An interviewer is someone who asks questions to learn about another person, usually for a specific purpose. When you apply for a job, the interviewer asks about your skills and experience to decide if you're right for the position. When a journalist interviews someone for a newspaper article, they're gathering information and quotes to share with readers.

Interviewers need different skills depending on what they're trying to learn. A good interviewer listens carefully, asks thoughtful follow-up questions, and makes the other person comfortable enough to give honest, detailed answers. If you've ever been interviewed for your school newspaper or asked to share your thoughts about a field trip, you've experienced being on the other side of the conversation.

While some interviews are formal, like college admissions interviews where students meet with alumni, others are casual conversations where one person is simply curious to learn another person's story. Whether interviewing a neighbor about local history or a scientist about their research, an interviewer's job is to ask questions that reveal interesting and useful information.