Facing An Interview Panel

It is common to feel outnumbered when entering a job interview with a panel of hiring managers and employees. Prepare for a bigger audience during your job search and vary your strategies to appeal to all members of the hiring committee, and you have a higher chance to nail the interview.

Research all members of the job interview panel before you even step foot into the door. Investigate the responsibilities and roles of professionals on the panel so you can craft follow-up interview questions that are relevant to their areas of expertise. Use social media and professional sites such as LinkedIn to conduct your research. Try to identify common areas of interest between you and each of the panel members, so you can build a connection with them during your face time.

Seek strategies to manage your nerves. A job interview with a panel of professionals is bound to make even the most prepared job candidate nervous. Practice deep breathing before the interview, drop your shoulders and place a smile on your face to mask any feelings of anxiety. Pay close attention to your body language, too. An interview panel is evaluating not only your skills and experience, but also how you present yourself professionally. Maintain eye contact with each member of the panel, sit up straight, smile and lean toward each person asking a question to show that you are interested and enthusiastic.

Spend time during your job search compiling answers to common interview questions. Every job interview is different, so you may not know what to expect, but if you outline how you want to detail your skills and experience in a creative manner, you can master just about any type of question. Avoid preparing scripted answers that seem memorized. Instead, memorize your top accomplishments, experiences and skills that are relevant to the job, and naturally express this information to the panel.

Find ways to connect with each member of the interview panel. Based on your research of the panel professionals, ask questions to each member of the committee once your interview portion is complete. Build a rapport with each member of the committee by making direct eye contact when answering a direct question and then shifting your eye contact to each member of the panel as not to exclude anyone. Likewise, when you address one member of the panel, try to widen your hand gestures so as to include everyone else during the job interview.

Some job candidates find it helpful to practice for panel interviews with a group of professionals in their network. Line up colleagues to ask you questions and provide feedback based on your body language, responses and professionalism during the mock job interview. The more prepared you are to handle questions from more people, the more prepared you are to impress a panel of strangers who can offer you a position.

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