When searching for jobs nowadays, it’s important to be aware of all the different interview types out there. Being prepared for an interview by an employer will help you get the job, and ensure you aren’t panicking while they ask you something you weren’t at all prepared for. Below, we provide lots of information on different types of interviews and how to prepare for them!
- You can find even more tips here: 1o Effective Tips for Nailing Any Job Interview and 6 Proven Interview Tips on Body Language
Stress interview
This particular interview type is for those who are Applying to a type of high stress job, such as a stockbroker or someone in sales. What is unique about this interview type is that the interviewer themselves may attempt to distract you using their body language or behaviour. What you should do in response is focus on the question and do your best to ignore all the distractions. This will prove to your potential employer that you are capable of handling stressful and distracting situations with ease.
Another component of these types of interviews could be strange questions. For example, an interviewer may ask you a very unrelated question to see if you can think logically in the moment. If the question is also very specific, don’t focus too much on getting the perfect answer. Just answer in a way that demonstrates that you’ve thought about the problem logically and have broken it down into different parts.
Behavioral interview
The goal of this type of interview is to understand how you handle certain situations that may arise at work. The interviewer will be asking about your past experiences in order to better predict how you might handle future ones at their company. Questions could be phrased like “Describe what you did when you had a disagreement with a coworker.” This question is asking you to elaborate on this past experience and express how you dealt with it in a positive and efficient manner.
One key way to prepare for these types of interviews is to understand what skills the employers are looking for. once you understand these you can think of your own past experiences that would demonstrate these skills, and practice how you would explain them to the employer, should they come up. Be sure to articulate these experiences in a manner that thoroughly demonstrates your strengths!
Panel interview
This third type of interview involves multiple interviewers. This is usually done when the person in charge of hiring needs outside opinions to make their decision. Some key tips when it comes to panel interviews include trying your best to remember each person’s name. Also, to ensure you’re making eye contact with everyone. When someone asks a question, be sure to focus more closely on them, but also look at others occasionally while giving your answer.
Structured interview
These interviews are generally the most common. They begin with the employer asking you an icebreaker, and then the interviewer will usually explain the position. Following this usually comes questions about your education and past experience in your field. At the end of the interview, the interviewer will ask if you have any questions. Make sure you do! Asking them questions about the role or company illustrates that you really want this role and are genuinely interested. Other than that, be sure to prepare yourself when it comes to questions about past experiences. You should perhaps provide some anecdotes that highlight your particular strengths.
Group interview
There’s also such a thing as group interviews. These involve one interviewer and multiple applicants and are done to make the interview process more efficient. During these types of interview, some group work could be done, or you may have to give a presentation. Say you’re applying for a summer camp leader position. One activity they may ask you to discuss is an activity you’d have the children do at camp. Before the group interview, you may need to prepare some sort of presentation about this. Be creative! You want to be the interviewee that stands out the most. Usually, these interviews will also include a one on one session with the interviewer so they can learn a little more about you.
There are many types of interviews out there and that can be stressful. But, if you focus on preparation well in advance, you should have no problems! Spend a few days preparing anecdotes that highlight your strengths, or ask a friend to ask you questions over and over so you can prepare your answers and get their feedback. And of course, be sure to read up on these different types of interviews and how you can prepare for them! You got this!
Want even more advice on interviews? Check out Vancouver Community College’s interview tips!
Also read:
