Interview 3 Reflection

This is the most relatable picture of how I conduct interviews.

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?  

The most important thing I learned was my mentor’s point of view on my essential question. We had talked about authors’ influences at great length before my interview with her and that was mostly what had inspired my essential question. I think that it’s important that I have that recorded, so I can go back to it later for inspiration and direction. It’s reassuring that I have support for my answers from a fellow writer, especially when they are so much more accomplished. It’s also reassuring to know that I have not found all of the answers. Mrs. Baker brought up lots of ideas that I had never occurred to me and it has lead me down new paths of research and analysis.

2.  How has your approach to interviewing changed over the course of your senior project?

I don’t think I’m that great of an interviewer, that’s for sure! I’m pretty introverted most of the time and I think that is evident in my interviews. My questions come out awkward and lead to a lot of babbling. On top of that I usually have to stop myself from interrupting their answers and inserting my own. Then when they stop talking there are awkward pauses where I have to try and carry on the conversation, something not natural to me. Which is pretty silly considering I spend most of my free time reading other people’s conversations. You’d think I would have picked up on the skill.

Over the year I think that I have become more comfortable with the idea of interviewing. While I still don’t have ease with it, I’m definitely not limited to only emailing people anymore. I think that I have improved on my responses in conversation as well. There aren’t as many awkward cuts in conversation as there were in the first interview. I still need lots of work on my interviewing skills, but I am no longer an interview virgin, so theres that!