The goal of conducting a review of the topic is to ensure that you are knowledgeable enough to ask good questions during your interview. If interviewing a selection specialist for instance, you should avoid asking questions like “what is personality,” and instead ask questions like “what theory of personality do you use, and how does it compare to the Big 5?” Your interview will be much more meaningful if you already have an idea of what terms are used, what the modern issues are, and what problems are common in that area of practice. Although each person’s process will be different depending on your choices, you will need to find several reputable academic sources to inform you on the topic. You should be able to clearly define relevant terms, know of major theories or taxonomies, understand the general process of practicing that topic, and generally gain an understanding of what a practitioner in that area needs to know and do. I would highly suggest finding modern book chapters and reviews on your topic of interest, as these are very thorough summaries of a relatively large body of work.Questions to answer:What does a practitioner in this area do exactly?What are the primary terms, and how are they defined?What are the major theories or processes discussed in this topic area?Why is this topic important for organizations to consider or work on?What different approaches exist for solving a problem in this area?How has this area changed in the last 10-20 years?You will turn in a draft of your summary for my review. You may organize it in the way that seems most appropriate for the material (e.g., headings, bullet points, images), but I expect it to look professional.
