How to Interview A Rising Star

Rate: (4 Ratings)

Interviewing anyone is challenging indeed but interviewing a rising star is perhaps one of the most difficult things to do. Even if you were not particularly taken with this person, chances are they are. You cannot really blame a rising star for having a little bit of a head case about themselves just because of the way we all treat fame here in America. But there are a few tactics you can employ to make the interview a lot less grating and a little more balanced.

Flag Article

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

rising tide
people skills

Step1

Nothing Special: One of the most important things you need to remember about a rising star is that they are nothing special. If you start treating them like they are walking on clouds then they are obviously going to ascend to that level. People all along the road have been kissing their heels so you need to remember that if you do the same thing you are just reinforcing their inflated ego. Taking them down a notch and talking to them about their work or why they are famous or what they owe to other people is a real eye-opener for some and may help you get through this interview without pulling your hair out.

Step2

Be Fair: At the same time that you don't want to add more hot air to their balloon you also don't want to chop them down and treat them like they're nothing. A rising star is a rising star because they have done some work or something which sets them apart from other people. For that reason you should always be fair and respectful and be knowledgeable of their work so you can speak about it knowledgeably. To that end:

Step3

Don’t Gush: Going along with the first point, if you are going to be fair you can't be gushy. Even if this person is your most favorite person in the world, during the interview you should probably just stick to the facts and ask the questions and get the responses you are looking for. If after the interview you have decided this person is still your favorite person in the world then you can certainly tell them about it.

Step4

Probe: People are always interested in the “who?” but they're even more interested in the “why?”. To that end if you can get some interesting facts out about this rising star and if you can corroborate whatever information they are telling you (and you should of course always record all your conversations) then maybe you can break a pretty big story. It could be that just no one has ever asked of them this question yet or it could be that they were never comfortable revealing whatever information you glean from them. This is why being impartial and not gushy can help you to get a better story; if they trust you and feel like you are an equal to them than they are a lot more likely to be candid.