Reeling In Research Interviews

ISM's requirement for conducting a number of research interviews has given me an amazing opportunity to learn more about English and Psychology with professionals in the field. Through the small amount of interviews I've conducted already, I've gained knowledge that I otherwise wouldn't have, and been able to take in valuable advice from experienced writers and psychologists.

My approach to these research interviews has been to expand my knowledge of future career paths I could take as well as to take advice on how I can improve my writing skills. I've also been able to get critique for my children's book from psychologists and authors, who have given me great feedback that I'm using to improve my manuscript.

Getting Over Fear

The small number of interviews I've gotten to conduct have helped me incredibly. However, my situation in the interview arena was affected by COVID-19 last year. Even as an ISM II student, I hadn't been able to conduct an in-person interview until this year. Many professionals took precautions with the pandemic, so it wasn't even considered that I would meet in person. Given this information, it can be inferred that I was more than a little nervous for my first in-person interview. Getting over the fear of that first handshake was the first step in my networking journey, and once I had finished my first interview, that fear disappeared, leaving a perfect place for me to grow my professionalism.

I'm so thankful for these opportunities, and I can't wait to take advantage of even more!