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PERSEF3: VOCATIONAL DISCERNMENT

OUTPUT: INTERVIEW OF AN ELDERLY PERSON & PERSONAL REFLECTION

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Develop an Interview Guide on Vocation with a minimum of 15 interview questions. The

questions should revolve around answering The Five Questions, and The Five Vocational

Realms (refer to sample questions below). Use it in interviewing an elderly person (60

years old and above). It is important to note that Vocation itself, as a topic is essentially

rooted in Christian teachings. However, atheists, agnostics and members of other faith are

given leeway to rephrase the questions in ways that they can be comfortable with, so long

as the questions are aimed at finding out how the interviewee served humanity given his/her

sense of purpose and lifes works.

2. The paper needs to have two (2) parts, namely:

PART1: (1.a) About the Interviewee: In paragraph format, introduce your interviewee

(salient demographics, life achievements, etc.), reason(s) why you chose him/her for this

interview, and how you were able to convince this person for the interview. Include here also

a picture of your interviewee with you while doing the interview. (1.b) Interview Guide and

Transcription: In numbered format, present your interview questions and insert the

transcribed (verbatim) answers of the interviewee.

PART2: REFLECTION PAPER* Basically, answer these two (2) questions: 1) What

important learning/realizations did I get from my interview experience with an elderly person

as far as responding to Gods calling to serve humanity is concerned? and (2) How will I

respond to Gods calling to serve humanity? Answer question number two by summarizing

your own answers to THE FIVE QUESTIONS (what are your gifts, passions, skills,

purposes, and convictions, and how will you use these in responding to your

calling/vocation), and THE FIVE REALMS (how will you respond to your calling/vocation in

your future work, present and/or future family, church, community, and the world in general).

In other words, talk about the calling of your interviewee and talk about initial ideas about

your own calling.

NOTE: If you are going to do this paper with a partner, EACH one of you should have a

reflection paper (just the reflection papers with the write-up together, no need for special

folders). The photo documentation must show you, your partner, and the interviewee while

doing the interview. If a student is NOT present during the interview, he/she will get no

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grade.

3. FORMATTING: Arial font size 12; Spacing of 1.5; Margins of 1 inch from all sides (top,

bottom, left, and right), Use short-size bond paper only, staple the paper properly.

Remember to include the following on the top portion of page 1: Students Name, PERSEF3

Section, Teachers Name, and Date Submitted.

4. DEADLINE: March 3, 2014

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Preliminary Questions

1. What is your personal understanding of the word VOCATION?

(NOTE: Use the first question to ascertain that your interview understands the concept of

Vocation within the Christian context, i.e., how God calls us to serve him and humanity. If

your participant is fuzzy about the definition, define the term as discussed in class in order

to put the interview in proper context and perspective)

2. When you were still young, did you have a desire or longing to be of service to other people,

to society, perhaps, given the occupation you wanted to have in the future? (If the

interviewee answered yes, ask him/her to elaborate)

3. Within the context of Vocation, some people reported experiences of a calling in the divine

or mystical sense, they said it was as if God is the one calling them to serve him in some

specific ways. Did you have similar experiences at some point in your life? (If the

interviewee answered yes, ask him/her to elaborate)

THE FIVE QUESTIONS:

1. GIFTS. What would you count as gifts in your life? How did you use them in responding to

your vocation?

2. PASSION. What are you most passionate about? What concerns evoke passion in you?

3. SKILLS. What skills do you have? How did you use these skills in responding to your

calling? (service to God and other people)

4. PURPOSES. What do you believe is your primary purpose on this earth?

5. CONVICTIONS. What are your deepest convictions in lifebeliefs that you are more than

willing to stand for?

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THE FIVE REALMS:

1. WORK. Aside from earning money, do you also view work as service to God and humanity?

(If yes) In what specific ways did your respond to Gods calling of service given your line of

profession?

2. FAMILY. How about in the family, do you see this as a venue where one can respond to

Gods calling? In what ways?

3. CHURCH. What does it mean to part of the Church? How do you see your role within the

larger body of Christ as a way of serving your calling?

4. COMMUNITY. How are you engaged or involved in the community in which you live in?

5. WORLD. What do you think is your calling in the context of the larger world? Can you

confidently say that, no matter how small in degree, your existence in this world is making it

better?

Culminating Questions

1. At your age, do you feel happy and contented about how you have lived your life so far?

2. Do you think you have responded well to Gods calling to serve him and humanity with the

choices and decisions you have made in your life?

3. What pieces of advice can you give someone like me who is still in the process of

discerning my own calling in life?

There are interviewees who tend to give limited (short, matter-of-fact) responses. With such

people, you need to use your probing skillsask clarifying and follow up questions. Do not

treat your vocational discernment paper as just a requirement. Rather, treat it as a LEARNING

OPPORTUNITY. The purpose of this topic is not to pressure you to come up with definitive

answers about your own Vocation. This is a discernment process, requiring patience and

openness. MAYBE YOU ARE BEING CALLED. YOU JUST NEED TO LISTEN.