For this essay project you will be doing at least 5 interviews. (If you want to do even more than that, that is cool!) Interviewing someone can feel a little weird or maybe even make you nervous. Below are some tips/advice for making it a smoother process. All this advice comes from students who have done interviews. They are sharing what worked best for them. Please read this carefully, and after each interview you should read this again, so you can weigh your experience against this advice.
Make the interviewee comfortable. The more this feels like a conversation, the better.
You may want to send them the questions before the interview. Interviewees WANT to do well, and having the questions ahead of time can relax them.
Don’t ask YES/NO type questions. Ask open ended questions. Example: Do you like Hayward? Is not nearly as effective as What do you like about Hayward?
If they get off track in their answers, steer them gently back. BUT, pay attention to what they are saying… sometimes what seems “off topic” actually has value.
Don’t talk too much. You KNOW what you think. Let them tell you what THEY think.
Be sure to ask follow-up questions when they say something good. Don’t be a slave to the questions. The questions are just a start.
Be sure to record the interview. ALSO, take good written notes. You will want to have BOTH sources.
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