Challenges and Benefits of interviewing

Topic: Challenges and benefits of interviewing an international student (or an US student)

First essay:

Conducting an interview with an international student or an US student can be stressful and rewarding as well. An interviewer must be fully prepared in this process to be more efficient by having a clear objective about what he/she is attempting to gain from the interview .For challenges and benefits of interviewing an international student or an US student, here are a couple of  ideas (some are mine and some others are from a research that I have conducted on-line) : I believe that a culture shock, language barrier, icebreaker, finding an appropriate person to interview, stress, learning new things, and with the words of Quyen  “discovering how other people think” (1) , reflection on your own culture, gaining knowledge about a different culture, not knowing what to expect from the interviewee, questions being misunderstood, interacting with someone from a different country , and being exposed to someone with a different way of thinking are things that you might come across during the process of the interview.

I strongly believe that a good preparation by doing some research and cross-referencing what was found on the chosen topic and questions is a good approach. As an interviewer, you must be relaxed and help put at ease the interviewee. Finding a quiet place and checking the equipment being used are a most in order to be efficient in the process of conduct an interview. We must keep in mind that our attitude and demeanor have an impact on how the interview perceives us . So, it is important to be properly dressed and approachable during the interview as it helps to create a pleasant environment to be in for the interviewee and brings up confidence in the person conducting the interviewee.

Work cited:
(1)   http://quyenten191f12s27.blogspot.com/2012/10/individual-thought-on-challenges-and.html 10/16/2012.

Mohamed Toure

Group: Abdulmohsen A., Jonathan O., Mohamed T.,




Here are our brainstorming ideas:

• Challenges

1.       Cultural shock (salutation, welcoming, …);
2.       Uncomfortable behaviors (like eyes contact);
3.       How to make it flow from the warm-up to the heart of the interview;
4.       Make yourself understandable if there is a language barrier;
5.       Bring up topics that are not offensive to the person;
6.       How to make the person feel comfortable and cooperative.

• Benefits

1.       Meet someone from a different country;
2.       Learn from one’s culture;
3.       Learn how to behave in a professional environment;
4.       Learn how to be in charge by letting the interviewee feel like he is in charge;
5.       See how you conduct the interview and find where there is room for improvement;
6.       Gain experience as an interviewer.

• Challenges:

1. Cultural shock
2. Language barrier
3. Icebreaking moment
4. Finding a person to conduct the interview with
5. Stress
6. Not knowing what to expect from the interviewee

• Benefits:

1. Learning new things
2. Discovering how other people think
3. Gaining knowledge on a different culture
4. Reflection on your own culture vs others
5. Getting to know someone else
6. Building public speaking skills

 Parameters to describe strengths and weaknesses:

Mohamed

1. Clear objective
2. Quotes used are cited , cross-checked , and referenced
3. Spelling and grammar checked
4. Having an introduction , body text, and a conclusion