Ashlyn Hernandez

Interview Plan
Communication 1010
04/05/2017

Background Information
My Interviewee:
Im planning to interview Rachel Bradford. She works at the VCA All Animal Hospital in Taylorsville as a
veterinary technician. We conducted the interview in a waiting room for the owners of the pets that are being
euthanized. This will give me the chance to talk with her and not have any interruptions throughout the interview
process. I chose to interview her because she works in a field that I am interested in and was nice enough to agree
even though I am a complete stranger to her.

Career Research:
Since I was little I have always had a soft spot for animals. I have always wanted to work with them too. In
high school I took an animal science class that allowed me to get my hands dirty with some farm animals, and I
would always look forward to that class. I also took a Wildlife Biology class as well as a Zoology class. Sometimes
these classes were hard, but the content always seemed to interest me in one way or the other.
At first I wanted to be a Veterinarian, but then I learned about Vet Techs and Vet Assistants. Once I learned
about them I wasnt so sure what I wanted to be anymore. During this interview I would like to know what education
path they took to get to where they are, what their daily schedule looks like and what the difference between these
positions are.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook says that Veterinary Technicians start out with an Associates degree
in a Veterinary technology program. They usually work under the supervision of a Veterinarian and do different
types of tests that require lab time, but they also work with the animals and their owners. The lowest 10% only
make about $22,000 a year and the top 10% make over $40,000 a year. Employment is predicted to grow about
19%, which is a lot more than other occupations,

Interview Schedule
Opening:
Hi Rachel, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to talk with me for a little while. I know
this was sort of out of the blue so that makes me even more appreciative.
I am doing this for an assignment for my communications class at SLCC, but I have also wanted to do this
for a while now, I just never had the right motivation before. I just want to ask you a couple questions about how you
became a veterinary technician and how your life has been since you started working as one full time. Do you mind
if I record this, it would just be an audio recording, not a visual recording?
If yes: Great, I will also be taking a couple notes as we go along.
If no: Thats ok, I will just be taking some notes while you are talking.
Hopefully this doesnt take longer than 30 min. Are you ready for the first question?
Body:

Topic 1: Why be a Veterinarian Technician

These first couple questions are going to be about why and how you chose this field
1. Why did you decide to become a Veterinarian Technician? (Primary, Open)
-Why did you not pursue to become a Veterinarian? (Secondary, Open)
-Do you ever regret not becoming a Veterinarian? (Secondary, Open)
2. How did you get started once you had your degree? (Primary, Open)
-Would you start somewhere else if you had another chance? (Secondary, Closed)
3. What type of education would you recommend for someone like me who wants to get started in this career field?
(Primary, Open)
-How much time did it take to get the training and education that you needed? (Secondary, Closed)
-How much did it cost? (Secondary, Closed)
-Where did you go to school? (Secondary, Closed)
4. What else would you say is required other than going to school in order to become a good Vet Tech? (Primary,
Open)
-Are there any skills you would recommend I have before starting my career in this field? (Secondary,
Open)
-What resources have you used to develop these skills? (Secondary, Open)
6. What elements have contributed the most to your success? (Primary, Open)
-Were there any setbacks that were really bad? (Secondary, Closed)

Topic 2: What a Regular Day Looks Like

Good, now that I know what it took for you to get where you are, I would like to talk about your current job.
1. What does a regular day look like in your workplace? (Primary, Open)
-What would you say is the most difficult thing about your job? (Secondary, Closed)
-What would you say is the easiest part about your job? (Secondary, Closed)
2. What do you like most about your job? (Primary, Open)
-What would you say you like least about your job? (Secondary, Open)
3. Can you tell me about your schedule? (Primary, Open)
-Does your schedule every conflict with your personal life? (Secondary, Open)
-How easy is it for you to ask for days off, or go on vacation? (Secondary, Closed)
4. I would love to go into this career field, but I want the position that has the most interaction with
the animals, what position would you recommend for me? (Primary, Closed)
-Who has the most interaction with the animals that you work with? (Secondary, Closed)
-Who has the most interaction with the animal owners? (Secondary, Closed)
- What are the differences between what you do on a daily basis verses what a
Veterinarian does on a daily basis? (Secondary, Open)

Topic 3: Finances
My next couple questions are going to be about payment and job availability
1. For someone who is just starting out in this career field, how much would they make hourly/yearly (whatever
makes it easiest for her)? (Primary, Closed)
 --What about someone who has had experience? (Secondary, Closed)
-- Is there a big pay gap between Vet Techs and Veterinarians? (Secondary, Closed)
2. Is there a high demand for Vet Techs? (Primary, Closed)
--Do you think there is an even higher demand for Vets? (Secondary, Closed)
3. Do you feel financially stable with the life you live, or is it sometimes hard to put money aside for fun things?
(Primary, Closed)
4. Do you feel like some places pay more than others depending on the area that they are in? (Primary, Open)

Clearinghouse question: The interviewee's turn

1. Is there anything that you would like for me to know that we havent talked about? (Primary, Open)
2. Do you think there is anyone else I should talk to before I make my decision on what to study for? (Primary,
Bipolar)

Closing
Alright, it looks like those were all of the question I had for you today. Thank you so much for taking time out
of your busy day to talk to very suddenly, I really appreciate it.
It was nice to hear about how you became a vet tech and how your life has been. This has really cleared up
many of the question that I had. Thank you also for the advice (if given any) that you offered me. I will take that into
a lot of consideration when I think about what I am going to do next.
Lastly, I was hoping you would be able to fill out this quick evaluation sheet. It is just four simple questions
and you can answer them in whatever matter you would like. I can come by in a couple days to pick it back up if
that is ok with you?
Thanks again for meeting with me! It really was a great pleasure to meet you.
Good Bye!