An interview is a great opportunity to get your case across, possibly the best chance you’ll get all year. So treat it that way. You’ll only be asked to appear because you have knowledge of the subject you are talking about, either good or bad. Try to remember this – it’s your career, it’s your colleagues and friends in the workplace who know their onions on this subject. If you’re lucky enough to be talking to someone who is a well briefed journalist, the chances of them knowing as much as you do about the subject are limited.
Your expert status has a downside, though. If you’ve been doing this job for years you will be comfortable with the language of the trade. Watch out for too many acronyms and try to explain things without the jargon. The best way to do this is to talk to a friend or colleague from another part of your business and get them to stop you each time you say something in the internal language of your trade. Then find another way to say it. You’ll be amazed at the difference this can make to getting your point across.