Winson, the respondent, discussed his feelings of loneliness and stress from his studies. He feels that he is not performing as well as he could academically, is under much stress from academic pressure, finds it difficult to focus on his studies, and experiences physical symptoms like anxiety and appetite loss. Winson also has to deal with societal pressure to achieve, which lowers his sense of value and self-esteem and makes him feel he must continually prove himself to others. He also worries about his future employment chances and fears upsetting his family.
My Strengths Throughout the Interview
I could have a fruitful chat with Winson since I demonstrated several communication and approach qualities during the interview. These qualities came through in the discussion in several ways, such as establishing the tone, actively listening, demonstrating empathy, and fostering a secure and encouraging environment. Setting a casual and comfortable conversational atmosphere was one of my strong points (Robert, 2016). I immediately recognized the recording and told Winson he could pause or stop talking if he felt uncomfortable. This proactive approach helped establish a favorable tone for the interview by fostering an environment of trust and transparency. This illustrates my capacity to build rapport and provide the interviewee with a relaxed atmosphere.
I also did a great job of actively listening during the interview. Asking open-ended inquiries like “How is your day going?” and “How have your studies been going on?” helped me get the conversation flowing. Winson could freely share his ideas and opinions thanks to these inquiries. I demonstrated to Winson that I was sincerely interested in comprehending his viewpoint and providing appropriate support by paying attention to his comments. In addition, I demonstrated empathy in the interview. When Winson talked about his stress, academic struggles, and family expectations, I understood his feelings and responded with empathy (Jaffe et al., 2019). For example, I reacted empathetically when Winson indicated that his family was disappointed in his academic achievement and that they constantly made comparisons. I said, “You mentioned that your family does not see your efforts.” Have you talked to them about it?” This empathetic approach helped Winson feel understood and validated, making him more comfortable discussing his concerns.
I also succeeded in providing Winson with a secure and encouraging space in which he could communicate his emotions and worries. I told him it was a private talk and invited him to express himself honestly. In addition, I reassured him and recognized the difficulties he was facing, like peer pressure and interview anxiety. With this approach, Winson felt more comfortable opening up to me about his challenges without fearing rejection. In addition, my interviewing abilities were evident in my capacity to probe further and learn more about Winson’s ideas and feelings (Morris, 2022). I urged Winson to elaborate on his experiences with peer pressure and academic stress so he could fully articulate his feelings. This approach helped uncover the underlying issues and provided a more in-depth understanding of Winson’s challenges.
My Weaknesses Throughout the Interview
As the interviewer, I point out several shortcomings in my performance during the exchange with Winson in this transcript. These deficiencies can be critically examined Based on the available information, such as the recording, self-evaluation sheet, interviewee feedback sheet, and small group discussion feedback. One of my most significant areas for improvement is the need for more active listening during the interview. I greeted Winson amiably at the start of the interview but did not participate in the following dialogue (Robert, 2016). When Winson talked about how his hectic schedule limits his time for basketball, for example, I did not think to probe further or make further remarks to get a deeper understanding of the subject. Instead, I quickly turned the subject to Winson’s employment or school situation. This disregard for Winson’s comments could give him the impression that they are optional, which could lower the standard of our communication.
In addition, the interview revealed a lack of practical empathy and understanding, especially when examining the root causes of Winson’s stress. When Winson talked about feeling pressured, I immediately responded with empathy, but I did not take the time to learn more about the emotional components of his struggles. Winson referred to the strain of peer and familial pressure, but I did not follow up to learn more about these important concerns (Gerard & Robert, 2019). Asking open-ended questions that invite the interviewee to express their feelings and worries more fully is essential to conducting an effective and compassionate interview. If I had used this strategy, Winson would have felt more comfortable discussing his difficulties since it would have fostered a more sympathetic and encouraging environment (Maryudi & Fisher, 2020). Improving my ability to respond empathetically in future interviews will depend greatly on understanding the significance of examining these emotional aspects and formulating pertinent questions.
It is critical to emphasize the need for more efficient follow-up on emotional responses and my acknowledged shortcomings in sympathetic responding and active listening during the Winson interview. My response was insufficient when Winson started crying while talking about the intense pressure from his parents and their continual comparisons. I just advised him to calm down (Morris, 2022). An important chance to go more deeply into the emotional parts of his experiences was lost in this response. Giving the interviewee the support and empathy they need depends critically on how well you follow up on their emotional responses. Most significantly, it creates a sense of genuine support and enables people to process their emotions and feel fully heard (Jaffe et al., 2019). Building rapport and trust with an interviewee—in this example, Winson—requires recognizing and responding to emotional signs so the latter feels appreciated and understood in their problems. Therefore, honing this component of my interviewing techniques will significantly increase my capacity to help and support people with emotional difficulties more efficiently.
There is room for improvement in the absence of information-gathering inquiries. I should have asked more follow-up questions during the interview, which would have given me a better idea of the problems Winson is dealing with. When Winson talks about how much pressure she has to succeed, I do not ask about particular circumstances or the origins of this pressure. Asking insightful questions is crucial to identifying the core of the problems and gaining a deeper grasp of the interviewee’s viewpoint.
I also suggest introducing helpful counsel or direction during the interview. I should have provided Winson with helpful advice or direction, even though she expressed worries about job interviews, fear of failing, and societal pressure (Gerard & Robert, 2019). A supportive interview must offer advice and strategies for managing stress and uncertainty. Giving Winson advice might have been especially helpful in helping him overcome his obstacles.
Finally, there is no need for a disneed to be a conclusion or summary of my interview. The interview ends without a succinct summation of the main ideas covered or a heartfelt parting remark, despite my support and invitation to continue the conversation. The interviewee can feel understood and supported after a concise summary and close, which makes them feel listened to and important.
Two Helping Skills
It is clear from the analysis of the interview with Winson that two particular assisting skills, active listening, and empathic responding, need to be improved. I have determined my shortcomings in these areas and created a plan to strengthen my skills.
Active Listening: A prominent shortcoming in the interview was insufficient attentive listening. One particular instance where Winson highlighted his limited time for basketball serves as an example of how I did not completely connect with his comments. I should have followed up with further inquiries to get more in-depth information on this subject, but I did not. The interviewee may feel devalued due to this error, which could also lower the standard of the exchange.
I plan to take a few steps toward improvement in order to rectify this shortcoming. First, I will work on my active listening skills in formal interviews, casual talks, and interactions. These skills include summarizing, paraphrasing, and asking clarifying questions. In addition, I will block out outside noise and distractions like cell phones to actively concentrate on the interviewee’s comments. According to Robert (2016), maintaining steady eye contact is another essential habit for demonstrating attention and attentiveness. In addition, I will keep an ongoing evaluation of my active listening skills by watching interview tapes and asking peers or mentors for their input. This introspective approach will direct my further development by assisting me in identifying areas that require improvement. Finally, I will remind myself of the importance of active listening in building rapport and fostering trust in interviews.
Empathetic Responding: Responding with empathy was a serious shortcoming in the interview. I did not thoroughly investigate the root causes of Winson’s stress during the chat, passing up chances to go more deeply into the emotional components of his struggles even though I did show empathy at various moments. This deficiency may make it more difficult for the interviewee to communicate their emotions and worries fully.
In order to develop my ability to respond with empathy, I will take particular steps toward progress. I will first take the time to learn about the importance of empathy in interpersonal communication and interviewing. This will entail reading pertinent empathy-related literature to comprehend this crucial ability on a deeper level. In addition, I will compile a list of sympathetic expressions and reactions to utilize in interviews to show comprehension and support (Maryudi & Fisher, 2020). To improve fluency, these phrases will be practiced in mock interviews. Additionally, I will encourage interview subjects to convey their feelings by posing open-ended questions that entice them to go into greater detail about their thoughts and worries. In addition, I will concentrate on improving my capacity to validate the interviewee’s feelings by recognizing them without passing judgment or jumping to conclusions. I intend to seek counsel and supervision from seasoned professionals or counselors with exceptional communication and empathy. Seeing and gaining knowledge from specialists in this field may be highly beneficial.
I will ensure that these steps are followed regularly and methodically to solidify my skill development in active listening and empathic responding. These abilities will be used in official interviews and develop into habits that come naturally to regular talks. I will plan regular self-evaluation and reflection sessions to evaluate my development and pinpoint areas that still need work (Gerard & Robert, 2019). Sustaining my self-awareness and remaining receptive to criticism will be essential to my development as a sympathetic and successful interviewer. Ultimately, by taking these steps, I will become a more skilled and compassionate interviewer, improving communication and supporting people like Winson who need help with their emotions and problems.
Conclusively, after reading Winson’s interview, I have evaluated the benefits and drawbacks of my method in light of his struggles with loneliness, social pressure, and academic stress. Notable strengths included empathy, active listening, and creating a supportive environment. However, attentive hearing and sympathetic reaction inadequacies need to be closely monitored. Engaging with Winson’s responses and examining the causes of his stress require improvement. I want to go deeper, follow up on feelings, and offer helpful advice in order to improve assistance. The two most important areas for development are active listening and empathetic reaction. I will put strategies like summarizing, paraphrasing, asking questions, keeping eye contact, and assessing my active listening abilities into practice. Additionally, I will concentrate on comprehending empathy, gathering sympathetic expressions, promoting open-ended inquiries, and getting expert advice. I plan to regularly use these abilities in official and casual interactions while also monitoring my development. By enhancing these skills and resolving these deficiencies, I will be able to develop into a more skilled and compassionate interviewer, better equipped to assist people such as Winson.
References
Gerard Egan & Robert J. Reese. (2019). The Skilled Helper. A problem –Management & Opportunity –Development Approach to Helping. Cengage Learning. 11th Edition.
Jaffe, L. E., Lindell, D., Sullivan, A. M., & Huang, G. C. (2019). Clear skies ahead: optimizing the learning environment for critical thinking from a qualitative analysis of interviews with expert teachers. Perspectives on medical education, 8(5), 289-297.
Maryudi, A., & Fisher, M. R. (2020). The power in the interview: A practical guide for identifying the critical role of actor interests in environment research. Forest and Society, 4(1), 142-150.
Morris, N. (2022). Innovation and Critical Thinking in Higher Education: Studying Adolescent Mental Health through Interview Analysis. PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP.
Robert, B. (2016). People Skills: How to Assert Yourself, Listen to others, and Resolve Conflicts. Simon & Schuster Audio.
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