Career Development Handbook Career-Development-Handbook | Page 31

•
Panel Interviews can be rather stressful. A “stay-calm” trick would be to
listen to the questions carefully, paraphrase questions where
appropriate, and to provide answers to questions slowly but surely.
•
Never rush into answering a question, as you would need time to
structure your answer in your head.
•
Do not jump to defence when posed a criticism, or a negative
observation. Always seek clarification on the reason for the criticism or
negative observation. For instance, you may ask the question “why
would you say that?” or “what makes you feel that way?”
•
Group interviews are intended to observe how candidates behave in a
group, and their ability to lead and work in a group. Manage the group
dynamics with your peers positively and constructively, while ensuring
that you hold on to your own personal branding.
c. Assessment Centres and Case Interviews
•
These interviews are intended to test candidates for competencies and
skills that will be relevant for the role that they are being interviewed
for, in particularly competencies and skills in leadership, collaboration,
problem solving, critical thinking, negotiation, and presentation amongst
others.
•
During these interviews, it is usually the thought process and how the
candidates arrive at their recommendations, rather than the outcome
and proposed solutions to the cases that really matter.
•
These situations are also intended to observe how the candidates
manage stress, and their abilities to work under tight timelines.
d. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner or Coffee Interviews
•
Sometimes employers would conduct interviews through the use of
social situations to observe the candidates’ abilities to interact and
connect with others socially, as well as their effectiveness in multi-
tasking (i.e. eating and thinking and communicating all at once!).
31