CAREER COUNSELING

INTAKE INTERVIEW
D R. D E B O S BO R N

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 dont 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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Welcome
Confidentiality
Current status
Life roles/potential conflict
Problems interfering with career development
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)

Isaacson s Checklist

FIRST SESSION DOS

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 DONTS

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.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Questioning
Asking
Explaining
Agreeing
Identifying

STORIES

STEPS OF STORY
CONSTRUCTION
Co-construct

Deconstruct

Construct

START WITH A LIFELINE (COCONSTRUCT)

Birthdate

Todays
date

1.
2.
3.

How much of your lifeline represents birthgraduation? Mark it, and write graduation date.
Continue with lifeline to present.
Future?

ROLE OF COUNSELOR
Track story development
Note limits

Explore alternative stories

Ask influencing ?s

SAMPLE OF INFLUENCE QUESTIONS

Sparkling Moments
O
P
E
N
I
N
G

Defining
Moments

Preferences
Going in Your
Preferred

S
P
A
C
E

Construction
begins

Choose
What would your
grandmother say?
Direction?

Peopled stories

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?

DECONSTRUCTION
H
Ch isto
ap ry
te
rs

Find exceptions
Use the missed
opportunities
Imagine different
experiences
Identify different
points of view
Future orientation

Opening spaces

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 types
3. Success formula
4. Questions Take notes!

5. Other questions (see Blackboard)

EARLY MEMORIES

Feelings

Three
Action Verb
Headline

VICTORY

SUMMARIZING PROCESS

Counselor quietly reviews notes

Repeated words, phrases, interests

Note action words
Themes
Potential Holland types

SHARE/VERIFY IMPRESSIONS

Does reflection fit?

Both share

Next steps?