Guides for interviewing job seekers in a Philippine Technical world
An interview is not a dialogue. The whole point of the interview is to get the narrator to tell his or her story or to give you information. Limit your own remarks to a few pleasantries to break the ice, then ask brief questions.
1. Avoid dead-end questions; ask questions instead that require more of an answer than "yes" or "no." Start with "Why, how, where, what kind of . . ."
2. Ask one question at a time.
3. Ask brief questions.
Start with non-controversial questions. A good place to start with is the person's background. This allows you and your narrator to become comfortable, make eye contact, etc.
Don't let periods of silence fluster you. Give the person a chance to think of what he/she wants to add before you hustle into the next question.
Don't worry if your questions are not as beautifully phrased as you would like them to be for posterity. A few fumbled questions will help put your narrator at ease.
Don't interrupt a good story because you have thought of a question or because your narrator is straying from the planned outline. If the information is pertinent, let the person continue, but jot down your question so you will remember to ask it later.
