In my work with Chilliwack Community Services and a few other clients, I get to interview people. I say get, because I really enjoy it. This will sound geeky, but the best part about being a writer is meeting and getting to know new people. If you don’t like constantly learning, then you probably shouldn’t be a writer. At least, not a corporate writer.
What I’ve learned
If you’ve never interviewed before, here are a few things you should know. You’ll be a pro in no time.
- Bring a recording device—and make sure you know how to use it before the interview. Then, make sure your interviewee is sitting as close to it as possible.
- Write out at least 5 questions beforehand. To get your interviewee to give you more than one word answers, start them with “Tell me about how…” or “Explain how you first got involved…”
- Conduct the interview like you’re chatting with a friend over coffee. This puts both of you at ease.
- Make random note, but don’t let them completely absorb you. When a good point is made, make a note and write down the elapsed time on your recorder.
- Ask for your interviewee’s email address so you can thank them for his or her time the next day.
Mistakes I’ve made
I’m not to proud to admit it, but I’ve been a clutz during some of my interviews. Learn from me, people. Learn from me.
- Let your interviewee tell his or her story. Yeah, I have good stories too, but this is about them. Save your hilarious stories for after the interview—if you still think they’re that hilarious.
- Pay attention! You’re going to look like an idiot asking a question about what your interviewee just explained while you were daydreaming about whether her perfume smells like cinnamon buns or if someone walked by with cinnamon buns.
- Arrive prepared. You should know who you’re talking to, the subject and the reason for the article. Yes, this really happened to me once.
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These cute munchkins had great commentary, making my interview playback fun to listen to.
Look at the interview as making a new friend. I’ve made so many in the past couple years, I consider myself very fortunate.
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