“How To Conduct an Interview”
August 5, 2008 | by brett | Permalink
It’s time for the interview! How do you start the conversation? What do you talk about? How should you handle yourself?
1. Keep it casual. Don’t show up in a suit—you want your presence to reflect that it’s just a casual conversation between a student and a mentor.
2. Be respectful by being on time. Shake your interviewee’s hand and look them in the eye when you meet, and be sure to thank them for their time.
3. Share your own story. You want your interviewee to be comfortable sharing their story with you, so start off the conversation by talking about your situation with them (Hi, my name is (your name) and I’m interviewing you because I’m interested in a career in (whatever their career is). The interview is part of a program my class is participating in offered by Jobing.com’s Foundation.). Be honest and enthusiastic.
4. Do your research. Know as much about the person you are interviewing as possible. Google their name, read about their company, and if you have time, ask someone who works with your interviewee what a good question to ask them would be.
5. Prepare a few predetermined questions. Good questions to ask:
• Where were you at my age and where did you think you were going to go in your career?
• If you could offer yourself one piece of advice at my age, what would you say?
• How would you describe your job?
• What has enabled you to get to where you are today?
• What is the most challenging part of your job?
• What do you enjoy the most about your job?
• On a scale of 1-10, 1 being very little time, and 10 being all of your time, how much of your life is dedicated to your work?
• What kind of person is perfect for this job? What are their qualities and characteristics?
The rest of the questions you ask should be stuff you are curious about. Listen to what your interviewee says and base your questions of their answers.
How To Close Out An Interview
If you sense the conversation is winding down or the interviewee will need to leave soon, let them know that you want to be respectful of their time, and ask them if they have any last words of advice.
After the interview, write the interviewee a thank you note for their time and advice. Ask if it would be okay to correspond with them from time to time if you are writing an email. Your interviewee could be a valuable contact as your career progresses!
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