Preparing for a Panel Interview

Panel interviews save interviewers a lot of time and money, so it's not unusual to be asked to participate in one during your job search. If a hiring manager requests you to come in for a panel interview, try not to panic. Instead, take time to brush up on your interviewing skills and gather as much information as possible on all of the people involved in the process.

Ask your contact to give you the names and job titles of all the people scheduled to participate in your panel interview. It's helpful to know ahead of time if you are meeting with mid-level managers, executives or people at the same professional level as you. If you know who you are meeting with ahead of time, you can prepare a list of relevant questions for each person. You should also try to figure out who is in charge of making the final hiring decision.

Use LinkedIn to research each member of the group interview team. You don't have to memorize entire profiles, but you should get an idea of each interviewer's professional background. Find out if you have a trade association, networking group or past employer in common with any of the interviewers. These personal connections often make a big difference when breaking the ice and introducing yourself to the people participating in a panel interview.

Review the job description several times before your panel interview. You need to impress several people, not just one, so you have to be prepared to answer questions about your ability to fill the advertised role. Make a list of all the skills you have that are related to the job; then take some time to think of examples of how you successfully used those skills in past jobs. Review the company's website to learn more about the mission and vision of the organization.

The day before your panel interview, participate in a mock interview session conducted by a friend or professional contact. During this interview, your friend should ask questions relevant to the open position. Spend a lot of time polishing your answers, but don't memorize them word for word. You want to sound like a competent professional, not a robot, during your group interview. Make several copies of your resume, and put them in your briefcase or folio. All of the interviewers should have your resume ahead of time, but it's good to have extra copies in case they don't.

Panel interviews are an effective way for employers to assess job candidates and for potential employees to meet with several key team members on the same day, so they're probably not going away any time soon. If you are invited to participate in a panel interview, gather the names and job titles of everyone involved in the process. Then research the company and job description thoroughly to determine the best way to approach the interview.

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