An interview is one of essential process to do a project,
such as creating website, film, database, and other projects. It is important
as a meeting because we need much information for doing a project. For example,
when I create a website for company, restaurant, or person, we need the
information about website that they want. Web designer, programmer, or other
creator needs a lot of information to create something. An interview is
necessary to obtain information. The book “Chapter three of Systems Analysis
and Design with UML, 4
th edition” provides effective process of
interview. It books mentioned that there are five steps when we interview
someone.
- Scheduling interview
- Appropriate questions
- Be prepared for interview
- Be informed question to interviewee
- Understanding of issue
Each step has some keys to interview effectively. Most
important step of scheduling interview is selecting a right interviewee. An
effective interview requires three people who stand in different positions such
as senior manager, midlevel manager, and employee because they are totally
different opinions for an issue. The process of interviewee who stand
in different positions is “Starting with senior managers, moving to midlevel
managers, then staff members, back to midlevel managers and so on,” Book says.
There are three types of questions such as Close-ended,
Open-ended, probing question for interview. Close-ended can be answered in only
one word or very short phrase. Open-ended question should be answered longer
and deeper than close-ended question. So Open-ended question requires more
specific response than close-ended question. Probing question is another way to
obtain more detailed response from interviewee. Its kind of question helps an
interviewer for better understanding of an issue. Moreover, using 5W is one of
an effective way of probing question.
I think that there are two important things about a
preparedness of an interview. Taking everything on a note during interview is
one of two. And another one is thinking how we ask a question. It means which
question is first and last. The book says there are two ways to ask questions
which are top-down and bottom-up. Top-down strategy is starting with general
and broad question about an issue, Then questions would narrow and be specific.
Bottom-up strategy is opposite strategy of Top-down, is starting with specific
question, then to general question.
Question should be informed every interviewee because some
interviewee need time to consider response for an issue. As I mentioned above,
we should interview more than three people who stand in different positions.
Knowing an order of question and process of interview are one of ways of
effective interview.
Understanding issue is most important for interview. Book
says that “The only thing worse that appearing dump is to be dump by not
understanding something.” we should definitely avoid misunderstanding about an
issue. So, if we do not understand something during interview, we should ask
question to understand.
There are other important steps to interview, but I think
that those kinds of steps are most important things on this section. We cannot
avoid interviewing someone to create something. So, remembering those steps
definitely helps us to do effective interview.
