Interviews are best conducted on a foundation of preparation, practice and confidence. Whether the interview is conducted for a job application or for a televised media event, the fundamental principles are the same. While preparation must be carefully tailored to the specific circumstance, confidence and practice can be established beforehand through a series of engaging, entertaining games.

Who Am I?
This basic game encourages participants to develop thoughtful, insightful questions and answers. This game requires at least two participants who will switch roles at the end of the round. One participant plays the interviewer while the other plays the subject.

Without revealing any information to the interviewer, the subject assumes the identity of a well-known character such as Cinderella, Harry Potter or the president of the United States. The subject must have a reasonable knowledge of the character she chooses, because she will have to answer interview questions.

The interviewer is allowed to ask as many open-ended questions as it takes to uncover the identity of the subject. However, every closed-ended question results in a mark against the interviewer. Five marks disqualifies the interviewer and ends the round. Closed-ended questions are inquiries that result in a blatant "yes," "no" or brief factual answer. Usually, closed-ended questions begin with "did," "what," "how old" and "when."

The subject must truthfully and completely answer the interviewer's question, but is allowed to conceal any information that is not directly asked for. This increases the complexity of the game, but clearly outlines the difference between effective and ineffective interview questions.

This game can also be played with an object hidden in a cardboard box. The interview subject will answer questions about the object.

Changing Your Story
Different types of interviews call for different information. A person interviewing for a technical support job should not give the same answers and anecdotes as a candidate for a waitressing job. Be sure to tailor the information to the scenario.

Reinforce this with an interviewing game. Three or more participants must be present to create a successful activity.

One participant is designated as the interview subject. This person must select a product or service that he would like to sell.

The other participants serve as interviewers in contrasting venues. The audiences for each venue must be drastically different. For example, one interviewer could be from a televised women's talk show while another could be from a well-known business publication. Other interviewers could be from a news broadcast, an emergency preparedness conference, an industry-related expo or a skeptical consumer.

In each case, the interview subject must convince the interviewer that his product or service is relevant to the audience. This is accomplished by highlighting different features, uses and benefits of the product or service.

Each participant should have the opportunity to be the interview subject.

Personal Commercial
Effective statements are the key to successful interviews. Learning how to confidently and accurately describe yourself or your situation in a short amount of time will dramatically increase interviewing success.

Participants in this activity learn to describe themselves in 30 seconds or less. These statements should not be any longer than three to five sentences. Encourage participants to consider their aspirations, accomplishments, hobbies, interests and qualifications. Although this statement may need to be modified for each interview, forming a base statement will provide a solid foundation for all modifications.

After writing and practicing their 30-second statements, encourage participants to share their descriptions in personal "commercials." Allow other participants to constructively critique each statement to improve quality.