The Interview
Assignment
Discourse Community
Interview Assignment
• This mock interview assignment aims to simulate a real-world job interview
experience.
• Step 1: Select a career/job you want to have after you graduate.
• Step 2: Get info from a primary source by interviewing someone who is
working in the field you hope to be in.
• This is important because they can provide insight and give you
answers to questions you didn’t know to ask. (I became a professor
because I accidently asked a professor a question)
• Step 3: Get secondary info from research (if you got all the info you
needed from the interview then you don’t need to conduct more research)
• Step 4: Use the info you gathered to create a roadmap/resume, vision
board, and answer the interview questions
• Step 5: workshop and revise your answers
Roadmap and Vision board
Roadmap: make a timeline for your goals. It can Vision board: In a poster or a normal sheet of
be a simple list, or you can create a resume with paper draw or paste images of what you
the future in past tense. envision your life will be like when you
accomplish all your goals (this helps)
Journal activity
• Select a job you want to have (if you have multiple careers
pathways choose the one you’re currently leaning towards or
use this time to do research on both pathways to see which you
want)
• Brainstorm then write down the job/career you want
• If you want to own a business, sell a product, offer a service
or do something in entertainment business let me know and
I’ll adjust the assignment for you.
• After you select a job think of someone you can interview in
that field or discourse community. Once you have someone in
mind create questions to ask them.
• Write down 5-10 questions to ask
• Remember these questions and the individual's responses are to help you gain
knowledge on your future career so be sure to ask the questions you genuinely want
to know and not limit yourself to getting enough for this assignment
Journal Activity Cont’d
• Roadmap (rough draft)
• Create a rough draft of your timeline
• Vision board (rough draft)
• Brainstorm what you want to have in your vision board
• Answer the three questions as best you can then revise
after you do research (rough draft)
1. Why are you interested in this position?
2. What makes you qualified for this position?
3. There are other qualified candidates for this position why should I select you?
Research: Discourse community
• You’re goal when interviewing someone whose working in the
field you want to enter is to answer all the questions you have
but I also want you to take your first step into their discourse
community. (The answers to these questions are for you.)
• What is a discourse community?
• Definition: A discourse community is a group of people that
work towards a common goal through communication. This
group develops a process for communication, a unique
vocabulary of jargon, and a power structure tied to the
source of their community.
• Example: In boxing we have a unique set of code words, a punching
number system, and rules (learn about your discourse community)
• Every community has its own little world
Interview for the interview
• The questions you ask during the research period should help you answer the
following questions:
[Link] are you interested in this position?
- Your answer to this question should establish you as a credible person (ethos) and
appeal to emotion (pathos). You want to show that you are passionate and dedicated.
(you don’t need research to answer this question)
[Link] makes you qualified for this position?
- Your answer to this question should establish credibility (ethos) and appeal to logic
(logos). So show why are qualified based on education and experience. (you need
research for this questions)
[Link] are other qualified candidates for this position why should I select
you?
- Your answer to this question should follow the structure of an argumentative essay.
Intro, state your claim, back it up with evidence, acknowledge the opposing POV and
have a rebuttal then end with a closing statement. (think of the debate structure)
Summary
• Research
• Interview someone and do online research (optional)
• Roadmap/resume (this connects with question 2)
• Create a timeline
• Vision board (this connects with question 1)
• What do you envision when you see yourself once you have your
dream job
• Write down your responses to the three questions
• This should be a rough draft
• Practice delivery and workshop in class
• Week 2
• Final interview
• Week 3