| 1. |
A
professional attitude.
What you feel comes out in how you present
yourself. The first impression you make
on your interviewee needs to be positive.
One thing you can do is prepare. Practice
in front of a mirror or friends. Sloppy
appearance will lose you some points.
Don’t start looking for a pen
or paper at the beginning of your interview,
know where they are. |
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| 2. |
Punctuality.
You should be on time and expect your
interviewee to be on time. Notify the
person you are to meet a day ahead so
that s/he is punctual. You should not
let established creators overwhelm you
and make you feel less important. Your
self-esteem is the most valuable thing
for you. |
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| 3. |
Be
prepared.
Before interviewing a person, you must
learn what you can about her/him. It
is crucial for you to have background
information on the interviewee. For
example, you need to know something
about her/his work, contribution, and
development. Be specific. Preparing
questions that relate to the interviewee
will help you. You may want to use a
conversational interview style but there
are still essential question that need
to be answered. They also help you direct
the conversation. |
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| 4. |
Set
your interviewee at ease.
It is only natural for the interviewee
to feel unsure or to be cautious. Many
people do not trust media persons. Your
first priority is to make her/him feel
comfortable. I think a smile makes all
the difference in the world and helps
the interviewee let down her/his reservations.
“How are you today?” “I
have been looking forward to meeting
you.” “I like your dog.”
“You have a beautiful house (or
view).” Are some comments that
can help relax your interviewee. |
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| 5. |
Be
sensitive:
As the interview progresses, tread carefully
with your interviewee’s feelings.
Questions related to personal issues
like marriage, children, economic backgrounds
need to be asked discreetly. Some people
feel very protective about their personal
affairs especially in a culture like
ours. You need to respect that privacy.
It is up to the interviewee to share
her/his feelings on matters s/he considered
intimate. Remember, do not be pushy. |
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| 6. |
Maintain
order and concern.
Be organized when you ask questions.
Sometimes, the interviewee can jump
from one topic to another. They can
get carried away and digress. During
this situation, it is up to you to gently
change the topic and put her/him back
on track. Maintaining a good conversational
pace allows you to rethink what you’re
going to ask her/him. Also you have
to keep in mind that the interview should
not drag on pointlessly. |
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| 7. |
After
the interview, thank the person, and
inform her/him that you will be in touch
with your article. You also need her/him
to confirm and re-check the information
you are not sure about. |
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COLLECTIBLES