While I had time to prepare and make questions, I opted to do the interview in a more improvisational way. In the past I noticed that I when I’m not reading from a script or from something memorized, I tend to make interviews sound more like conversations by adding in less formal speech. Otherwise I sound either monotone or professional. In this case I wanted the interview to seem more casual in order to set my interviewee at ease, because they were most likely going to be someone I didn’t speak to often. The 10 questions I came up with were used more as prompts than as subjects to cover. I think this approach went well, because in the feedback I received it was said as a strength that I used “colloquial chit-chat occasionally to make interviewee feel comfortable.”

Also from the strengths in my feedback, it was said that I elaborated on questions when the opportunity was presented, clarified answers and used gestures to emphasize my speaking. My stretches were posture in the beginning of the interview and that I didn’t always make enough eye contact. I also fidgeted sometimes.

For interviews in the future, I’m going to try and limit my fidgeting and assume good posture from the outset. I’ll also make more eye contact, to truly show that I am interested and invested in the interview.