Job Analysis
Paper details:
Work and Job Analysis Exercise
First, read any article that catches your eye from Gershon’s book, A World of Work.
Your task in this exercise is to prepare an “imaginary manual” for one real job, similar to what the chapter authors of Gershon’s book have done. Of course, you need not write something as long as the book and you will not be spending months undergoing training or internship to prepare for the job. But you will have to interview someone, perhaps several times.
It is your choice, but I’d suggest using the assignment to explore a job/career that you think might be one you’re interested in pursuing in the future. But it is entirely up to you.
You will be graded only on the “manual” that you prepare and not your interview per se, but I’ve provided a list of two sorts of questions that you might find useful. They are just a resource for you to draw upon and not a recipe for the interview because it would take you weeks to ask them all and get good answers.
One list is of questions that you might choose to ask in order to get the interviewee talking about their job so you can learn about it. In other words, all these questions may come out of your mouth.
The other list is of questions that you may or may not ask someone, but that may help you analyze what an interviewee tells you. So these questions may be ones you ask yourself silently and privately.
Again, it’s your choice whether any of these questions are helpful and if so how you want to use them.
Basic Questions You May Want to Ask
What is your job title?
What work do you perform? What tasks? What are your responsibilities?
What do you need to be able to do? What skills do you need? How did you gain these skills?
What do you need to know in order to do the job?
How do people train for or learn to do your job? How long does it take to learn it?
How did you learn by doing tasks on the job? What taks cemeted that learning? How did you know you had achieved some level of mastery?
How did you learn by watching others do the job? Who did you watch? What did you learn?
Did anyone mentor you on the job?
What do you do during a typical day at work?What did you do yesterday at work?
What do you most enjoy or look forward to in your work? What do you dredge or avoid in your work?
What do you do over a typical week at work?/What did you do last week?
What are you most proud of in your work so far?
Who do you work with or interact with others in this job? (supervisors, colleagues, support individuals and organizations, subordinates, clients/customers)
Where do people doing your job come from before they hold it and where do they go after they leave it?
What are the routines or scripts common in this job?
Under what conditions is this type of work most successful?
What are some of the barriers or limitations of this work?
Analytical or Reflection Questions
What tacit knowledge do people need to do the job? What social or communicative skills? Physical skills?
How do people move from being “newbies” on the job to more experienced or expert workers?
Is there any culturally-specific knowledge or skills needed?
What are the resources and institutions that support job holders?
How do larger economic or legal policies affect work lives?
Who do people rely on for support?
How do people continue to learn and keep up to date? How do job holders deal with administrators or managers above them?
How do people remain motivated to perform the work?
How does community influence or provide inputs to the job?
What tensions do people encounter or have to manage?
How do people take care of themselves physically and psychologically?
What is the front-stage work and the back-stage work?
How are people paid?
How do people present themselves to different audiences?
How do you fit it and stand out among other job holders?
How do you build and use a network of colleagues?
Who do you compete with and cooperate with?
How do people learn about this job or kind of work?
How do you talk in the job versus about it?
What credentials are required?
What are the professional obligations?
How does the job affect your personal, family, community life?
Who are the gatekeeper you need to work through? Who are you a gatekeeper to?
Why do you do this sort of work, apart from pay?
What must you produce on the job in order to be successful?
What is the dirty/uncomfortable work and the clean/comfortable work?
What would most people be surprised to learn about this job?
What is the emotional work of the job?
How must you present yourself?
What are the settings in which the work is performed?
Who owns the means of production (i.e. the artifacts and facilities needed to produce)?
How are job holders perceived or judged by society?
What is the pacing or timing of the work?
Who hires job holders and who pays?
How do people “mess up” or violate standards on the job?
How do you get work?
What are the small and large risks associated with the job? (e.g. not being paid vs. dying)
Who controls the work and how it is performed?
How does this work or job creacgote your self and/or identity?
