Page 46 - You're Hired! Interview Answers

dealing with more than one interviewer PRePaRing FoR the inteRview

Most structured, competency-based interviews will take at least one hour and
it is common for them to be conducted by two people so that they can share
the job of taking notes. Knowing this in advance can help you to visualise the
interview situation and minimise any apprehension you may feel. There are
some points to bear in mind if you are going to be interviewed by more than
one person.

n While your attention should be mainly directed to the person who has
asked you the question (about 70%), you should take time to ‘include’ the
whole panel as you answer questions. This can be a matter of simply taking
the trouble to make eye contact naturally with the other panel members,
or of referring to them as you give your answers. For example ‘Yes, I think
I am pretty detail conscious – the example I gave Peter earlier was one
where I had to be right on top of the detail.’

n Make sure you don’t accidentally ignore anyone, for example because they
are sitting at the end of the panel table or because they are quieter.

n In panel interviews it is common for the interviewers to take one
competency area each; this makes it easier for you to identify the topic
area under consideration.

dealing with questions on Cvs and work history

It is also quite common, especially for more senior-level jobs, for your CV and
work history to be explored in detail – often as a separate part of the interview.
You should be ready for this – think through the key points you want to get
across in relation to the experience you have described in your application
or CV. Make sure, if there are any gaps in your work record, that you have a
clear explanation of what you were doing. Trying to gloss over any periods of
unemployment or hoping that they will not be noticed is very unwise; if the
interviewer thinks you are prevaricating or being less than honest this will
colour their whole impression of you. It is much better to explain positively how
you used any down time, so think this through in advance.

When the interview contains a biographical or work history element, it is
common for the interviewer to ask about high points or low points of any
particular experience and what you learned from them. As part of your
preparation, go through your CV and ask yourself the same questions about
the key experiences you have listed. For example:

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