Job Search - Interviews -Types of Interviews

Panel Interviews

A panel or board questions the candidate in turn at the same interview. There is usually a chairperson who outlines the interview procedure and introduces the other interviewers. A specialist who knows about the job, a personnel manager and up to three others usually accompanies the chairperson. This method is favoured in public service jobs e.g. teaching. Panel interviews often include delivering a short presentation as part of the selection process especially if presentation skills are a large part of the role on offer.

Panel Interview Do's and Don'ts

• Do try and find out who will be on the interview panel, this will help you anticiapte the types of questions you are likely to be asked.
• Do shake hands firmly and smile at each panel member as you are being introduced, repeat their names during introductions to build rapport.
• Don't just direct your answer to the person who asked you the question or the chairperson of the panel, you need to engage with all of the panel members as you are answering a question.
• Don't be put off if panel members are taking notes, this is normal.
• Do cross reference earlier questions as this will help to strenghten your answers. For example if you are asked a question about communication skills and later you are asked a question about leadership it would be very useful to cross reference your earlier answer to show the relationship between both skills.
• Do thank the panel for meeting with you and shake hands with each panel member at the end of the interview repeating their names if you can.

Telephone Interviews

This method is usually used as a preliminary method of screening candidates prior to a face-to-face interview. Depending on the role on offer a telephone interview questions can vary from obvious questions about you and your suitability to more technical questions to see if you have the specific technical knowledge for the role on offer.

Informal Interviews / Company Tours

Informal interviews or meetings with various company employees can often occur after a formal interview; it is important to remember that you are being assessed at all times while meeting with potential employers. Very often we meet people in the Career Development Centre who say that the meeting was over before they felt they had got a chance to ’sell their wares’ so it is important to prepare for this. Many assessment centres have a large proportion of informal time – site tours, lunches or informal ’chats’ are part of the interview so be prepared! Have your unique selling points ready and have your own questions prepared for the people that you meet.

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