by: Adrienne Rodney

You think you got it bad? Try waiting in a mile-long line where a callback is like hitting the jackpot and landing a part is like going to heaven.

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First Lesson: CHANGE THE GAME

Darbi Worley, producer of the Everything Acting Podcast, knows that not every role is right for her. “I look at every project as a jigsaw puzzle missing one piece,” she says. “I am a puzzle piece and I only fit certain puzzles. If I jam myself into the wrong puzzle, both the puzzle and I are going to be really uncomfortable. Better to wait for the right puzzle. It’s out there.”

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Second lesson: RE-FRAME REJECTION

Lidia Ryan says most thespians go on twenty auditions before getting a job – sometimes more, sometimes less. There are too many circumstances to take it personally. “I may lose a part not because I’m not a good actor or they [casting agents] didn’t like me,” she says, “but perhaps because I look too much like one of the actors in the project that are already cast, or they decided to go with…the opposite sex. It’s never a rejection of you; they just decided to go with someone else. If you see it as a rejection of you, well then you will probably just give up.”

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Third Lesson: KEEP GOING

Brooke Lewis, a horror-film actor and producer, knows how hard you have to work to be noticed. “When you get in front of those people you better be prepared and you better be good,” she says. “However, how will these people ever know you exist if you don’t put the work in to get there? If you’re not putting yourself out there in the work sense, then you’re not moving. You’re not getting to the next place.”

Ms. Lewis put herself out there by staying busy. “I can’t tell you how many coffee and dinner meetings I used to take, with anyone and everyone in the industry who I could have some kind of beneficial relationship with – where I could help assist them and they could teach me. I mean, you really have to put the time in.”

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Fourth Lesson: TAKE ACTING LESSONS

Dan Nainan was a senior engineer at Intel touring around the world with cofounder Andy Grove as his “Demo God” doing technical demonstrations on stage. He says, “Although the technical part was easy, the public speaking was terrifying, so I took a comedy class to help with stage fright, and found I had an affinity for comedy.” Now he’s a professional comedian and actor who appeared in a “Get a Mac” commercial for Apple. Learn how actors and comedians deal with their fears and it will surely help your career, and perhaps even lead to a new one.

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Fifth Lesson: DO SOMETHING ELSE

Kai Soremekun, creator of the web series CHICK, says. “When you’re looking for a job and worried about your future you’re already afraid.” She recommends, “Stop watching the news.” and “Get a hobby or project.” She describes a friend who renovates houses, “Often she is so wrapped up in the latest house she’s working on that it almost becomes a hassle to drop what’s she’s doing to go to an audition. But the result is she’s less invested in the outcome of the audition and so books more acting gigs.”

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Kai brings up a very important point. Optimism, helplessness, and depression have been studied for decades by Martin Seligman, past president of the American Psychological Association, and director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

In his book, Learned Optimism, he describes how worrying about things out of your control (e.g., the economy, most news stories, etc.) will make you feel helpless and depressed. However, being engaged in an activity like a hobby or side business will keep you positive, particularly if it is meaningful and benefits others. Watch Dr. Seligman explain how to live a fulfilling life on this TED Video.

a book review by Paul Share

In The Whuffie Factor, author Tara Hunt tells the fascinating story of how, in recent years, entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes have used social networking to succeed in business. Hunt notes that traditional advertising is experiencing diminishing returns, as people learn to block out messages from a bombardment of media. Which brings us to the concept and use of “whuffie”.

Whuffie is a term coined by Cory Doctorow, a popular blogger, in a science fiction novel. He uses the term to describe social capital (or good will) in a future time when money is replaced as a medium of exchange by whuffie.   Hunt tells the story of businesses that have used social networking tools and Web 2.0 approaches to build a community of users, nurture whuffie with this community, and use this whuffie to thrive. She uses the telling of their stories to illustrate the various principles and “how-to’s”  that a person or business should follow in order to build social communities, interact with these social communities in a manner that builds whuffie, and ultimately benefit from the relationships and good-will generated.

But Hunt’s book is more than an engaging account of how businesses have successfully used these tools, and it is more than a how-to guide.  The Whuffie Factor also addresses a number of philosophical threads that are drifting through the cybersphere. Hunt writes that in order to be successful in building up Whuffie with a community, a member has to adopt a certain mindset. You can’t go into the community thinking of how you are going to benefit. Rather, you have to go in thinking of how you can benefit the community.

The success stories that Ms. Hunt recounts often demonstrate the “what goes around, comes around” school of karmic sociology. Many of these success stories are companies whose very mission statement involves doing good. Two examples are Stonyfield Farm, whose basic mission statement is to create environmentally friendly products, and Craigslist, which started as a free service and which to this day chooses not to charge for most types of listings. But even with businesses where a higher purpose is not built into the mission statement, Ms. Hunt shows how a key element in their success is a commitment to building and listening to a customer community, and using what they learn to improve their customers’ experience with their products and services. By serving their customers, companies create whuffie which, which as Ms. Hunt details, these businesses have used to improve customer loyalty and their sales.

I had the opportunity to speak with Hunt and asked her whether individuals looking for work can learn from the story told in her book.

She replied:

“Absolutely. When it comes to social capital, individuals are the key element, whether acting for a company or for themselves. It is always individuals who have the passions and human interests and emotions that can turn a series of digital connections into a community.”

“The world is changing before our eyes. Of the 500 companies included in the original Fortune 500 list published in 1955, only 71 (less than 15%) remained on this list on the 50^th anniversary in 2005.We work at a job and get comfortable and proficient at it, but then the job changes or goes away.  Jobs that we trained for 5, 10 and 15 years ago are disappearing or changing dramatically. Journalism is an example. People want news but more and more they are getting it digitally. People will pay for a pound of newspaper but resist paying when the news is in digital form.  So more and more journalists are losing their jobs with hard-copy publications and are scrambling to make a living in this new age.”

“For an individual to become adaptable in order to, survive and even benefit from this tidal wave of change it necessary to put yourself out there.  Word of mouth, has always been the most powerful form of marketing, for individuals as well as companies. In this age of digital communities, its reach is growing and it is getting even more powerful. Only by reaching out and engaging with many communities, can you keep on top of what is happening and build personal Whuffie that will help you find new work in this new age.”

As explained in Ms. Hunt’s book, by participating in groups like No-Shortage of Work, with a “pay it forward” mindset, one engages in communities in a manner that is personally rewarding and tends to be rewarding in terms of one’s career.

I don’t have much turnover in my group. Everyone has been with me for between 5 and 10 years. Sadly, Darla, who I only hired last year, has had to leave. She did wonderful work and we all loved her. And she liked it here too, but something unfortunate came up.

So, I’m hiring again.

We placed an ad in Craigslist.

Within three days, hundreds of people replied. If they were interesting, or they asked good questions, I responded, by sending them everyone’s questions and answers.

If a candidate was still interested, I then invited them to attend one of a few open houses.

We had our first yesterday where I met nine interesting and wonderful people.

I introduced myself, the team, and described the work. Because there are so many of them, and only one job, I suggested that, rather than having them all try to compete to impress me, we all work together to help everyone get a job. That way, I can differentiate the people who are only good at selling from the ones who like to help others.

If you are one of my applicants, please feel free to post a comment about your experience of this way of hiring.

Thanks,

Brooke

(Or anywhere else, for that matter.)

NSoW recently caught up with Ken Caldeira at the annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is a climate scientist working at Carnegie Institution’s Dept. of Global Ecology on the Stanford University campus. He is also a Professor (by courtesy) at Stanford University’s Dept. of Environmental Earth System Science.”

We asked him: What is the best way to get a job in a lab? This is what he wrote:

My experience is that people come in and want to start at the top. They typically come and say “I have these great skills that I want to apply to your research.” Then they get offended when you say that you don’t think you can maximize your marginal return on investment by paying them to do the thing that they were trained to do.

Instead people should come in and listen to what we do and try to figure out what we need that would make our work become more efficient and productive and then offer to do that thing (or those things).

If people are local, they should ask if they can join us for lunch on “nothing special, just ordinary lunch” days. They should come to seminars, ask if they can sit in on group meetings. If you hear some little thing that you would be able to help on, say “Oh, I can do that.” At first, make it something small. Do it fast and well.

Start out by being helpful. Let people discover your skills and abilities. Look for chances to demonstrate your skills and abilities. If you sit in a bunch of meetings and never see an opportunity to make use of your skills, that might be a message.

So, rather than presenting your wonderful skills, show that you can fill a need and improve group productivity. Rather than asking to work, entrain yourself into the life of the lab.

If people really do not like you, they will eventually tell you to go away.

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I just offered a part-time job to one of my former students who asked to have a social lunch with me and my group. The issue of work never came up at lunch, but when I needed something done I thought, ‘oh, if this student is asking to have lunch with us, she probably is interested and wants to be entrained in our activities, so I will ask her first to she if she wants the part time job.’ Even though there were better students, I didn’t offer the job to them because they did not demonstrate to me the same level of interest or motivation. When I asked her if she wanted part time work, she was very happy.

===

People over-interpret the lack of response to an email as a negative reply. I would recommend interpreting no answer to an email message to mean “I am busy and do not have time to read every incoming email from people I have never heard of.”  Be persistent and keep emailing until you get a response. After the third time, you can start putting in your emails “Please let me know if you want me to stop emailing you.”

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I hired a post-doc who I never would have hired except that she was so persistent. First she kept on emailing me saying she wanted to work with me. I said that it did not really look like a fit and that I would not pay for her to fly overseas to interview her. She offered to pay her own way to come out for an interview (we usually pay travel for prospective employees). I thought “If she is that motivated, let her come out to visit us.” She was familiar with my work and enthusiastic about how much she wanted to work with me. I thought, if she is so highly motivated to work with me, I should give her a chance. So, I offered her a post-doc position.

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Most scientists are egomaniacs. Before you interview with a group, read their papers. When you visit, ask the scientists and post-docs about their work. Show that you are familiar with their work and the questions they are addressing. Mostly, you should be asking questions about their work, not telling them about your own.

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Start the job in the interview. Pretend it is your first day on the job and you are figuring out what you are going to do. Ask the questions you would need to ask in order to start working.

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When you read a scientific paper and you have a question or comment, email the lead author (or authors) with your comment or question. Be complimentary if you can. Most scientists love it when people are interested in their work and saying nice things.

Chances are, if you are interested in their work, you will bump into them in the course of your career. Having that email contact gives you a connection that could lead to a job, a positive review, etc.

I made an offer of a post-doc position to a graduate student who I never would have offered a job to except that he had emailed me several times over the prior year asking intelligent questions about my papers.

===

Best,

Ken

PS, After this is published, I will probably be saturated with people attempting these strategies on me. Your best bet may be to try these strategies on someone else.

(not just in a science lab)

After reading Ken’s excellent post on how to get a job in a science lab, I just had to ask a few more questions. His answers are applicable to GETTING ANY JOB.

Brooke: Ken, I’ve known you for years – we met in the early 1980′s when we were both working as computer programmers. I went to Wall Street and you went to Graduate School. Did you find that the kind of advice you are giving others worked well for you, when you were starting at the bottom?

Ken: I have developed collaborations with people by following my advice, for example asking to do a small definable piece of a project before I understood the big picture view of what we were doing.

So, maybe I should add one more thing that touches on what I said earlier:  It is good to know people.

Except for my first job on Wall Street and my first post-doc position at Penn State, I have never gotten a job where there was not some sort of personal connection involved. Most people will hear this and say, “Oh, that is unfair. It is all an insider’s club and I am only going to get a job by having personal connections.”

Brooke: How did you make these personal connections?

Ken: Before I answer that, let me say that I got my post-doc position at Penn State by funding myself through a grant from the NSF post-doctoral program. I then contacted somebody I wanted to work with and said, more-or-less, I have my own money, let me come and work for you for free. So, in this sense the only academic job I did not get through personal connections I got for offering to work for free.

I got the interview for my second post-doc position, at Lawrence Livermore National Lab, because a professor in my department who was not my PhD academic adviser had a friend working at Lawrence LIvermore in management position. I sought and got help from people I had met during graduate school. I got my current job because I engaged in various academic service committees (review panels, and so on). My current boss was chair of one of the panels I served on. At the time, I looked at serving on these panels as a community service function with no benefit to myself, but it turns out that the network built up through these service activities helped me to get a job.

And how did I look good to my now-boss working on these panels:  Probably by volunteering to do small tasks and then doing them well. I probably avoided being disruptive and managed to say more thoughtful things than stupid things.

By the way, I don’t think that connections help you get a job so much as help you get an interview.

When I worked in the finance industry (before going back to graduate school) I thought business was all about product and marketing and that science would be all about product and nothing about marketing.

I was wrong.  Whether it is yourself or your science that you are trying make successful, you need two things:

(1) the product needs to be good, and

(2) people need to know about the product.

So, whether it is a scientific career or a specific scientific study, you need to make sure that what you do or produce is worthy of interest and of high quality, and then you have to work to make sure that people know that you and your work exist. Marketing of your career means building up a web of contacts who think highly of you.

Doing things of service to others is one of the ways that people will get to know you and come to think highly of you.

Brooke: Amen.

by Steve Amoia

When I think about my first job, it taught me lifelong lessons. All of us have to start somewhere in the world of work; however, many of our first jobs are not mentioned on resumes, C.V.’s, or applications as we gain professional experience. We may feel that they don’t relate to our current objective. Or they may age us out of the hiring decision. We remember what we were paid; however, don’t always recall the important lessons that have no price tag.

I was a high school freshman, and summer vacation was approaching. My parents told me about a new restaurant that was looking for help. I was not quite 15 years of age. With the exception of cutting grass, raking leaves, shoveling snow, and a three day stint in my uncle’s car wash (which was curtailed due to my age for insurance reasons), had never had a job.

First Interview

The establishment was called the “Chinese Village Restaurant.” I could see the “Help Wanted” sign hanging prominently on thefront door. My mother dropped me off, and said just to be myself. The restaurant was empty of any customers, and the lighting was very dim. The carpet was red and black, and I could see some construction going on in an adjacent room.

I was approached by a gray haired woman. She looked both tough and gentle.

“How can I help you? I saw the sign in the window, and I would like to apply for a job as a busboy. She smiled and looked me over. I was short for my age, and weighed 120 pounds (54 kg).

“Have you ever worked in a restaurant before?” No Ma’am.

“What is your name, young man?” Steve.

“Okay, Steve, I am Mrs. Thom. Margaret Thom. That guy peering through the kitchen windows is my husband, George Thom. My children also work here. David is a manager, and Joyce is a waitress.”

She kept looking me over.

“You look real young and small, Steve, how old are you?” She then pointed to a silver tray stacked with dishes. “I want you to pick that up, and carry it back to my husband in the kitchen. Can you do that for me?” Yes, ma’am, I can do it. So I proceeded to pick up the tray, incorrectly as I would soon be told, and struggled to carry it the roughly 75 feet (23 meters) to the kitchen area. Where I would soon meet Mr. George Thom. He was a very tall man to me (about 6’2″ or 1.89 m) with a broad smile.

The kitchen area was very bright and immaculate. All of the cooks were Chinese men. The cuisine and language were Cantonese. Mr. Thom was standing against a work table.

“What is your name?” Steve.

“Okay, Steven, (he never called me Steve) you seem like a hard worker. We need to teach you how to carry heavy trays. You’re a little small (he chuckled) but I think you have a strong spirit. Now go back and talk to Mrs. Thom.”

She was waiting at the cash register. I saw a few of the waitresses reading Chinese newspapers at a side table, but they didn’t look at me.

“Your pay will be the minimum wage plus tips. You will also get a meal every night. No jeans, tee-shirts or sneakers. I will provide a red jacket for you. Come in on Friday at 4:30 p.m. and bring your Social Security card.”

It was one of the easiest and toughest interviews that I ever had. No application. No illegal or non job-related questions. As Nick Cordodilos of Ask The Headhunter® states, they made me do the job in the interview.

Life As A Busboy

My first night was difficult. I was very nervous, and the restaurant was busy. I was trained by the head busboy, Chris, who was 18 and recently graduated from high school. Chris was very patient with me. He taught me how to “bus” a table, and then change the table cloth and arrange the silverware, napkins, and how to serve water glasses correctly. He also showed me the correct way to lift a tray, using your legs, and then to balance it with one arm.

“Call Mr. Thom ‘Uncle George.’ If a tip is left on the table, clean the ashtray, and put it in there. Don’t ever remove the money unless the waitress gives you permission. Keep the water glasses full. Do that without asking the customers. Smile. If they ask you to take an order, tell them their waitress will be there very soon. We don’t take food orders, but sometimes carry out the meals from the kitchen. At the end of the shift, the waitress will give you a tip for helping her.”

In a few weeks, Chris was promoted to waiter. Actually, he was the only one among about six or seven servers. Mrs. Thom was very organized. She created “stations” of tables. I noticed that a server would be assigned to the same station for each shift. I asked Mrs. Thom about this, since some stations had larger tables. Which I noticed left better tips.

“Steve, I try to spread out the work, and also give them their preferences. Especially to ones who have worked for me awhile. Some like the larger tables because the pace is slower. Others like the two-seaters against the wall that turnover quickly. The stations with larger tables usually go to the most experienced person. It usually works out, tip-wise, at the end of the night, to be about the same.”

Work Tips That Became Lifelong Lessons

At the time, I focused more on the tips in my pocket every night, along with my weekly pay packet. What could a 15 or 16 year old learn about the world of work by cleaning and setting tables? I was too young to realize how much Mr. and Mrs. Thom taught me by their customer service focus, ethics, management styles and work ethic. As I became older, this job and the Thom’s became a point of reference. They would become a measuring stick for every job and boss I would ever have.

Lessons Learned

• There was a clear division of labor at the Chinese Village. Mrs. Thom’s domain was the dining hall, and Uncle George ruled the kitchen. With rare exception, they never impeded upon each others domains.

• Restaurant work is physically and mentally draining. Your mistakes always have an audience.

• Smart managers correct you in private, but praise you in public.

• Respect and competence are not always shown by titles or age. Even busboys can learn how to lead others and set a winning example.

• You don’t have to like people to work with them.

• Different cultures can co-exist if they make the effort to understand each other. I learned a few words in Cantonese to make my brief stays in the kitchen more enjoyable. You would be surprised how a simple “thank you” is received.

• People can be competitive or mediocre. Some aspire to be the best busboy, cook, server or hostess. Others feel entitled to a free meal just for punching the clock on time.

• If you don’t serve the customer, someone else will.

by: Nick Corcodilos

Young people who ask for informational interviews and requests for mentoring are often told NO.

Why?

Because just asking doesn’t do the trick. Mentoring implies a relationship, and it’s up to the person making the request for help to first cultivate a relationship. Find ways to get to know your target and create a connection before expecting a YES about lunch. Exchange some short e-mails. Start a small dialogue with a small question that doesn’t require meeting — e-mail is nice for that. As you cultivate, you also get to decide whether you’re talking to the right person. Relationships take time. So does mentoring.

I think a lot of people say NO because the “informational interview” has become a veiled request for a job interview. People know that. They don’t want to be hassled. So taking small steps to build a bit of a relationship helps make it happen. For instance, before I had dinner with you and we actually met to talk shop, you sent me some e-mails, we spoke on the phone. We established a comfort level — then we had dinner.

It takes time for most investments to pay off. Sometimes they don’t, but the ride is fun anyway! Sometimes people just don’t feel like spending time with someone they don’t know or trust. So, it’s up to the person making the request to do it in a way that’s comfortable and acceptable.

Nick A. Corcodilos is a regular contributor to NSoW, creator of Ask the Headhunter,  and author of How Can I Change Careers?, How to Work with Headhunters. You can learn more about him

by Steve Amoia

Brooke asked me to share some insights upon the topic of interviewing. While what I wrote in the article referenced below was targeted for a journalistic approach, there are a few areas that can help job seekers and hiring authorities. I hope that you will find the information beneficial.

As a job candidate, approach the interview from the perspective of the employer or hiring agent. Focus on their needs. As you prepare, pretend they are a client or that you already work for them. As syndicated columnist and author Nick Corcodilos of Ask the Headhunter suggests, “Do the job in the interview.” That mindset is integral. Since most of us do not interview on a daily basis, you need to promote how you can solve the employer’s problems. Most of us are good at our jobs and like to discuss our work. Canned responses to frequently asked questions don’t help either side of the hiring equation. To stand out from your competition, turn the interview into a meeting of two parties with a common goal. Check your ego in at the front door.

Tailor your preparation for each situation. Learn about your interviewer’s career, along with others at the firm. With tools such as LinkedIn or Facebook, you have significant resources at your disposal. But also pick up the telephone and venture away from your computer to make inquiries. As the respected investigative journalist, Andrew Jennings, told me, “Google does not replace shoe leather.” Ask yourself why you want this particular job, and how can you do it more profitably than the next person? Make your presentation personal. Ask pertinent questions that demonstrate how you approach working situations. Remember that the interview process is bilateral.

After the interview, prepare a written report of what was asked and how you responded. Grade yourself. Look for areas of improvement. Did you focus enough on their needs? How did you handle tricky questions? Is this a place where you want to work? I used to employ this post-interview practice, and it was very helpful to me as a learning tool.

Thank the interviewer properly with a follow-up note. Until you have secured a written offer, proceed to the next opportunity.

For interviewers, avoid pressure tactics that rarely predict job performance. Make the candidate show more than tell. Treat them respectfully. Even if they are not the proper fit for the job, every person who enters your office is a potential client or advertiser for your company. Don’t hire someone only because they answer questions well or you like them. Hire those who will make you and your company better. Smart managers hire candidates with skills that they don’t have themselves. They don’t see such people as threats but rather as strategic partners in their own success.

Often in Corporate America, we treat candidates as numbers without any rights. If you say you will notify applicants of your decision on a certain date, follow through. Don’t make the candidate jump through hoops to stroke your ego or due to some unwritten protocol. Remember, you are selling the benefits of working at your firm. You are also demonstrating how you treat and manage employees.

Please Note:

The Art and Science of Interviews originally appeared on Football Media and is republished at No Shortage of Work due to the kind consent of Ahmed Bilal. Mr. Bilal is the publisher of Soccerlens, which is a leading online international soccer publication managed by Football Media.

Interviewing is an essential skill for a blogger, journalist, or writer. I would like to discuss 10 key concepts in the interviewing process with an emphasis on the new media and freelance journalists.

1. The Initial Approach

Be specific in your request: When you approach your target and/or their media relations representative, provide a detailed plan. “I would like to interview your goalkeeping coach to discuss daily training regimens, his previous playing career, how he evaluates players, along with the role of fitness and nutrition at your club. I anticipate 12 to 15 questions.”

Building upon past interviews to gain credibility: If you have not done business with them before, it is helpful to show examples of your work. Not in the manner of name-dropping; however, to present how you do the job of interviewing.

Express a genuine interest to promote them with your audience: You need to show what you can do for them, and not how they would benefit you or your client. This might be exposure to a new demographic or niche. Or offers of introductions to potential contacts that might assist them in the future.

2. Purpose of the Interview

To inform and educate your audience: You don’t write for yourself or your client. You have to provide your readers with compelling reasons why they should take their valuable time to evaluate the story in front of them.

To promote the interviewee in the best possible manner: I will discuss this more in Section 3; however, the basic goal is to present your interview subject in the best possible light to your audience.

To ask questions which elicit favorable responses that are not seen elsewhere. “There are old pilots and bold pilots. There are no old bold pilots.” Perhaps the same can be said about interviewers. You are judged upon the quality of your questions, and how well they draw out the desired responses. Audiences in the new media have many options. You need to provide them with reasons not to visit your competition.

To promote your client and their business or website/blog. The client commissions you for your special skills in the interviewing process. You need to promote them with the interviewee and/or their public relations (PR) apparatus. Much like with your audience, you need to provide reasons why they should invest time with you and your client.

To create more credibility for you, the interviewee, and the client. The famous American Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, David Halberstam, once said, “You are who you interview.” Interviews present a unique opportunity to build more credibility and showcase your talents. Done properly, the process also does the same things for the interviewee and the client.

3. Interviewer’s Mindset

Serve and promote your client with the interviewee and/or their representatives. You represent your client in the process. Your behavior and attitude in the project reflects upon your client, their business, and anything associated with them. Especially in social media, a favorable impression may yield immediate and residual dividends.

Treat the interviewee as a client. This relates to the second item in the purpose section. Having this perspective makes you view the whole process differently. Years ago, I worked as a technical writer and software tester. When the company was taken over, I was asked to lead a testing group. It was a new role for me, and I had to train others how to test software. One of the challenges was to teach them how to interact with the programmers. “Treat them like a client.” One team member said “They work here like I do. Why are they different?” “Because they create the product and our jobs.” During an interview, a client focus can yield significant benefits. As a freelancer, without the interviewee, you have no potential fee.

Develop rapport with the interviewee. This is not a job interview or witness stand scenario where you should exert pressure, apply psychological ploys, or try to make them look bad. “Do the job in the interview,” while usually a strategy demonstrated by a job applicant, is a good mantra to follow in this case.

Lose your ego and develop a thicker skin. It is not about you. Repeat. It is not about you. Pretend you are the invisible man or woman in the interviewing process. Like a good referee, you are not the protagonist in the game. It also helps to brush off perceived slights and/or rude behavior. Especially when you interview famous or arrogant people. Your job is to deliver the gig. You are not on their level and most likely never will be. But you have the opportunity to show them how a professional does their job. Most of us respect others who do their jobs well.

Know your audience. The client pays you, but without an audience or targeting their needs, your reach will be limited. They can reward or punish you. Especially in the new media, negative comments can have a lingering effect. But so do positive ones, or emailed links of your work to friends and contacts of your audience.

4. Background Research

Learn about your subject matter and the individual. As the respected investigative journalist, Andrew Jennings, told me, “Google does not replace shoe leather.” Some of the best advice all of us could expect to receive. Use the Internet, but also develop other information and research sources about the subject at hand, along with the interviewee.

Read and listen to their other interviews. This provides you with a look into their character and personality. Study what others asked them and how they responded. Learn how you can present them differently.

Gauge and anticipate their temperament to frame your questions. If you can find a video clip with your interviewee, all the better. But even lacking that, by studying their previous interviews, you can glean useful information that we will discuss in the next point.

Learn what excites or angers them (questions to ask and avoid). You can ask the wrong question. Much of that occurs when you don’t prepare properly. If you see what drives them, what is their passion, it will help you frame the questions better. Note which questions or topics anger or irritate them.

Decide how to progress (See Section 8, Types of New Media Interviews).

5. Importance of an Introduction

Don’t assume your audience knows who they are or their C.V. You have to provide a proper introduction. When the President of the USA walks into a room, someone always announces him.

The promotional value of the introduction can not be overemphasized. It shows good faith and the willingness to promote the interviewee to your audience. It enables the interviewee to see that you have a genuine interest in their career.

Create a bridge of rapport with the audience and the interviewee by providing more than is seen in other places. A detailed introduction both informs and prepares the audience for the discussion.

6. Questions

How to begin: Start slowly and build rapport. Structure the discussion with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

What to ask: Your research should determine what is unique about this person, along with the areas that your target audience would like to learn more about. As we discussed in Section 4, research teaches you areas to focus upon, and others to avoid with a particular person.

What not to ask: One of my first interviews was with Mick Hoban of SoccerSolutions. “If you ask the wrong question, I probably won’t proceed.” Learn what might be the wrong question, and avoid it. Sometimes, you may have to ask directly before the interview which areas are untouchable. Other times, your research will clarify the matter. When in doubt, leave it out.

Types of questions: Open ended versus close ended. Confrontational versus a calmer approach. The more detailed your question, the more detailed the potential response may be. Avoid questions that require a brief response (Yes or No). Remember that honey attracts more bees than pesticide. Most interviewers would be advised not to treat the interviewee in a hostile manner. Remember, your job is to also promote them in a favorable light. In the Internet age, most of us already know about their foibles.

Length of questions: Shorter work better, but focus on detail and quality. Be unique. Try to draw out the interviewee if they seem reticent or reluctant to provide detailed responses.

Number of questions (tailoring) and based upon agreed length of the interview. According to Readingsoft.com, 150 spoken words per minute and 200 reading words per minute are average benchmarks. Which works out to about 90 seconds to 2 minutes per response.

Follow up questions: Depends on time and how the person responds to earlier questions. Sometimes, your later questions will be answered earlier in the interview. Other times, you might add one to follow up a point in more detail.

How to end: Ask their advice to share with your audience. It enables them to put their personal touch on the discussion, and to end the interview on a positive note.

7. Tailoring Principle

Someone with significant media exposure has an advantage. Their talking points and vast experience make them more assertive in the process. Don’t take it personally if they appear to avoid your questions. But try to anticipate their behavior by tailoring your questions that produce sound bite responses.

Some are not used to interviews, are cautious, and need to be directed. Even after significant preparation, your guest may not cooperate fully with the interview process. In these cases, focus on the areas where they seem more comfortable. Five good responses are better than fifteen vague ones.

Some aren’t used to interviews outside of their native language. Especially in North America, don’t assume that the whole world speaks English as their native tongue. Regardless of your locale, learn another language. Even a few phrases in the interviewee’s language will be appreciated, and also create mutual empathy. Offer to provide an interpreter, or translate the questions ahead of time. You should strive to make the interviewee comfortable.

Coaches and other subject matter experts, given the opportunity, like to explain their craft in great detail. In those cases, fewer questions with more detail might work better. Or ask for more time to enable them to properly present their expertise.

Structure the interview for the agreed amount of time or number of questions. This is especially important in a live format. For example, a podcast (which I will discuss in Section 8). But if they tell you “30 minutes” or “12 questions maximum,” respect their wishes.

8. Types of New Media Interviews

Email format: Positive (+) and Negative (-)

+ No transcription of the responses saves a lot of time.
+ Works better for non-local projects.
+ More efficient for both parties because there is less immediate pressure.
+ More organized process and less time invested by the interviewer.

- Impersonal in nature.
- Requires the interviewee to expend significant effort and time.
- May require several follow-ups to complete the project.
- Interviewee has more control over the process.

Taped and transcribed (Speedwriting/shorthand for brief interviews): Traditional format (+ and -)

+ More professional.
+ Many interviewees are used to and expect this format.
+ Allows you to speak with them on the phone or meet in person.
+ For shorter interviews, shorthand or speedwriting techniques could be used.
+ To ensure accuracy, the interviewee and/or their representative can review the transcript.

- Transcription adds significant time to the project:

At 150 spoken words a minute, a 30 minute discussion would produce about 4500 words to transcribe (some people speak faster). At an accurate typing speed of 60 WPM, it would take you 75 minutes to produce that word count. That doesn’t include the time involved to ensure accuracy, readability, and to listen over passages that are more technical in nature. Remember, transcription is a skill. Perhaps it would be wise to budget one hour for every 5 minutes of audio if you do it yourself. (With the hope that your speed and accuracy increase with experience). According to Franklin-Square.com, budget about 4 times the length of the audio file for a professional transcription. For example, 1 hour of audio would take 4 hours at their billing rate.

- Hiring a transcriber (with topic matter experience) is more efficient but reduces your fee.
- A misquote is more likely with this format. One wrong word or sentence could change the tenor of an answer and/or the entire interview.

Podcast format (+ and -)

+ Added value for your client.
+ A more personal approach.
+ New media audiences are receptive and are able to put a voice behind the words.
+ Usually, a transcript would be additional or not required.

- Professional equipment is usually required.
- Presentation training is necessary for a professional exchange.
- The “live” format can create unique challenges.
- A media savvy interviewee will have a distinct advantage over you.

Videocast format (+ and -)

+ The highest potential value for all parties.
+ The most professional presentation tool in the new media.
+ Increased reach due to viral marketing.
+ Increased interview fee due to a higher value for your client.

- Requires purchasing or renting professional video equipment.
- Requires professional presentation skills and/or a proper taping environment.
- Requires a videographer which reduces your fee. (Or could be an argument to charge more).
- Anything less than a high quality presentation will be interpreted in a negative fashion.

Providing a transcript before the discussion (+ and -)

+ Allows the interviewee to prepare properly.
+ Shows your own preparation for the project.
+ Enables them to correct or suggest things ahead of time.

- Locks you into a very structured discussion.
- Provides the other party(s) with your game plan.
- Provides the other party(s) with the chance to surprise you during the discussion.
- If you ask an unauthorized question, it might create significant fallout.

9. Importance of Follow up

Courtesy: Sometimes, this is a forgotten skill in the Internet age. The interviewee is a guest. They are providing you with a gig, along with opportunities for future work based upon their experience with you.

Appropriate gratitude: Thank them properly. A client focus gives you an advantage here. Offer to promote them in your network. Try to build bridges of mutual benefit for the future.

Involve your client in the process: They also need to show appreciation once the interview has been completed and published.

10. Analysis

Grade the interview. Both of yourself and the interviewee.

Ask for feedback and/or study comments made on the article thread.

How can you improve your performance? Should you have asked fewer or more questions? Compared to other interviews, did this person provide you with more or less information?

Be receptive to criticism from the client, the interviewee, and/or the PR person involved.

Your next interview will be your best interview.

Steve Amoia is a freelance writer, editor, and translator from Washington, D.C. He focuses on alternative health, career-related themes, historical figures, Italian and international soccer, and martial arts. He can be contacted at info@sanstefano.com and his writing portfolio can be found at www.sanstefano.com.