How to Make Sure You Have the Right Answers
The best way to prepare for a media interview is, as I said above, to study your potential employer. If you’re interviewing for an editorial spot at a magazine, grab a bunch of back issues and go over them. Decide what you might change, if you had the chance. Figure out the sections you like, and decide why you like them. Find stories you like and take note of them. (You don’t need to remember exact titles, but it will be a plus if you can.)Another thing to be aware of, especially when you’re going on a lot of interviews, is to avoid mixing up competitors. When you’re interviewing a lot, you often have less time to prepare for things. And, moreover, the places you’re interviewing may occasionally start to blend together. Try to separate. You don’t want to make the mistake of saying you liked a story that SI did when, in fact, it was a story that appeared in ESPN The Magazine. Therefore, before the interview, pay particular attention to getting things like this straight in your head. One thing that notoriously drives editors and others in the field crazy is mistaking them for their competition.
Keeping Your Cool
One thing I always struggled with, during interviews, was my nerves. There’s no question that interviewing is stressful, especially when you have the pressure of needing a job weighing on you. That said, you need to try and keep your nerves at bay. The more nervous you are, the more likely you are to misspeak or get generally sidetracked. (One of my nervous ticks is talking too much, so I was always aware of this when I went into interview. I had to pay special attention to make sure I didn't talk too much.) So, know what your nervous ticks are before the interview so you can keep them in check.The other thing to remember is that, in the end, it’s just an interview. If you can try to keep things in perspective, and not put too much pressure on yourself, it’s often easier to stay calm. Go in confident and calm. If you believe in yourself, and speak with confidence, employers will pick up on it.