The Career Construction Interview
If you are not familiar with the Career Construction Interview, here is a little background on it. Mark Savickas, the main developer, is chair emeritus and professor in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at the Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine. His background is extensive, and you can explore it via numerous sites.
Mark designed the Life Design process and what he calls the Career Construction Interview. I was fortunate to meet him and be present at numerous trainings through the Colorado Career Development and the National Career Development Association. I have been using the Career Construction Interview with my clients for many years now and find it can be a very insightful and powerful process.
His interview encompasses a life design and narrative approach and involves listening closely and looking at our stories. Once we are familiar with our stories, we can change them, with guidance, to reflect where we want to go and what we want to create in our careers and lives. In today’s world of uncertainty, one’s own story may be the only place one can find certainty. Here is a link to Savickas conducting an interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0exPpbj8ql8
The approach involves asking a series of questions to the client, listening intently for the client’s story, and writing down their responses. The counselor or coach asks the following questions:
- How can I be of use as you are constructing your career? The coach writes this down verbatim. At the end of the interview, the coach will check with the client to see if these questions have been addressed.
- Early Role Models: Give me three role models you had as a child. These can be people you knew, fictional characters, superheroes, relatives (avoid parents), teachers, or historical characters. The counselor looks for themes that repeat themself. Also making note of repeating verbs as well. These responses and characteristics point to the person the client is becoming.
- What are your favorite shows? Give me three. These can be from TV, podcasts, or websites. Ask what it is you like about these shows. These shows point to the client’s preferred work environment. Again, look for recurring themes.
- Share with me your favorite current movie or book. Tell me the story. Have the client describe the plot and what they like about the movie or book. If they can not come up with a current movie or book, ask for a past one. Their response points to their current life script and shows a way of how the client may “actively master what they are passively suffering,” as Mark often says.
- Ask the client for a favorite saying or quote and ask why they use it or why it resonates for them. This response pertains to the advice the client gives to themself.
- The coach then asks for three Early Childhood Recollections. These will be rememberings from the client’s past going back as far as they are able. These reflective responses point to the current struggles the client is having with their career or work. The client is then asked to come up with a headline for each recollection.
- When the interview is complete, both the coach and client come up with a summary based on the client’s responses of their early role models, favorite shows, favorite movie or book, favorite saying or quote, and earliest recollections. The coach helps the client construct their career and write the new story of their life design.
If you are curious about this Life Design process and the Career Construction Interview and would like to go over it with me, feel free to contact me, and we can set up an appointment.