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| Interviews. (Picture : Google) |
Interview is a conversation between two or more people and takes place between the resource person and the interviewer. The purpose of the interview is to get the right information from trusted sources. The interview is conducted by submitting several questions from the interviewer to the resource person.
“According to Gary Dessler, “An interview is a procedure designed to obtain information from a person’s oral response to oral inquiries.”
“According to Thill and Bovee, “An interview is any planed conversation with a specific purpose involving two or more people”.
“According to Dr. S. M. Amunuzzaman, “Interview is a very systematic method by which a person enters deeply into the life of even a stranger and can bring out needed information and data for the research purpose.”
So, an interview is formal meetings between two people (the interviewer and the interviewee) where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information, qualities, attitudes, wishes etc. Form the interviewee.
The Preparation
The most important things we should do to prepare before doing the interviews.
1. Research your interviewee
An interview is as much about preparation as it is about asking questions. Good interviews come from good research. Obviously you need to know what your interviewee does for a living, but do you know their interests? Do you know what is likely to push their emotional buttons?
A creative person is likely to be inspired by visual language. An IT geek may be motivated by logic and process. If you find areas of common interest, you will have things to discuss that help you build a rapport. You may also find things that your interviewee has talked about before. You can ask them about previous statements and expand on those or re-qualify them.
Use LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google and any other useful tools to do your research. You could also speak to colleagues or friends of your interviewee.
2. Pick a suitable time and place
Where you conduct an interview is important. You don’t want lots of background noise encroaching on your recording, and you don’t want office interruptions. Agree a suitable time – there’s nothing worse than you planning for an hour that turns into, “Sorry, I have to go in 15 minutes.”
If you are conducting the interview on the phone, make sure you are both comfortable and that there is no background noise.
Ask your subject where and when they would like to talk – where they will feel relaxed and able to give you the required attention.
3. Check your tech
There’s nothing worse than planning to record using a dictaphone and finding you don’t have batteries, or that it isn’t fully charged. What if it isn’t working? Do a practice run to check sound and ensure you have enough tape or storage space.
Likewise, if you are using a camera, or a camera phone, make sure it is fully charged and has enough memory. A phone on a low charge could also be disastrous if you need to call the interview because you are held up in traffic.
On top of all that, your tech devices may fail. What will you do then? You should revert to the lowest tech – a notepad and pen. If you have fully prepared, you will have already made notes of your questions and the topics you want to talk about. This will make it easier to make efficient and accurate notes so you can quote your interviewee correctly.
4. Make them feel comfortable
Gauge the comfort level of your interviewee. They may be as nervous or more nervous than you! Sometimes, opening up a little about yourself can help ease them into sharing something personal about themselves. Some interviewees prefer a more casual chat, while others may not be as interested in what you have to say – their behavioural cues will help you determine how they want the interview to be structured.
5. Make it business and pleasure
A relaxed interviewee will be more open. Remember, you are trying to record the thoughts of the other person – not impose your thoughts on them. Your task is to draw out their thoughts in a businesslike and measured way, while making the experience pleasurable for your subject.
Build a rapport by pandering to the subjects close to your interviewee’s heart. People like to talk about things they care about – they will talk emotionally and passionately and that encourages them to be more frank. Emotional statements are more powerful quotes.
That doesn’t mean generate anger and frustration. Quite the opposite. Use empathy and show interest. If you enjoy the discussion, so will your subject.
6. Have a conversation
An interview is not an inquisition. Don’t just run through a list of questions and write down answers, producing a formulaic Q&A. Sometimes that format is great for an article, but there’s no storytelling involved in a Q&A.
Even having planned your questions and the topics you are looking for, a general conversation will reveal things you didn’t expect.
Your interviewee may be passionate about a charitable cause or a hobby. These things, when probed, could reveal a whole new angle that puts the interviewee in a new light.
7. Work on your flow.
This is probably the most challenging but also the most important interview skill you can develop. You want to strike a balance between a conversation (which helps make your subject feel comfortable and aids candor) and getting the job done. As your subject is answering your question, be thinking about what you’ll ask next and why.
The flow of questions needs to seem natural and conversational — don’t spin your subject off on a completely different topic just because that’s the next question on your list. Think about segues and transitions. This way your subject doesn’t feel forced to give you soundbites and may open up a little (particularly important for anyone working on an audio piece where you may need blocks of the raw interview).
8. Check your facts
Don’t publish without checking facts. First, your subject may tell you things that need to be verified. They may also mention product names or people – check how to spell these.
You don’t need to share a draft of your article with the interviewee, but you can check their statements with them and sharing a draft is a good courtesy. Remember you need to maintain that rapport because you may need their help again sometime.
9. Be on Time
Arrive at your interview with plenty of time to spare. If you’ve never been to the place where your interview is taking place, go early and scout it out. There is nothing more unprofessional than a reporter who is late. You can also use the time you are waiting to make notes about the surroundings. You won’t remember details later, so write them down.
10. Thank them
Manners cost nothing. When someone gives up their time, and their story, for you, the least you can do is thank them.
Thank them at the interview but also afterwards, by phone or email. This is a good way to reassure them that the interview went well. First-time or inexperienced interviewees may feel nervous about what they said, or how they came across.
Let them know they have nothing to worry about and that you will check your facts with them before you publish.
The Etiquette of Interviewing
1. Introduce yourself
Introduce yourself at the start of every interview. Tell people who you are and who you are writing for.
2. Smile
Smiling naturally (without pursing your lips tightly together) will make you appear confident, friendly, and approachable. Even if you’re not feeling it, fake it. A smile conveys that you’re someone who can get along with someone.
3. Avoid obsessing
While good notes and recording are very important, you can do yourself a disservice by obsessing about recording every little detail of what your subject says. As you’re interviewing, you should be able to discern the gems from the chatter — focus on the quotes and info you know you’re going to use and make sure you get that right!
4. Keep Eye Contact
During the interview, the interviewer must pay attention to the resource person. If we are busy taking notes, the resource person will be pleasantly ignored and understandably offended.
5. Keep Listen
The interviewee might want to use your interview to say something important that you were not expecting.
6. Be polite
Say "please" and "thank you”.
I have search and find from some sources about how to interview people like a journalist and make it in one on this blog.
“According to Gary Dessler, “An interview is a procedure designed to obtain information from a person’s oral response to oral inquiries.”
“According to Thill and Bovee, “An interview is any planed conversation with a specific purpose involving two or more people”.
“According to Dr. S. M. Amunuzzaman, “Interview is a very systematic method by which a person enters deeply into the life of even a stranger and can bring out needed information and data for the research purpose.”
So, an interview is formal meetings between two people (the interviewer and the interviewee) where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information, qualities, attitudes, wishes etc. Form the interviewee.
The Preparation
The most important things we should do to prepare before doing the interviews.
1. Research your interviewee
An interview is as much about preparation as it is about asking questions. Good interviews come from good research. Obviously you need to know what your interviewee does for a living, but do you know their interests? Do you know what is likely to push their emotional buttons?
A creative person is likely to be inspired by visual language. An IT geek may be motivated by logic and process. If you find areas of common interest, you will have things to discuss that help you build a rapport. You may also find things that your interviewee has talked about before. You can ask them about previous statements and expand on those or re-qualify them.
Use LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google and any other useful tools to do your research. You could also speak to colleagues or friends of your interviewee.
2. Pick a suitable time and place
Where you conduct an interview is important. You don’t want lots of background noise encroaching on your recording, and you don’t want office interruptions. Agree a suitable time – there’s nothing worse than you planning for an hour that turns into, “Sorry, I have to go in 15 minutes.”
If you are conducting the interview on the phone, make sure you are both comfortable and that there is no background noise.
Ask your subject where and when they would like to talk – where they will feel relaxed and able to give you the required attention.
3. Check your tech
There’s nothing worse than planning to record using a dictaphone and finding you don’t have batteries, or that it isn’t fully charged. What if it isn’t working? Do a practice run to check sound and ensure you have enough tape or storage space.
Likewise, if you are using a camera, or a camera phone, make sure it is fully charged and has enough memory. A phone on a low charge could also be disastrous if you need to call the interview because you are held up in traffic.
On top of all that, your tech devices may fail. What will you do then? You should revert to the lowest tech – a notepad and pen. If you have fully prepared, you will have already made notes of your questions and the topics you want to talk about. This will make it easier to make efficient and accurate notes so you can quote your interviewee correctly.
4. Make them feel comfortable
Gauge the comfort level of your interviewee. They may be as nervous or more nervous than you! Sometimes, opening up a little about yourself can help ease them into sharing something personal about themselves. Some interviewees prefer a more casual chat, while others may not be as interested in what you have to say – their behavioural cues will help you determine how they want the interview to be structured.
5. Make it business and pleasure
A relaxed interviewee will be more open. Remember, you are trying to record the thoughts of the other person – not impose your thoughts on them. Your task is to draw out their thoughts in a businesslike and measured way, while making the experience pleasurable for your subject.
Build a rapport by pandering to the subjects close to your interviewee’s heart. People like to talk about things they care about – they will talk emotionally and passionately and that encourages them to be more frank. Emotional statements are more powerful quotes.
That doesn’t mean generate anger and frustration. Quite the opposite. Use empathy and show interest. If you enjoy the discussion, so will your subject.
6. Have a conversation
An interview is not an inquisition. Don’t just run through a list of questions and write down answers, producing a formulaic Q&A. Sometimes that format is great for an article, but there’s no storytelling involved in a Q&A.
Even having planned your questions and the topics you are looking for, a general conversation will reveal things you didn’t expect.
Your interviewee may be passionate about a charitable cause or a hobby. These things, when probed, could reveal a whole new angle that puts the interviewee in a new light.
7. Work on your flow.
This is probably the most challenging but also the most important interview skill you can develop. You want to strike a balance between a conversation (which helps make your subject feel comfortable and aids candor) and getting the job done. As your subject is answering your question, be thinking about what you’ll ask next and why.
The flow of questions needs to seem natural and conversational — don’t spin your subject off on a completely different topic just because that’s the next question on your list. Think about segues and transitions. This way your subject doesn’t feel forced to give you soundbites and may open up a little (particularly important for anyone working on an audio piece where you may need blocks of the raw interview).
8. Check your facts
Don’t publish without checking facts. First, your subject may tell you things that need to be verified. They may also mention product names or people – check how to spell these.
You don’t need to share a draft of your article with the interviewee, but you can check their statements with them and sharing a draft is a good courtesy. Remember you need to maintain that rapport because you may need their help again sometime.
9. Be on Time
Arrive at your interview with plenty of time to spare. If you’ve never been to the place where your interview is taking place, go early and scout it out. There is nothing more unprofessional than a reporter who is late. You can also use the time you are waiting to make notes about the surroundings. You won’t remember details later, so write them down.
10. Thank them
Manners cost nothing. When someone gives up their time, and their story, for you, the least you can do is thank them.
Thank them at the interview but also afterwards, by phone or email. This is a good way to reassure them that the interview went well. First-time or inexperienced interviewees may feel nervous about what they said, or how they came across.
Let them know they have nothing to worry about and that you will check your facts with them before you publish.
The Etiquette of Interviewing
1. Introduce yourself
Introduce yourself at the start of every interview. Tell people who you are and who you are writing for.
2. Smile
Smiling naturally (without pursing your lips tightly together) will make you appear confident, friendly, and approachable. Even if you’re not feeling it, fake it. A smile conveys that you’re someone who can get along with someone.
3. Avoid obsessing
While good notes and recording are very important, you can do yourself a disservice by obsessing about recording every little detail of what your subject says. As you’re interviewing, you should be able to discern the gems from the chatter — focus on the quotes and info you know you’re going to use and make sure you get that right!
4. Keep Eye Contact
During the interview, the interviewer must pay attention to the resource person. If we are busy taking notes, the resource person will be pleasantly ignored and understandably offended.
5. Keep Listen
The interviewee might want to use your interview to say something important that you were not expecting.
6. Be polite
Say "please" and "thank you”.
I have search and find from some sources about how to interview people like a journalist and make it in one on this blog.
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