How to Conduct an Interview

Interviews are conducted for various reasons. They matter a lot, whether it is for research or for media outlets. It is an essential part of understanding the situation as you do not rely just on your own opinion but also get someone else’s perspective on the matter. Of course, there are different kinds of techniques by different interviewers, and in this article, we will look at some of those essential ones.

• Researching the person you are going to interview is the first factor you need to take into consideration ahead of an interview. Having information about their background or their activities can help you to familiarize yourself with them. Social media, especially LinkedIn, can be a great source of information on that front.
• Choosing a location - It usually happens at their office, but if it is up to you to choose the location, it should depend on the nature of the interview or the person who is getting interviewed. Of course, busy and crowded places with loud background music should be avoided at all costs.
• Write down essential questions that you want to ask beforehand. Having at least 5-10 ready questions would make the process much easier for you when you are face-to-face. The rest of the conversation will come naturally. Do not forget to bring a piece of paper or electronic device that has your questions in it.
• Use a recording device (audio or video) – This is one of the most important factors going into the interview. Here are some essential tips you should consider while working with recording devices:
  • Choose your recording device carefully. Whether it is a smartphone or a special recording device, make sure the microphones are working perfectly, and you have enough storage to record the interview from start to finish.
  • Do a lot of test recordings before the interview to check if the device is intact and not malfunctioning.
  • Make sure voice receivers are clean of dust.
  • Make sure that your device is fully charged and you have a charging cable, extra battery, or power bank in case the device is out of energy.
  • As mentioned above, avoid conducting the interview in a loud place that can cause recording problems. Instead, choose a quiet, silent place like a park, library, or a small coffee shop.
  • Choose a perfect distance to place the device as it should not be too far or too close to their mouth.
• Transcribing the recording – After the interview is finished, it is time to listen to the recording and transcribing it if you want to get the most value out of your interview. The transcription process lets you notice little moments or important pieces of information that otherwise did not stand out for you during the interview. Of course, it can be done manually, which will cost you several hours and hard work, but modern technology lets you do it in just a few minutes. It is called automatic transcription software that uses speech recognition.