cpsylist: Internship Interview Information

Shoshana Kerewsky kerewsky at uoregon.edu
Sun Dec 2 13:38:18 PST 2018 

​I'm forwarding this communication to the program list since it's typically of great interest to students planning to apply next fall as well as this year'as applicants. It includes some information useful; to students with disabilities as well.


Shoshana
________________________________________
Shoshana D. Kerewsky, Psy.D., HS-BCP
Editor, The Oregon Psychologist

Counseling Psychology and Human Services Department
5251 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5251
 (541) 346-2429

E-mail is not a secure or confidential medium. Please contact me by other means if you require greater privacy.

________________________________
From: APPIC Match News <match-news at lyris.appic.org> on behalf of Greg Keilin <gkeilin at mail.utexas.edu>
Sent: Sunday, December 2, 2018 1:01 PM
To: Shoshana Kerewsky
Subject: MATCH NEWS: Interview Information


APPIC MATCH NEWS
---

This e-mail contains six separate items about interview notification and scheduling, applicants with disabilities, and appropriate and inappropriate interview questions.

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[1]  "SPAM" FILTERING

Most interview notifications, along with other communications from sites and the Match, will come to applicants via e-mail.  Remember that "spam" filters used by your e-mail server or program can result in your not receiving important messages from internship programs, APPIC, and/or National Matching Services.

Applicants should check their Spam and/or Junk Mail folders regularly to ensure that they do not miss any important communications during the selection process.  We recommend making any necessary adjustments to your e-mail program so that you will receive all e-mail from APPIC (@appic.org or @lyris.appic.org) and National Matching Services (@natmatch.com).  More information on whitelisting the specific e-mail and IP addresses for NMS is available at natmatch.com/psychint/contact.html<http://natmatch.com/psychint/contact.html> .

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[2]  INTERVIEW NOTIFICATION

We would like to remind applicants and Training Directors about the APPIC Match Policy regarding interview notification.  This policy is designed to make the interview notification and scheduling process considerably easier and less stressful for applicants.

Match Policy #5 states:

   5.  For Phase I of the Match, internship programs that conduct
       on-site or telephone interviews must make a reasonable effort
       to notify every applicant who submits a complete set of
       application materials as to his/her interview status.

       a.  Sites that conduct open houses to which all applicants are
           invited and conduct no other interviews are exempt from this
           interview notification requirement (this process should be
           clearly stated in the APPIC Directory Online and/or sites'
           publicity materials).

       b.  Notification of interview status for Phase I of the Match
           must occur no later than the interview notification date
           that appears in the program's APPIC Directory Online listing
           and/or other publicity materials, and may be communicated
           via e-mail, telephone, regular mail (to be received no later
           than the interview notification date), or other means.

       c.  For Phase II of the Match, notification of interview status
           is not required.

While APPIC continues to recommend a December 15th interview notification date, some internship sites are unable to meet this recommended (i.e., optional) date.  Thus, applicants should consult the APPIC Directory Online to determine the specific interview notification date for each APPIC-member program to which they applied.

It is important for applicants to understand that Training Directors work very hard to meet this notification date, and notifications can sometimes arrive at the last minute.  Furthermore, some sites don't send all of their notifications out on the same day.  Applicants should contact a site to inquire about their interview status only if they haven't heard from that site by the morning of the day after its published interview notification date.  Applicants should never make assumptions about their interview status with a site until they have received the notification from that site.  In the event that you don't receive an interview notification in a timely manner, then (1) check your "junk mail" or "spam" folder to see if it ended up there, and/or (2) contact the site the day after that site's interview notification date to inquire about your status.

It is imperative that all Match participants be very familiar with the APPIC Match Policies.  The complete Match Policies may be found at appic.org/Internships/Match/Match-Policies<http://appic.org/Internships/Match/Match-Policies>.

=====

[3]  INTERVIEW ATTENDANCE

Applicants who decide to cancel or move a scheduled interview should provide as much advance notice to the site as possible.  Please don't be a "no-show" for your interview!  Most sites have a limited number of available interview slots, and unused slots can be filled with other applicants if sufficient notice is provided.

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[4]  APPLICANTS WITH DISABILITIES

The APA Public Interest Directorate provides an online "Resource Guide for Psychology Graduate Students with Disabilities (2nd Edition)" which includes articles on internship selection and interviews from the student perspective:

apa.org/pi/disability/resources/publications/resource-guide.aspx<http://apa.org/pi/disability/resources/publications/resource-guide.aspx>

Click the links on that page for the following articles:

"The Internship Match Process and Suggestions for Applicants with Disabilities"
"Factors to Consider in Psychology Practicum and Internship Interviews"

The APA Public Interest Directorate also provides the following articles from the Training Director perspective:

"Interviewing Applicants with Disabilities for Doctoral and Postdoctoral Internship Positions"
apa.org/pi/disability/resources/interviewing.aspx<http://apa.org/pi/disability/resources/interviewing.aspx>

"The ADA and Internships:  Your Responsibilities as Internship and Postdoctoral Agency Directors"
apa.org/pi/disability/resources/internship-directors.aspx<http://apa.org/pi/disability/resources/internship-directors.aspx>

""Providing Reasonable Accommodations to Individuals with Disabilities in Internship Sites and Postdoctoral Internship Positions"
apa.org/pi/disability/resources/reasonable.aspx<http://apa.org/pi/disability/resources/reasonable.aspx>

=====

[5]  APPROPRIATE AND INAPPROPRIATE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

An article in Training and Education in Professional Psychology discussed appropriate and inappropriate interview questions and explored the experiences of students who interviewed at doctoral programs and internships:

apa.org/pubs/journals/features/tep-0000068.pdf<http://apa.org/pubs/journals/features/tep-0000068.pdf>

Thanks to Mike Parent (michael.parent at ttu.edu<mailto:michael.parent at ttu.edu>), Dana Weiser, Andrea McCourt, and the APA Journals Department for making this copyrighted article available to the education and training community.

=====

[6]  QUESTIONS DURING INTERVIEWS

The following article was published a number of years ago in the APPIC Newsletter, and addresses appropriate and inappropriate interview questions.

Please note that this article is based on U.S. law.  Individuals who are interviewing in Canada should consult the laws and regulations pertinent to their jurisdictions, and may find the following article helpful: canadahrcentre.com/base/interview-questions/<http://canadahrcentre.com/base/interview-questions/> .


Questions During Interviews, Revisited
by Mona Koppel Mitnick, Esq.

As Match season approaches, the issue once more arises about the types of questions site interviewers may ask applicants.  Or, conversely, what questions either violate applicants' legal rights or infringe upon their privacy.

The issue is a recurring concern among intern applicants.  Improper or inappropriate personal questions to applicants/interviewees also should be of concern to Training Directors and their staffs because such questions, ultimately, could have legal consequences.  Even questions that are not inherently illegal may raise the specter of an illegal motive or action.  This article is another attempt to provide guidance, both to interviewers and interviewees about permissible and non-permissible (or non-recommended) questions.

A general rule for interviewers is to ask only questions directly relevant to the applicant's qualifications; or to the internship position and duties.  When in doubt, don't ask!

In particular, improper or inappropriate areas of questioning relate to areas in which applicants presumably have some interest in protecting their privacy, e.g., their physical or mental status or health; their marital, familial, or other close personal relationships; religion, etc.  Generally, it is inappropriate - and possibly even illegal - to ask questions in these areas unless they directly relate to the internship or the applicant raises the issue first.

As I stated in my previous article:

• Generally, you may ask questions about an applicant/interviewee's education, language proficiency (if directly relevant to the requirements of the position), training and experience in psychology/mental health areas, past practice and placement, career interests and goals, professional memberships, and any other subjects directly related to the internship and the psychology profession.  Ask the same basic questions of all applicants/interviewees insofar as possible.

• Conversely, you may not ask personal questions before hiring (i.e., either on an application or during an interview) unless, either, they relate to bona fide qualifications; or the applicant first raises such issues him/herself.  For example, you should not ask questions about a candidate's marital or family status, religion, or physical conditions or limitations.  An exception to this rule is that Federal government agencies, states and municipalities, and many state universities generally require an employee to be a U.S. citizen.  They also may require some explanation of any criminal record other than misdemeanors.  While it is not always clear whether an intern is an employee or a student, such questions may be permissible when the internship center is a government agency or government-affiliated entity.

Notwithstanding the above guidance-

• [E]ven impermissible questions sometimes may become permissible if the applicant first raises the issue.  For example, if an applicant/interviewee asks questions about the hours of work and mentions family responsibilities or his/her religion and requests accommodations in work hours; or asks about the physical demands of the position and mentions physical limitations, the interviewer may follow up on such questions.

• Other questions, which may be impermissible on an application or during an interview, may become permissible after the intern is hired.  For example, proof of age and marital or parental/relationship status may become relevant, after hiring, for tax, insurance, and emergency contact purposes.  Photographs also may be required after hiring for identification cards.  Some questions are almost never permissible.  For example, you should never ask questions about sexual preference or whether someone has a particular disease, such as AIDS.

Interviewers, however, continue to ask inappropriate or improper questions.  While they may view these questions as establishing rapport with, or expressing personal concern about, the applicants, many applicants take offense at such questions.  The following were samples of interview questions recently submitted to APPIC by unhappy applicants:

• In what ways do you think your older age will make it hard for you to fit in with the other interns?
• Do you have a partner/spouse and, if that person won't move, can you manage being parted from that person?
• Who will care for your children?
• Who is your therapist, and what specific issues have you worked on?
• Will a nose ring (an indicia of religion on someone from India) be problematic?

As mentioned above, while these questions may not be inherently illegal, they may suggest to some applicants improper motivation by the interviewer:  The question about being older may make the applicant suspect that being older is a disadvantage, creating a possible allegation of age discrimination.  The question about child care may make the applicant suspect that being married or involved in a relationship, or having children will place him/her at a disadvantage.  Of course, the question would become a permissible one if the applicant first raised the issue of the hours and concern about child care.

The question about the name of the therapist and the specific issues worked on relate to an area in which an applicant may be presumed to have a significant privacy interest, so that he/she is unwilling to disclose that information.  The applicant may feel pressured to disclose the information and may believe that, if he/she refuses to do so, he will be at a disadvantage in the selection process.

Note:  The information in this article merely is intended to provide practical guidance.  It is not intended to be definitive or to be relied on without first consulting your legal counsel.



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