A great experience: being interviewed
A fellow WA member, Jacquie Doucette (@JDoucette), interviewed me a while back and has put the result online last weekend. She has a podcast which is called Beyond Retirement and since I am retired (really? am I? LOL) I fit right into her niche.
Being interviewed is such a great experience. You have to thoroughly think through what your answers will be and how you say it in a way that someone who doesn't know you understands what you are talking about.
Whether you know the questions beforehand or not, in my opinion, it is best to prepare yourself. Some people rather have spontaneous situations but I am just not that type.
- Why are you being interviewed?
- What is the point you want to get across?
- How do you ensure that both you and the interviewer achieve their goal?
This list can be extended but if you answer these 3 questions and make a note with a couple of keywords the interview will be fine.
Be aware of journalists
The interview with Jacquie was relaxed, not threatening in any way. I have been interviewed by a couple of newspapers and even a local television station in the past. The best tip to handle that I got from my husband: do not be tempted to answer questions off the record, because that part will be used.
The first time I was interviewed for a newspaper it went wrong immediately. Being nervous, I forgot Tom's advice and chatted with the journalist while we waited for the photographer. What I then thoughtlessly said, was used in the headline to my distress.
Interviewing people is just as fantastic
At the moment I am solely concentrating on writing my articles but when Tom and I started with AGEwithCARE a couple of years ago, I interviewed someone once a week in a Facebook live.
It's another magnificent way to learn a lot and quickly. Especially when you are just starting out. By interviewing experts in your field, your own status rises as well. And it's great to pick someone else's brain that way. I always got a lot of energy from those interviews.
Have you been an interviewer or an interviewee?
xxx
Hannie
PS Can anyone tell me if I am allowed to put on the link to Jacquie's podcast? We are not allowed to do selfpromotion but this would be promoting someone else, wouldn't it?
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You look really lovely in the cover picture there Hannie. I think that you have also provided some good tips to follow prior to the start of the interview which certainly are worth following. I just Googled the podcast and found it. I learnt quite a lot about you just reading the bio. Listening to the podcast. Well done Hannie.
Hugh
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I would place the link in my personal profile page bio, Hannie! Yes, I have been interviewed by 4 WA members so far! 2 of them were about an hour in length, one about 2 hours, and finally one 4 hours and 8 minutes! I love it. They were all zoom meetings and at least two made it to YouTube!
Jeff
Oh wow, Jeff, that is marvelous! You're a pro on interviews now :)
I tried to find them on FB but there are too many Jeffrey Browns there.
Thanks,
xxx
Hannie
Nice