Art by Marcin Wolski for WELCOME TO THE FUTURE
These tips come from my workshop, “How to talk to a rocket scientist: the secrets of a successful interview.” If you’d like me to give the workshop at your organization or event, you can reach me at kathryn@kathrynhulick.com
Sample Interviews
Read a series of interviews that I did for my book, WELCOME TO THE FUTURE.
Interview tips
- Prepare ahead of time.
- Ask open-ended questions.
- Ask short questions
- Don’t make statements.
- Build on the subject’s answers.
- Relax and listen!
Questions for every interview
- Is it OK if I record this?
- Confirm name, affiliation, and pronouns
- What first got you interested in X?
- How would you explain X to a student in middle school?
- What surprised you while working on X?
- Who disagrees with you about X and what is their best argument?
- What are you planning to work on next?
- Who else should I talk to about X?
- Do you have pictures or videos I can use?
- Is there anything else that you think my readers should know? Any last thoughts?
