Response to Interview Articles

I picked up many important points from both the assigned readings. The information covered many topics from doing some pre-interview homework on the subjects to what to do in the actual interview. I learned that organization is a key to having a successful interview with anyone. Some things that stood out that I am going to use for my interview were to know not just about the person, but a little history about the specific subject you are talking about. Furthermore, that a writer should try and avoid agreeing to only discuss certain topics or use specific approved quotes. One thing I learned was something obvious that I hadn’t thought about- bringing something to record the interview. I forgot that I will need that information at a later time, so of course I need to write it down. Another helpful tip was to ask open-ended questions, this way you get more information. I took note that it is good to ask for stories in an interview because they are full of human experiences and testimonials to an event. This way, the interviewer will be able to see how something happened through the interviewee’s perspective.

One thing that really stood out to me while reading was age. The Interview Guide told an amazing example that the best age to interview differs on the subject. If you wanted to learn about the most popular childhood clapping game, a perfect subject would be a child in elementary school. In that same article, I loved the different examples of questions. They really helped with an understanding of what should be asked.

Because we have only talked about the interview assignment one day, I am not sure who I am going to interview or what I want to interview about. However, with the help of these two articles, I know more information about interviewing, and I have ideas swimming around in my head.