4 Types of Interviews

One-on-one interviews

Otherwise known as personal or faceto-face interviews, this involves your interviewer asking a series of questions to evaluate your suitability for the job. Although present circumstances mean that one-on-one interview sessions usually take place virtually, it’s still common.

Some companies prefer using several rounds of one-on-one interviews for different department heads to meet with the potential candidate before deciding on their fate with the company. Interview tips • Show your interviewer that you’re interested in the job by asking relevant questions. Some simple ones include asking about the role’s day-to-day tasks, the work culture, or the role’s career path • You should also talk about how the job role matches your aspirations, career plans and relevant interests.

Showing your enthusiasm is key! • Demonstrate specific examples of the skills required for the role you’re applying for and discuss relevant transferable skills you obtained from any school or work experience • Body language is just as important as verbal communication. Maintain a decent level of eye contact throughout the interview, sit upright to exude confidence and remember to smile!

Video interviews

The most common interview type in the new normal, video interviews are conducted by almost all employers. However, due to the potential technical pitfalls and how different they may be depending on the platform used by each employer, they tend to intimidate graduate job seekers.

Video interviews can either take place “live” (e.g. through Zoom) or prerecorded (e.g. video submissions). Interview tips • Practise makes perfect. Start by getting used to appearing on-screen.

Switch on your computer’s webcam and record yourself as though you’re running through a practise interview • Set the scene by dressing smartly and making the area where you’ll be carrying out the interview look like a professional workplace • Make sure that your internet connection is strong so that the video conference doesn’t drop midway through the interview. If you’re not sure about how strong the signal is, try streaming a video over YouTube • If you’re taking the call on a laptop, remember to plug it in to a power source – you may be online longer than you think

Panel interviews

Panel interviews typically involve anywhere from three to eight interviewers – usually three for graduate interviews. They’ll likely consist of a mix of HR personnel, business managers and some departmental specialists.

Even if they’re held on video, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security! They tend to be more rigorous and meticulous than individual interviews as you’ll be juggling questions from multiple sources. Although this may sound intimidating, there’s no need to fret. The interviewers are out to find out the same thing as at any other interview: whether you’re a good fit for the company! Interview tips • Maintain direct eye contact with the interviewers. If your interview is taking place in-person, answer them while making eye contact. If it’s over video, talk to the camera instead of the video feed on-screen • Address the interviewers by name when speaking to them. If your interview is taking place face-to-face, one little trick is to get their name cards at the beginning of the session, and then arrange them in front of you according to the interviewers’ sitting arrangement • Stay calm if one of the interviewers looks bored. Given their different backgrounds, not every member on the panel may be interested in your response to a question asked • You’ll sometimes be asked the same question twice by mistake. Don’t second-guess yourself, and always keep to the same version of your story

Phone interviews

A phone interview is often a screening exercise where employers check some basic information prior to a face-to-face or virtual interview. It’s also used to sieve through suitable candidates early in the recruitment process.

The relative anonymity of a phone interview may allow you to speak to your interviewer without the stress of travelling to an unfamiliar place in professional attire, but avoid letting your guard down! Interview tips • Much of the impact you make will come through your voice, so sounding attentive and enthusiastic is important • Take notes of the keywords of the questions asked for reference when responding to your interviewer • Don’t be distracted by your surroundings or lose track of what you want to say next. Avoid filler words such as “umm” and “uh-huh” or constant requests to repeat the questions • Have your resume and completed application form next to you in case you need to refer to them during the phone interview • Choose a conducive, quiet environment for the phone appointment to prevent background noise from ruining your session