A personal interview can refer to a variety of situations. It could refer to a job interview in which a candidate meets with a hiring manager or human resources representative one-on-one. A personal interview is most commonly associated with an interview with someone from the admissions office of the college or university to which an individual has applied; this allows the interviewer to get a better sense of the student and his or her personality. It could also refer to a type of study in which the researcher meets with each participant individually.
A personal interview is distinguished by the fact that it is usually conducted one on one; at most, one other person may be present, asking interview questions or simply observing, but it is generally more individualized. Because the interviewer will ask the job candidate questions about himself or herself in order to determine if he or she would be a good fit for the position, a job interview can be considered a type of personal interview. “Personal” does not always imply “personal” questions, especially in a job interview where certain types of questions are prohibited; it could simply refer to questions about one’s own working style and experiences.
A personal interview is most commonly associated with a college admissions interview. An applicant will meet with a college admissions counselor in this case, who will conduct an interview to learn more about the student, his or her life experiences, interest in the school, and future goals. Because it is fairly common to discuss life events that were extremely influential or had a big impact on the student, or the reason he or she is choosing to pursue a certain educational path, these tend to be more personal types of interviews. In all types of personal interviews, it is critical to be truthful.
Another type of personal interview that is fairly common is research surveys, which are typically used for market research. A long interview in which a research participant meets with the researcher one-on-one is one example. Furthermore, if the researcher simply approaches people in a public place to ask questions, such as a grocery store or shopping mall, the interview may be much shorter. These individuals may be attempting to determine something as simple as whether a particular color bottle of laundry detergent makes someone more or less likely to purchase the product.