Handout #6 - Interview Project: What Does an Excellent Interviewer Do?

CATEGORY An Excellent Interviewer Preparation Before the interview, the interviewer choses a topic and prepares several related questions to ask. She choses those questions carefully, thinking of how the person being interview might respond. She also thinks about possible follow-up questions. Setting Up The interviewer explains to the person why she wants to the do an interview, shares the subject she is going to ask Interview about, tells the person how the interview will be used, and asks the person's permission to do the interview. Politeness The interviewer never interrupts or hurries the person being interviewed and thanks him/her for being willing to be interviewed.

An OK Interviewer Before the interview, the inteviewer choses a topic and prepares a couple of questions to ask. These questions are generally related to the topic of the interview, but are not specific to the person being interviewed. The interviewer asks permission to do the interview and explains why she wants to do it. However, she does not share the subject or how the interview will be used. The interviewer sometimes interrupts or hurries the person being interviewed and thanks her/him for being willing to be interviewed. The interviewer asks a couple of follow-up questions based on what s/he thinks the person means (but isn't sure the person actually has said it).

Follow-up The interviewer listens carefully to the person being Questions interviewed and asks several follow-up questions based on what the person said. If she is not sure what the person meant, she asks for clarification.

Notetaking The interviewer maintains focus on the person rather than The interviewer takes lots of notes during the on the occasional notes she takes. Most notes are made interview. No additional notes are taken. immediately after the interview so facts, quotes, and information are not lost. Evaluating The interviewer accurately and fluently describes what the happened during the interview. She describes what Interview worked well and what didn't work. The interviewer describes some of what happened during the interview. She describes what went well -- but does not describe what did not go well.

Telling to The interviewer accurately and fluently retells the story The interviewer retells the story told to her, but Others the told to her, using accurate quotations and facts discovered does not use accurate quotations or facts Story that in the interview. discovered in the interview. was Told Writing the The interviewer uses what was told to her in the interview The interviewer's written story is not well Story that to write a story that is well organized and contains organized, but it does contain accurate was Told accurate quotations and facts taken from the interview. quotations and facts taken from the interview.

adapated from: http://rubistar.4teachers.org Date Created: May 05, 2013 02:30 pm (CDT)

erviewer Do?

A Poor Interviewer The interviewer does not prepare any questions before the interview.

The interviewer surprises the person she wants to interview and just begins asking questions.

The interviewer often interrupts or hurries the person being interviewed and/or forgets to thank the person.

The student does not ask any follow-up questions based on what the person said.

The interviewer takes no notes during or after the interview.

The interviewer does not describe what happened at the interview in a way that makes sense to the hearer.

The interviewer does not retell the story in a way that makes sense to the hearer.

The interviewer's written story is lacking facts and quotations from the interview and is not well organized.