art of a great interview

1. The Art of a Great Interview

2. What is an Interview?
• An interview is a highly structured
conversation that is dominated by
questions and answers.

3. What role will Interviews play in
Life?
Getting the Job you Want Meeting new people at a party
Talking to your Principal about
a problem
If you are a witness in a trial
Having a fun first date with
someone special
Getting help from your
counselor
Getting into College Getting interviewed by your
school or local newspaper

4. Interviewing is part of the
Communication Process
• Interviewing goes on in varying degrees every
day.
• There are job interviews, dating interviews,
journalism interviews and more.
• Interviews can be very formal or very casual.

5. Interviews are part of the
Political Process
• Politicians are cross-examined by
members of the press on issues that are
important to voters.

6. Interviews are part of the Legal
System
• Police use interviews in investigations
• Cross examination of witnesses is an
important skill for lawyers to develop.

7. Types of interviews
• Interview for writing
– Newspapers,
historical
documentation
• Interview for research
– police work, university
studies
• Interview in the workplace
– Human resources, exit
interview, appraisal
interview
• Friendly interview
– Dating, friends,
counseling session

8. Before You Interview
• Research topics to develop appropriate
questions.
– Before interviewing World War II veterans
read up on different battles.
– Before interviewing someone to be hired,
read over their resume and contact
sources.

9. Before You are Interviewed
• Before a job interview research the
company and its products.
• Have a friend ask you questions that you
expect will be asked.

10. Conducting an Interview
• Effective interviewers discover a
comfortable format for themselves.
• Others follow a script or similar outline of
questions for all interviews – many large
companies have standard questions.

11. Steps in a Typical Interview
1. Nesting
• greeting the person
• Finding a seat
• Getting interviewee something to drink
2. Previewing
• Share exactly what will happen in interview
3. Interview body
• Question and answer portion
4. Allow for questions
• Gives you more info
• Brings closure to interview

12. Types of Strategic Questioning
• Hypothetical question
– Give scenario and ask how person might respond
• Invitation question
– A question which invites interviewee to talk about
a subject
• Follow up question
– The why, probing for greater detail
– Usually asked after a closed question
• Justification question
– Explaining why interviewee thinks the way they do

13. Keeping a Record
1. Using your memory
• Not recommended
2. Take notes
• Good for general ideas
3. Note form
• Prepared before interview with questions and
places for specific info
4. Record the interview
• Get every word
• Some drawbacks
• May make some people nervous
• Takes time to set up

14. Conclusion
A good interviewer
1. Prepares
2. Listens
3. Empathizes
4. Is thorough

15. Remember:
When your interviews go well,
your life goes well!
Good Luck in your future
interviews.