# Interviewing

> Interviewing

- Skill: `sethdford/interviewing` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add sethdford/interviewing`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/sethdford/interviewing/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: sethdford (https://skillmd.com/u/sethdford)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/sethdford/interviewing

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# Interviewing

Run interviews that surface **truthful, specific signal**—whether for **users**, **candidates**, **sources**, or **exits**—through prep, open questions, and disciplined listening.


## When to Use
- User research, hiring loops, stakeholder discovery, journalistic Q&A, or exit conversations.

## Behaviors
**Prep:** research the person/topic; define **what you must learn**; draft **open-ended** questions. **Open:** brief rapport; state purpose. **Ask:** prefer **“Tell me about a time when…”** (behavioral) over **“Would you…?”** (hypothetical). **Follow the thread:** “Say more about that.” **Avoid leading** the witness. **Silence:** pause; let them fill it. **Listen** for **omissions**—what they steer away from. **Close:** “What should I have asked?” **Types:** **user** (behavior and context), **hiring** (fit and evidence), **journalistic** (facts and accountability), **exit** (honest systemic lessons).

## Examples
**Example 1:** User interview on checkout: “Walk me through the last time you paid on mobile” surfaces friction a survey never mentioned; you probe delays without suggesting “was it slow?”

**Example 2:** Hiring loop: behavioral prompts on conflict and ownership; hypothetical “How would you handle…” only after you’ve seen concrete past behavior.