If you have a date for an interview, you’re probably so nervous your pores are pouring—water, that is. The nervousness is inevitable for anyone new to the game of interviewing and I’m not sure it ever goes away.

Of course you’ve read and absorbed the usual advice: learn about your subject beforehand so you don’t have to waste his time (and yours) asking about date of birth, location of his childhood exploits, when he first did whatever, and it goes on and on. But here are some questions that might be handy if things start to slow down:

If you’re interviewing a professional about his career:

1. What’s the dumbest decision you ever made?
2. What lessons have you learned from a mistake or error in judgment?
3. What inspires you?
4. What motivates you?
5. What traits do you admire in other people?
6. What makes you happy?
7. What personal sacrifices have you made to stay at the top of your profession?
8. What historical figures do you most admire?
9. How do you deal with pressure?
10. What do you hope to accomplish in the next ___ years?

That’s just a few. Now think up some of your own.

(NCWritertoo is a retired journalist. Write to her at ncwritertoo@yahoo.com.)