In this Chapter ...

• Common variations on the basic interview
• Estimating market sizes
• Mastering case study interviews
• Example case study problems
• Handling brainteasers
• What else can employers throw at you?

So far, I have covered the sorts of questions that you might face in conventional job interviews. Most of the time, you the candidate will be asked questions about your skills, qualities and experience, by a single interviewer in an office environment. However, there are many alternatives to the traditional interview, some of which are more prevalent in certain industries or sectors, that you need to be prepared for.

If the employer is likely to use any of these other interview formats, you should be able to find out beforehand. When telephoning ahead to check the time, date and location of the interview, ask questions such as: “How long is the interview going to take?” and “Will there just be the one interviewer?” In most cases, you will be told if there is more than one interviewer or an unusual interview format.

INTERVIEWS ARE NOT ALWAYS ONE ON ONE

There may be many interviewers facing you, or there may be a number of other candidates being interviewed at the same time. Each different situation has its own unique challenges.

Panel interviews

Panel interviews are particularly popular in the public sector, where it is not uncommon to be faced with a row of six or seven (or even more) interviewers.

When faced with so many interviewers, you will have little chance to work on building a rapport with them. In such situations, try to:

• Build what little rapport you can by introducing yourself to each of the interviewers on the panel. A simple handshake and hello to each person in turn should be acceptable to even the stuffiest of panels.
• Maintain eye contact with the person on the panel who asks you each question. However, do also look occasionally at the other people on the panel.
• Take your time to think before you answer each question. With so many interviewers – each of who has their own agenda and line of questioning – it would be easy to get confused by the interrogative nature of the panel interview.
• Take no notice of note takers. There may be people on the panel whose job it is to take notes continuously, or each interviewer may just take notes for themselves. In either case, try not to be distracted by how little, or how much, they are writing.

Multiple interviews

A variation on having many people interview you at the same time is to have them interview you one after another. You might find yourself having three or four interviews of maybe only half-an-hour, or an hour each.

When you do find yourself faced with several people, possibly asking you the same questions, Don’t be afraid to use the same examples in answering the same questions. However, if you do use the same examples, make sure that you are consistent each time, as the interviewers may compare details afterwards and look for any discrepancies in what they have each heard.

Also try to find out the job title of each interviewer. Most interviewers open an interview by telling you their job title and a little bit about their background, but they can forget to do so. So do ask. Once you have established their job title, you will have a better idea of what each particular interviewer’s interests and concerns might be. For example, an interviewer from marketing may be looking for innovation and creative ideas, while an interviewer with a finance background may be more interested in the extent to which you can operate within tight budgets.

Group interviews

Group interviews are not the same as group discussions (which are covered in Chapter 9). Group interviews are often used in the airline industry to reduce the many applicants to a more manageable number that they will then subject to more personalised interviewing.

The interviewers may invite volunteers to stand up and introduce themselves to the interviewers and the rest of the group, or they may ask only two or three questions for each of the candidates to answer in turn.

The interviewers are looking for enthusiasm and confidence in a group situation. They are trying to eliminate candidates who clearly do not have sufficient interpersonal skills. So make sure that you:

• Are always one of the first few candidates to volunteer for anything. Candidates who are late to volunteer are unlikely to be taken through to further rounds of the interviewing process.
• Speak in a clear and loud enough voice for everyone to hear.
• Smile and try to appear relaxed but enthusiastic.
• Try to distinguish yourself from the crowd. For example, have something interesting to say if they ask: “Tell us something about yourself that no one else in the room knows.” Or prepare a joke in case they should ask for one.

Agency/headhunter/executive search firm interviews

There are many intermediary companies that can act on behalf of employers. Sometimes it is possible to approach agencies or recruitment consultants. Occasionally, the telephone may ring and a headhunter may have an offer for you.

In both cases, they may ask you to meet with them to discuss the types of role you are looking for or perhaps a particular vacancy on offer. Some tips:

• Despite being couched as an ‘informal conversation’, it is still an interview. Dress the part and prepare accordingly to answer the full range of questions that you might expect to be asked at any formal employer interview.
• Remember that the agency is paid by the employer – they are seeking to meet the needs of the client first and foremost. Even though they may appear to be very supportive, they are likely to be screening multiple candidates. So do not take enthusiasm on their part as a guarantee that they will ultimately put you in front of any of their client employers.
• Use the agency as an opportunity to gain interview practice. The agency may suggest that you interview with some employers that you might (secretly) not be very interested in. However, go along to the interview anyway. It will help you to practise for the job interviews that you do eventually want to get.

If you are eventually offered a role with an employer through an agency, make sure that you do your own research to find out whether the employer organisation’s culture and the nature of the role fit your particular needs. Many agencies get a final fee for placing a candidate, and some unscrupulous agencies may oversell the role – perhaps focusing only on the positive aspects of the job and making it sound more exciting than it might be – to get you to accept it and allow them to receive their final commission. So be aware of such pressures and make up your own mind.