Helpful Tips for Students Conducting Interviews

I personally came into college having never been assigned a school project that warranted me conducting an interview, which my introversion has always been okay with. Once I began attending college, I was a little thrown off when two other students and I had to conduct an interview of someone in a position of power for a group project. However, it wasn’t as difficult as I expected, and I came out of the experience having gained knowledge and helpful tips for other students who may need to conduct interviews but don’t know how. Here are a few:

Preparation is crucial

Admittedly, it can be difficult for a college student to be 100% prepared for every project in every class. However, when planning an interview as a student, it is imperative to have prior knowledge and research on the interviewee, what they do and the subject matter as a whole. Everything else about the interview could go wrong, but if you have substantial questions planned to ask, then the experience will be a success for all parties involved.

Ask open-ended questions

This should go without saying, but putting thought into every question will be utterly beneficial during the interview. The interviewer should have questions written down that require a descriptive response, something that will give the interviewee a chance to talk about things that can’t be found on the internet when doing research on the topic. I learned that personal questions regarding their experience with the given topic are essential, and will give you valuable private insight.

Be Respectful

Obviously, the interviewer should always be respectful of the person they’re interviewing. Observe the body language and non-verbal signs of the interviewee. If you ask a question or mention a topic that the person obviously isn’t comfortable answering or doesn’t want to talk about, move on. Extra questions should be readily available for situations like this.

In my opinion, a successful interview should leave both the interviewer and interviewee feeling helpful, knowledgeable and more comfortable. According to the formality of the interview, you may conclude the experience feeling that you’ve simply made a new friend, who happens to have insight on a topic you’re studying.

 

Campbell McAtee