Are you stressed out about going to an interview or worried about how to perform well in an interview? Most people anticipating an upcoming interview experience this, but a great one can be achieved by anyone. Here are several common types of interviews and tips on how to navigate them,
There are numbers of different interviews among different professional fields. They are chosen by various groups and can generate different outcomes. Screening interviews are common with large companies and usually a large number of candidates are interviewed and screened based on their experiences. Telephone interviews are similar to screening interviews, in that you are expected to highlight key experiences from a resume. Phone interviews can be helpful to some because it removes face to face interaction, but the interviewer also relies on strong and confident answers because they cannot read body language. A good tip for phone interviews is to prepare the same way as you would for an in person interview, and to dress the part in order to be more focused and in the mindset of being interviewed. You also want to make sure that you are in a quiet setting and that there are no distractions that will interfere with your interview.
One-on-one interviews are the most common for many employment opportunities. The candidates always directly meet the supervisor in the interviews and answer their questions face-to-face, and it is usually what we expect when we go into an interview. You should pay attention to your eye contact and body language particularly with these types of interviews. If you struggle with public speaking or are nervous about what kind of questions may be asked, print out a sheet of popular questions and answer them in a mirror or ask a friend to help you practice. Practice will help you feel more prepared to answer questions on the spot more confidently, and having someone watch you can bring attention to body language that may be distracting in interviews that you may have never noticed before.
Group interviews are becoming increasingly popular in many jobs and graduate programs today. You can expect these to contain four to six of candidates with two or three interviewers. These kinds of interviews look at your ability to communicate in a group while standing out, and also assesse your teamwork skills. Try to come up with unique answers to the questions being asked, but also don’t be afraid to build off of other people’s responses! Even though you may be eager to share your responses to questions, don’t interrupt other candidates. You want to show that you are a team player and value everyone’s opinions, but show off your unique experiences when you are addressed.
Interviews can be intimidating, but as long as you are prepared and stay confident, everyone is capable showing off their best selves. Check out the SLC’s tips to preparing for any interview at the link below: