CWC Interview

How well do you think the interview went? What makes you think that?

The people at NAMI were all very friendly and open, which put me at ease. I interviewed a woman named Mary, who is the executive assistant to Amber Watkins, the head of this NAMI branch's PR. I was able to ask direct questions and, thankfully, state everything I'd come to them for in a very clear manner ("For no charge, I can produce documents that your organization needs for any number of purposes. I'm doing this for class credit, but I have a personal stake in your organization's success." (which is true, by the way)). Overall, I'd say the interview went very well. Mary and I got off to an easy and friendly start, which enriched the flow of information, and she decided to take me out of her office to introduce me to the executive directors of NAMI SLC, which was great, because I was able to meet the people who run the organization for which I will work. My interviewee's ease of conversation and her decision to introduce me to these extra-interview pathways are indications, in my mind, that things went very well.

How did you prepare for the interview?

I went over everything I knew about the organization, the documents I was to produce, and I meditated to reduce anxiety and nervousness. I also freewrote for a while so that I could type well enough to look at Mary at the same time (which she admitted freaked her out, but she was also impressed). I prepared a few "sketch" interview questions, but I've learned from experience that the bulk of interview information comes from the questions you don't prepare for. I created a few questions (what resources do you have, what partners do you have) designed to bring out more information and multiple answers. Relaxation was the other component; with these two things in hand, I felt prepared for the interview.

What went exceptionally well?

The first thing that went well was the beginning of our interview. I struck one of those lucky interview moments when you and the person you're talking to find a trivializing and fun topic that links you together and establishes ease in the conversation (in this particular case it was the zombie apocalypse; if you and an interviewee can excitedly talk about a zombie apocalypse, you know you'll be able to have fun with the serious questions). I've developed a skill for gauging people on this sort of stuff and it's worked well in the past. It certainly helped me here as well.

As a consequence of our easy start, Mary decided to introduce me to a woman named Jessica West, the director of this NAMI branch. To be introduced so rapidly to an executive director (as early as halfway through the interview) was something that has never happened to me before, and it was excellent to meet the apex of my employment chain. Jessica was friendly as well and it helped to create additional ease and excitement in the interview. In short, meeting NAMI employees and learning more about the organization that way, rather than through something mundane, like a pamphlet, went very well.

What could have gone better?

I think I could have taken more time to prepare. My preparation was adequate, but not great. I could have memorized my questions instead of pulling them up on a laptop, dressed a little nicer, and written things down more. I'm thankful that the interview went well, but I think that, had I prepared more, I might have accomplished more with help from NAMI. I'll make a point of increasing preparation for future interviews; such an obvious point of interviewing and correspondence can get overlooked, apparently.

I also think I could have offered more information about how it came to be that I walked into NAMI offering my services. I told Mary my project, the class credit, and why I wanted to help, but I don't think I really specified the nature of our professional writing class (whose name could encompass many different definitions) or that she could contact me or you again with additional questions. I don't think I made the most of my efforts to provide Mary with as much contact information as possible. Hopefully I can provide it again the next time we meet.

What questions gave you the most useful information? (at least 2 specific examples) Why do you think
they were so effective?


My first really effective question was to ask Mary how effective her outreach was to her group's target audience. This question was effective because it gave me a scope of what needed to be done, especially when she garnished the scope with such lucrative details as what data and information needed to be produced and in what format, which gave me the essential format of the project ahead of me.


The second effective question was to ask what NAMI's mission was. I knew that they provided groups and counseling to people with mental illness, but not much beyond that. NAMI's ultimate mission is to give hope to the mentally-ill and help the loved ones of these people as well. This question may seem very simple, but it gave me massive insight into the depth and language I need to put into my pieces in order for them to work well.


What questions were the least useful? (at least 2 specific examples) If you were to do it all over again,
how would you make these questions more effective?


Without a doubt, the most useless question I asked was what organizations NAMI was allied with. It's important to have funds and friends in the sort of work that NAMI does, but knowing a shortlist of the hospitals and clinics that NAMI works with, while potentially useful for certain documents, was not the most efficient question to ask. I think a better question would have been "Does your media circulate to other outlets and groups? How? What kinds?"


My second not-so-effective-question was asking if there was a difference between outreach to patients and outreach to families... yes, but it's not substantial enough to take into account. It was an awkward break in the conversation, and one that could have been remedied had my question been more effective, like "how do you reach out to patients and their families?" It's amazing how a slight rewording can make a question so much better!