panel interviews?

Question

Monday I have a panel interview. It is my first ever & its for a job that I realy want. My nerves are already kicking in. Please HELP!!!

Answer 1

First you greet each one with a firm handshake and say your name. Hand each one your resume ( if they dont already have it.) Wait for them to tell you to be seated. Dont talk with your hands. When asked a question look at each one of them when answering. When finished shake each hand again and then that same day send out each one a thank you letter addressed to each interviewer.

Answer 2

Prepare, prepare, prepare. Research the company. Have information relevant to the position you are applying for. When time comes for the interview, make sure you learn everyone's name on the panel when introduced. Ask them to repeat it if you don't get it. Look at everyone on the panel when responding to a question, not just the person who asked the question. Most of all, know when to STOP talking. There is NOTHING wrong with silence in an interview, even if they are writing notes, etc. Do not feel the need to fill the silence with drivel. Get there early so you can find a parking place, find where you need to be and will not not feel rushed. Good luck!!

Answer 3

Each panel member is supposed to ask the questions that they are concerned with. Depending on the job the panel could be made up of people from different departments or branches of the company or whatever they want. The ones I went to have a representative of the place you would be working. A supervisor of that area. And other people such as a Human Resources Manager. They are supposed to tell you about the job and ask you questions that will help them decide if you are right for the job or not. If it is a government job, such as the State Hospital in our town, it is just a formality because they will hire someone from another department at the facility before they will hire someone new. Be sure you know what the company does or makes or whatever kind of service it provides. Know everything you can about it before you get there. They might ask you why you want to work there. It's sort of scary because there is at least three or more of them and only one of you. Don't be intimidated. Project self confidence no matter what your answers are. Speak loudly enough for all persons to hear you but don't shout.

Answer 4

Get there in plenty of time. If you can, have some water and go to the loo.

Think about what you want to say.

When you go in, shake each member of the panels hand, firmly - not limply, introducing yourself each time.

If you know your subject, then the interview should be a doddle.

Be firm, but not cocky. No-one likes a smart-RS.

At the end, shake hands and say goodbye.

Answer 5

Panel Interviews are just to see how you deal with groups of people.

For my second job I was interviewd by a panel of 3 people, and a 4th showed me round the office.

Answer 6

Been there, done that. My best advice is to be attentive to the person asking the question. Each will have questions to ask, so you need to smile and have good eye contact with the one asking as you respond thoughtfully to the question. You might even mention that you're a bit nervous, but you would really like to work there. Be prepared to tell them why you want to work there.

Answer 7

Remember, there is something about you that caught their attention. You have good credentials. You are a qualified candidate. It is up to you to take over the room. Tell THEM why THEY need YOU. Even if you don't have the exact background that they are looking for, your background has prepared you for this job.

Good Luck!

Answer 8

How to Prepare for and Succeed at Panel Interviews


Next Wave writers have suggested several practices for interviewing over the years (see Related Articles, below). Many of these are still valid in the panel interview. However, some of our suggestions in the past have involved interpersonal dynamics, and these may not apply here. For example, when you meet with a hiring manager one on one, you follow a particular set of rules for this developing relationship. The problem with panel interviews is that you have to throw most of those one-on-one rules out the window.

In the usual interview environment, you sit down with a future colleague or boss in her office, and the conversation starts with that all-important small talk to loosen things up. Then, you may move into some of the common ground that you both share in your work or personal lives, increasing the comfort level for interviewee and interviewer. The savvy candidate can look around the interviewer's office and get clues that could be quite important to establishing rapport--the photo of the family on skis at a chalet, the softball team's trophy on the credenza, or a diploma on the wall.

All of these normal artifacts of a one-on-one interview disappear in front of a group.

Most panel interviews take place in the company conference room, which is unlikely to be a warm and friendly space. This affects the proceedings a great deal. There will be a variety of people present and an equal number of viewpoints. There won't be a lot of small talk--after the introductions, the group will get right into the subject matter. And unlike the one-on-one interview, in which both sides may be uncomfortable, interviewers are much forthright when they're members of a panel. They won't be asking only about your technical and job-related skills, either ... equal weight is often placed on questions that try to draw out what kind of person you are.

Making Good Eye Contact

I had a group interview a while back, and I really blew it. I've written and spoken about the interview process for more than 15 years and consider myself an excellent interviewer. And yet, I went into this particular meeting and failed miserably as an interviewee. In fact, it is hard for me to write about this episode because it confronts my self-image so directly.

A large company invited me to present my firm as a possible resource for a major personnel expansion. My visit included a panel interview with three male VPs and a female director. Unfortunately, I ended up sitting at a rectangular table with the three VPs across from me and the director sitting to my left. Throughout the meeting, it was my natural tendency to make eye contact primarily with the people who were directly in front of me, and I neglected to provide sufficient eye contact to the person on my left. I found out later that this woman cast the "no" vote that cost my company the deal.


Be Prepared

So, now you know a bit more about why and how companies conduct panel interviews. Below, I'll list some tips to keep in mind before you head off to your next interview.

Always ask your contact at the company to give you your interviewing agenda in advance, so that you can find out whether a panel interview is involved. Don't be taken by surprise!
Remember the importance of eye contact (see sidebar). You must visually engage all interviewers, regardless of their locations in the room and their levels of seniority in the company.
Despite the fact that panel interviews are loaded in the company's favor, most firms will allow you a few minutes to ask questions of your own. Don't wing this. Make sure you have memorized a list of questions that will reflect positively on you. Try not to refer to questions you have written down; make your questions a more natural part of the conversation.
Although it is normal to be uncomfortable when being interviewed by a group, remember that you can't allow nervousness to take over. Concentrate on responding to the person who asks a question, just as you would in a personal interview with that individual. Take it one question, and one interviewer, at a time.
Always have a response ready for the "Tell us about yourself" question that often starts thing off in the panel interview. Have both a short version and a longer version, and ask the panel members how much detail they want.
In Conclusion

Sherri did a great job in her panel interview. Because she knew in advance that it was coming, she was able to mentally prepare herself and was not taken off guard. Sherri knew that the same kinds of questions would be asked of her as in a "normal" interview, and that if she concentrated on one question and one interviewer at a time, she wouldn't get flustered. I hope she gets a job offer as a result.

For me, I'm still feeling a bit stupid because of my blunder with poor eye contact (see sidebar). But hey ... every mistake is a lesson learned, right? Besides, nothing adds more to my credibility as a Next Wave columnist than the fact that I've personally experienced many of the issues I write about!

Answer 9

good luck