The document contains two samples of student reflections on interviews with professionals about changes in their careers and workplaces. Sample A discusses an interview with the student's father, who has worked in construction for over 30 years. He has witnessed both positive changes like new technologies making communication easier, and negative changes like decreased work ethic among younger generations and more stress due to economic pressures. Sample B discusses an interview with a physician assistant about changes in healthcare. Technology, education standards, and the expanding role of PAs are constantly evolving. She has had to adapt to these changes in order to succeed in her career.

1. Examples of Student Interview Reflections
Sample A
The workplace has drastically changed and is currently still undergoing major changes. It’s
as if the workplace has undergone a type of evolution. Countless things in the workforce
have evolved and modernized. Some have changed for the better and others have changed
for the worse. The good and the bad effects of today’s work field have impacted everyone
including my father.
My father, XXXXXXXXX, is an entrepreneur taking a part in managing his family’s
construction business< XXXXXXXXXXXXXX. He has been working in this field since 1986,
and has witnessed many positive changes relative to his company and the workplace as a
whole. Technology has been one of the biggest changes. Cellphones, Ipads, and computers
are a part of everyday life making it easier to communicate from mobile locations, be better
prepared for emergencies, and track job costs. Another difference in this field today is that
there are more women and minorities by twenty percent. The field employees are also better
educated having at least high school diplomas and all office employees have college degrees,
which did not used to be the case. In addition, there are many safety, environmental, and
government regulations and inspections compared to even ten years ago which improves
employee safety.
On the other hand, some changes have taken a turn for the worst. The standards of
employers have decreased and not by choice. It is very difficult to find quality employees
these days. Younger generations seem to be lazier and less reliable opposed to older
generations. Therefore the work ethic and pride has decreased. My father’s motto is,
“Nowadays you have to take what you can get and make the best out of the worst.” The
economy is not helping either. My father is becoming increasingly stressed and is having to

2. be more aggressive to find work and bid jobs. These changes are not only happening in my
father’s career field but around the world.
People around the globe are having to adapt to these huge changes in the workplace.
The effects are felt by everybody even within my father’s family business. This has made me
realize that the career I want to pursue today could dramatically change in the future. I must
be prepared. Inspired by my father and his work ethic, I would consider becoming an
entrepreneur, despite the stress and responsibility. He has handled the changes in his career
very well no matter how difficult they might be. Just like evolution, the workplace will continue
to evolve.
Sample B
As we live in a society that constantly changes, Robert C. Gallagher, a famous photographer,
wisely stated that “change is inevitable - except from a vending machine.” Change is something that
we can neither escape nor dispose of. In order to learn how to deal with constant changes, I contacted
Maureen Moeslein, a physician assistant who works at Allergy and Clinical Immunology. She agreed
that working in the medical field as a physician assistant is constantly changing, but in her opinion the
changes are crucial and helpful, especially with the help of technology, education, and the general role
of a physician assistant.
Technology is the number one factor of change not only for physician assistant (PA), but the
general health care field. She stated that, “electronic medical records (EMR) are changing the way
PA’s practice and chart office visits and follow patients. In addition, electronic databases are replacing
textbooks for research and fact-finding.” Technology creates a whole new world where we find out
information quicker and more efficiently. In ways this is very proactive and efficient, however in other
ways it can sometimes be frustrating because of the way that information is constantly changing. After

3. viewing the “Shift Happens” video, I was informed that, “the amount of new technical information is
doubling every 2 years, for students starting a 4 year technical degree, this means that half of what they
learn their first year of study will be outdated their third year of study.” Not only does statistic relate to
technology, but also to education.
Education is also a huge factor that is constantly changing. Maureen Moeslein mentioned that
this field is competitive in the way that there are limited spots for the physician assistant programs,
especially at Gannon University of Erie, Pennsylvania where she obtained her master’s degree. She
pointed out that “the program continues to get more demanding each year. In addition, technology has
allowed more hands-on training before they start their clinical rotations.” I was also informed that this
is a constantly changing career where new research is arousing due to the new technology and
guidelines changing the role of a physician assistant.
The general role and job of a physician assistant is shifting gears. They are becoming more
independent due to the fact that the regulations of physician assistants have changed in the way that
physician assistants can work without the supervision of physicians. Maureen Moeslein stated that “in
addition, the prescribing rights for PA’s have expanded to allow PA’s to write prescriptions under
osteopathic physicians. In the future, PA’s are hoping to become more independent and no longer
requiring physicians to sign off on all office visits.” She also informed me that there is more flexibility
of what I can choose to practice in and this career is becoming more popular.
Change is inevitable in the medical field because of technology, education, and the general role
of the job. There is no way around change so as the next generation will have to plan out how to adapt
to this ever-changing world and make the best of all situations. In conclusion, Mary Engelbreit, a
children’s book illustrator, once said, “If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it,
change the way you think about it.”