VR Contact Report—Career Exploration via Informational Interview
Ethan and I met today as scheduled to conduct the informational interview with Mr. Althaus. While Ethan listened in, this counselor conducted the interview and completed the worksheet. (See below.)
Typically, the counselor would ask the student to complete a copy of the Info Interview worksheet for practice while listening. However, given Ethan's difficulty producing written work, it would be inadvisable to ask him to do so; he would not be able to absorb the interview's content. Instead, the counselor encouraged Ethan to use his phone app to 1) record the interview and 2) input the information into the practice worksheet. She will complete the worksheet during the interview and provide a copy as a reference for him.
INSERT IMAGE AND INTERVIEW LINK HERE. Alt-Text below:
Alt-Text: Side by side image of Mr. Althaus, on the left, sitting in a chair looking at the computer screen during the informational interview. On the right is a stop motion image of drag bike racer Dave Vantine on his bike. Vantine is lying nearly prone on the bike with his arms outstretched forward to the handlebars and his legs extended fully back to the foot peddles he uses to steer the bike. The front wheel of the bike is off the track. The bike caption reads: Dave Vantine reaches 239 mph in 5.77 seconds.
After the interview, Ethan stated that his plan became clear: he wants to pursue Motorcycle Mechanics. He related to Mr. Althaus's report about "loving wrenching," was excited about the prospect of problem-solving mechanical problems, and was not put off by the idea of putting in long hours to replace an engine. "That's my jam!" said Ethan.
When asked about Mr. Althaus's comments on starting out working for a dealer or an established bike mechanic to build skill and a reputation, Ethan responded, "Yeah, that makes sense."
This counselor asked Ethan about his feelings on the continuous retraining due to the bikes' constant upgrades. He said that he was okay with that now that he has tools (accommodations) to help him.
Before our next appointment, Ethan will:
-
Review the interview recording and worksheet with his folks
-
Review the recommended school information with his folks
-
Write a thank-you note to Mr. Althaus
