Interviewing Interviewers

 

COM 351

SCHER

 

 

Purpose: To find out how experts in different disciplines use the interview.

 

Different disciplines use the interview. Some techniques are very similar across disciplines, while other techniques do not apply. Your goal will be to get a better understanding of how the interview is relevant to different endeavors. You should learn what works, and what doesn’t work within your chosen disciplines.

 

You may do this assignment over email, phone, skype or in person.  Each approach has their own positive and negative aspects.

 

How To Do The Assignment.

 

You will choose the discipline you want to investigate.

You will find an expert. You will contact them. You will do a short pre-interview with them to determine their relevance to the assignment, their interest and their availability. You will arrange for an interview.  You will be sure to tell them exactly what this is for, what you expect from them and how long it will take. If you are going to record the interview, be sure to get their consent.

Write up a focus statement and purpose for the interview. (i.e. Focus: “Ms. X is an expert in employment interviews. She often uses videos in her interviews. I want to know why she feels these are a benefit to making decisions ) ( e.g. Purpose:" I want to succeed in getting a good job and need to understand employment interviewing techniques. I am nervous around cameras.")

Do research. Use our texts as a primary source. Read about the field in other publications. Watch videos. Listen to interviews. Learn about the field, the company or the department. Find out about the person. Write up citations for your research. 3 sources minimum to get the 3 points, but they should be valid and useful sources.

Write up your question set. 5-10 is a good number.

For two questions, do more work. We are calling these super questions and they have their own template of you to follow. They are worth 4 points out of the total. Super Questions .docx

Write up your interview using the sample Interview Report as your template. Sample Interview Report for Interviewing.pdf.  The length of your written report should be approximately 3 -5 pages. 

Write up a short conclusion, what did you learn about the discipline and its use of the interview. 

Write up a self-critique. What did you do well, what could you have done better in conducting the interview? 

      If you are so inclined, you can record these interviews as audio or as video and edit them.  However, I will still be expecting the rest of the written material. Write up your purpose for this assignment and have it at the top of the page of your report, include your prepared introduction (even you don't use it in the recording), your written question set (including Superquestions,) your conclusion and your self critique

 

Write or produce as if for a magazine, a newspaper or multimedia programs. Include at least one picture.   A well-written background/introduction/summary and conclusion do show how well you have thought through the implications of your questions and the answers you received.  

 

A news story, an interview, any story really, is someone doing something for a reason. That can be your lead, or introduction. The interview report to follow will go into detail and depth, the how and why, based on that introduction.  

 

Remember, include 4-5 sentence paragraph of self critique. Assess your performance- what worked, what didn't, did you create rapport? Did it go off topic? Did it follow your plan? Did you like what you ended up with? 

 

The Grading will break down this way. 

2 for a clearly stated purpose and focus.

2 for a well-written, background section or lead and short conclusion

3 for research. Write up your research in the style of a simple bibliography. 3 sources minimum. 

4 for pre-planned questions and interview arc (which you will have written up and will turn in) (around 10 questions will be a good number)

4- for your two super-questions.

4 for your organized sections, ( or relevant edited audio or video) which will reveal your efforts at probing and bringing out details that reveal the story.

1 for self-critique

 

 

If we have time, we will have presentations in class.  Choose your best segment, or edit a few exchanges together:  Q and A from one part of the interview, followed by Q and A from another part, followed by Q and A from a third. Present enough to adequately share the story you want to reveal. But Short. Your presentation should not be longer than 5-7 minutes.