Seconds back; as almost all does to search for an answer to their inquisitive minds; I Googled about “interview”! What I come across is a number of “happy to help” web pages that comes screaming out of the Search Engine Ranking Positions (SERP). Backed by my enthusiastic knowledge-crazy-brain, I went on searching with different keywords. Moments after, I stopped; re-thought about other options and then found out what actually I should look for!

This is an incident when I was working in The Sentinel – the largest Newspaper group in North East India – as a Sub Editor. It was February 2009 and Ayushman Da gave me a responsibility to interview a fashion designer and come up with a feature story for the weekly supplement of The Sentinel – Melange.

I was searching for some model questions to be asked in the interview! This is my first chance to skip chairs in between and rather than sitting at the receiving end – which I ended up doing till very recently – I was actually entrusted the responsibility to ASK questions. It might sound as plain as having a glass of water with food; but it really make sense when your counterpart answers you and expects you to ask the next question! This tests the best of the conversation skills of yours as you should sound as decent and knowledgeable as possible.

Coming back to my situation, I am lost now! I jotted down some 15 questions and did a short Google backed “research” on fashion designing industry in Assam and nearby. The whole idea backfired somehow and that led to a more stereotype form of interview! Yes; I agree I am not that confident when it comes to deliver through my mouth and that was quite evident in the 1 hour interview.Till that moment, I enjoyed the way people interviewed me and felt it to be very easy a job! But that perception went for a roller-coaster ride the very next moment my firepower of 15 questions ended in just 20 minutes – remember I had to file a 1500 word feature article!

Felling cramped, I stretched the most I can do and trying to jot down each of the words she spoke! In between I heard; “Jayanta, when Ayushman told me that a Sub Editor will come to interview me, I expected a Tricenarian (someone between 30-39 years old). But you are too young…“

To her wonder and to all of you reading this blog post, I said “Mayuri Ba, this is my first interview and I do hope that it will just be fine… I am doing Bachelor in Media Science from NSHM Kolkata and just got into The Sentinel….”

With this, I summed up my first chapter as “Interview-taking-journalist”! Some funny moments but thanks to Ayushman Da for letting me know that there also is a good sharp mind in action next to the table when I go for an interview!