Challenges and benefits of interviewing an international student

Joseph Albers, Trang Phung

Challenges
1.  Finding international students to interview
2.  Possible language difficulties(language barrier).
3.  Finding ways to have make the interview go smoothly.
4.  Finding an appropriate setting for your interview.
5.  Using all the core questions and having enough content to make a interview last the required time.
6.  Over coming the anxiety of the interview.

Benefits
1.  Gain knowledge and insight their country and culture.
2.  Dispel any misconceptions about the country and people.
3.  Learn new some new words in a different language.
4.  Gain experience in the formal interviews.
5.  Improve your communication skills.
6.  Meet a new person and possibly gain friendship.

Interview Outline

4)      Research

a)      Country Report

b)      Questions Prepared

i)        Core questions

ii)      Own questions

5)      Interview

a)      Introduction to between the interviewer and interviewee

b)      Flow into main body of questions

c)      Be confident

d)     Avoid awkward questions

e)      Formal Attire

f)       Fill the required time

6)      Transcription

a)      Have Organized and Neat Format

b)      Fully Completed

c)      Fix any grammar and language issues

7)      Overview

a)      Fix any grammar and language issues

8)      Overview

 

Joseph Albers

 

Challenges and benefits of interviewing an international student

                Our assignment in class is to interview international students, with this there are many challenges and benefits that you encounter during your interviewing process.  For most of us fellow students this will be the first time that we ever interviewed a person, because of this we as students need learn on the fly to make this a successful interview.  In order to succeed in this the interview, I believe these three steps need to be done well in order to have a successful interview: research completed on the country, having an interview outline, and execution of the interview.

                Firstly, each student must complete a research paper on the country of the person that you are interviewing.  You are doing this to gain background information about that country so that you can have a basic understanding of the people that live in that country.  This will make help you to form questions that you want to have answered that will give you more insight into the culture and people that you would not be able to obtain without having the interview.

                Secondly, having and outline will help you to organize and maintain a direction for the interviewing process.  The outline will give you a structure for the interview making the interview flow from one question to another.  Also, this will ensure that you are fully prepared for the interview.  In the outline, you will need to have all the required core questions and your own questions written out and organized to give your interview enough content and flow to make the interview a successful one.  Outlines greatly helps in planning process and completion of the interview.

                Thirdly, the execution of the interview is imperative in the interviewing process.  The execution will also be one of the hardest objectives to accomplish.  Completing the objectives given before will greatly increase your overall preparedness of the interview.  Other ways to do well in the interview is being confident in your questions and the way you carry yourself.  Confidence is gained by practicing and going over your content for the interview and knowing how your interview is going to flow overall.  Another important thing in the execution is to make sure your interviewee is giving enough content for each question you ask.  Some ways to make sure that you receive enough content is by asking impromptu question such as why is it that way, and can you go into more detail etc.  Another way is to make sure that your interviewee is comfortable.  Some ways to ensure this is by interviewing in a public place, wear formal attire, and avoid too personal questions.  With proper planning, executing your interview will be a positive experience.

                In conclusion, there are many challenges and benefits of interviewing an international student. By completing these three objectives I believe you will have a successful interview: research completed on the country, having an interview outline, and the execution of the interview.  With completing the interview, we will gain valuable insight into the people and culture of your interviewee country broadening our own and classes knowledge base.  By understanding different cultures, we can dispel misconceptions and prejudges about a country or people that are false making the world a better place.