment, you will interview a person who currently has a job in your anticipated field, and you will write a report based on the information you have obtained. The goal of this assignment is to acquaint you with a particular career path, the writing tasks that this career involves, and the overall political context that shapes this career.

You will complete this assignment in groups of three or four students who are anticipating a related career path. Each member of a group must hold up his or her end of the work-load, and you risk losing points if you fail to do your part. Each group member will be responsible for particular components of this project, and their grades will be weighted according to the quality of their assigned components.

1. Topic overview, plan and interview questions

   This assignment is due on October 15. The group must put together a topic, a timeline for completion of the project, and an explanation of which group member will be responsible for which task. This overview also requires a list of at least five preliminary interview questions and the name and position of the person you wish to interview. It should be 1-2 pages long.

2. Preliminary Research

   Go to the library and find out as much as you can about the needs of the job, the educational requirements, the possibilities for advancement and any current political concerns related to the job. Turn in a 3-4 page draft of this report on October 17.

   The final report must include a bibliography with at least three references per group member.

3. Arranging the Interview

   Contact a professional in your field. Arrange a time and place for conducting the interview. Be sure to communicate the following information:

   • Who you are
   • The purpose of the interview (to learn about the job)
   • Request samples, actual or simulated, of the interviewee's job-related writing
   • Set the time, place, and approximate length of the interview

4. Writing Interview Questions

   Review and revise your interview questions. Consider the wording, order, and completeness of your questions. Will they elicit the information you want? Are they open-ended questions rather than yes/no questions? I recommend that you begin with open-ended questions and then focus as the interview progresses. It is good to have a clear idea of questions to ask as you go into the interview, but it is not absolutely necessary to stick to the script once you are in the room conducting the interview. Furthermore, you should divide the questions up between the members of the group so that everyone has a chance to ask a question. Be sure to bring the consent form with you to the interview.

5. Taking Notes on the Interview

   The members of the group should meet immediately after the interview and compile their notes. The group should come to a consensus about what the interviewee said. Type up these notes and make copies, so everyone has a common set of notes to work from.

6. The Job Interview Research Paper

   The group will then collaborate in writing a report on the interview. This report will include

   • an introduction including results of research into the demands of the job in question
   • an analysis of the interview itself
   • an assessment of the function of writing in the interviewee's job
   • an analysis of a writing sample from that job (if available)
   • an overall assessment of the demands of the job
   • a bibliography of works that your group used in research

   The report will include an addendum explaining your group's procedures and the different tasks performed by individuals within the group.

7. The Web-page Overview of Your Results

   The group will also collaborate on the production of a webpage that will provide a brief overview of your interview results.

   The webpage must included the following:

   • 300-summary of your report
   • at least one image related to your topic
   • one link per group member to an on-line source of information with an annotation—that is, a 100-word explanation of what you're linking to and how it is useful

   The deadline for completing the webpage is November 14. Please turn it in to me either on a floppy disk or as an e-mail attachment. I will then post the webpages on the course website.