If you want the long version of my story, then sit back and enjoy. Finding a calling for myself hasn't always been easy for me. Throughout the years I have tried many things in hopes of getting a break into a field that I can comfortably work in. It just so happened that interviewing people came into my possession via freelance writing assignments. 

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Currently at the age of 35 I am enjoying success in various aspects of my life, but truth be told, it wasn't always that way for me. I am an advocate for spreading autism awareness, which means that I support spreading the word about people that are on the autism spectrum. Why is this? Because I myself am technically on the autism spectrum with Asperger's Syndrome. You wouldn't know that if you had a conversation with me, nor be able to tell the difference comparing me to neurotypical people.

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Having conversations wasn't always an easy task for me, but the more I interacted with people, the more comfortable I became. It is very easy for me to have conversations with other people today, whether or not I am interviewing them. 

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What I have discovered about interviewing are at least 4 very important things:

1) You may ask the questions, but it is never about you. It is about the people you interview. If you lose sight of this simple fact, you will never have a good interview with anyone. I have never wanted events to be about myself to begin with, and I have always preferred keeping the spotlight off me and letting others take it.

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2) You need to be a good listener and let interviewees say what they need to say. Listening to what the person you interview say is so integral to the interviewing process. The interviewee is spending his or her quality time with you so that they can tell their story. If you keep chiming in and interrupting an interviewee, you will never get the full story. It has come easy for me to step back and listen to other people. I want to listen first and then chime in later.

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3) Professionalism is non-negotiable. What I mean by this is how you conduct yourself in interviews. Either you be professional about what you do in interviews, or you're not interviewing for the right reasons. It's okay to relax and be casual about how you ask questions, but don't be so loose that interviewees start feeling that you don't care. I value professionalism, and interviewees can expect me to be a professional when we have interviews.

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4) You always have to be yourself when you interview people. No matter what kind of personality you have, whether you are normally energetic or you feel you may be somewhat dull, you always have to stay true to yourself. This is one thing I have known for my whole life, and not just for interviewing others: I can't be something I'm not. What you see and hear is what you get when you are interviewed by me. No interview would be genuine if I wasn't staying true to who and what I am as a person.

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In conclusion, interviewing can possibly open new doors that you did not previously expect to see open. Starting a casual conversation with someone and letting it develop into something productive and special is one of the best foundations you can form if you want to start projects that can help various audiences. I believe that if you just stay humble about what you are doing as an interviewer and keep everything in proper perspective, you will gradually see the fruits of your labor. If you are a good interviewer, other people will learn to trust you and they will respect your hard work. For those browsing this site right now, I assure you that you will have a competent and professional interviewer in me!