Conduct a 30-minute long face-to-face interview with a person in a professional corporate communication position who has experience in any of the areas included in the syllabus and the textbooks. Please do not include your friends or relatives. All interviews must have prior approval from the professor.
The purpose of the interview is to discover some of the relevant communication problems and challenges the individual may have encountered as he/she has progressed in careers over the years. This will provide an opportunity for students to find how the challenges were overcome and provide further new insights. It is, therefore, very important for the student to interview an experienced professional.
Upon completion of your interview, compare your findings against what you are learning from the textbook and class. Then type a reaction paper of 8 - 10 pages in length. Include copies of the questions you asked and letters (1) a letter requesting an appointment; (2) a letter thanking for the appointment, confirming time and place, and topics you planned to discuss (these two may be in the form of an email); (3) a letter thanking for the interview (this must be sent by regular mail). Be sure to follow the guidelines for writing letters learned in the text and class notes. Remember that these are reflections of yourself and Washington Adventist University.
Sample Interview Questions
1. In what way(s) has the workplace changed during your career over the years and how have you changed your approach accordingly?
2. Which of the two methods of communication - oral and written - have you found most effective and comfortable with? Why and why not?
3. What would you say from your personal experience the best way of persuading others to convince your position or proposition? Could you please give me an example?
4. Do you give any constructive feedback to your employees who might not be meeting your expectation? If so, how do you or (how did you) plan for that interaction? If you did, what went well and what did you learn from that experience? What is your feeling on positive feedback?
5. What have learned the best way to conduct effective meetings? Would you mind sharing with me what works for you and why?
6. What kind of presentations do you present? What do you like and dislike about presentations?
7. What criteria do you think are necessary for effective presentations?
8. What trends have you noticed in your institution's recruiting practices over the last 5 years?
9. What sort of procedure do you follow in dealing with interpersonal conflicts in your institution? Would you mind sharing a few with me?