Help to Prepare for a Job Interview Panel or One on One

Are you nervous about your upcoming job interview? That is a completely natural reaction, especially with so much on the line. You have a few days to prepare? A week? Don't sit there and worry about it...RESEARCH IT!!!! Learn all that you can about the job. If it is a government job, learn all that you can about the department or division. If it is a city job, learn some things about the city. If you have never been there and have a chance to visit the town, do so and find some interesting facts about the place and even come up with a few questions to ask if casual conversation comes up. If it is a company, learn all you can online and from people already working there if you know any. A very...very...very common question for governmental agencies ask is "what do you know about the department that you are applying for?" If your answer is "I just know that I need a job and I would do well for you.", then you might as well stay at home and sleep in to save your time and the time of the interviewers.

It isn't like it used to be when jobs were plentiful. You are now competing against retirees returning to old jobs, college educated folks applying for jobs that they wouldn't even consider in good times and over qualified PHD's looking for a fast food management position. Don't that get you down though. I can tell you from experience that when we did hiring in times when the labor pool was plentiful, I was still looking for the person that was going to stay with us when the economy improved. All of the time and effort that we put into training a new hire would be a waste if they were out the door as soon as the economy turned and we were hiring all over again. Was it discriminatory? No way, it was the best interest of the company and would save in training costs down the road.

That is why you have to be ready and knowledgeable of the position that you are applying for. Look at it as homework...and something to do to keep you pre-occupied on things other than the big job interview that is going to keep you up at night anyway.

Just like anything else. you will typically get better on job interviews the more that you practice. Interviewing is the same way. Again, role reversal can go a long way in preparing you for the interview. Using a friend or family member, you play the role of the interviewer. Think about what questions that you would be asking as the hiring manager at XYZ Company or the Division of Wildlife for the State of Virginia..or whatever position that you are applying for. Look at the KSA's for the job when you applied, ask relevant questions using those as a basis. Watch how your friend or family does in their mock interview. Were they using POSITIVE KEYWORDS? There that phrase is again. Are you starting to see a pattern here? Use them every step of the way. If you missed what positive keywords are, you can go back to the Use positive keywords on your resume section to review. If they seemed in the dark on their interview that is fine and understandable, they didn't take the time to study like you did...RIGHT?? The let them do the interviewing and you take the hot seat. Do not keep it casual and don't try to be funny. There is nothing worse than trying to keep a silly thought out of your head at an important time. Years ago, I was helping a student with an upcoming interview and we did role reversal. At one point he made a funny comment about me interviewing him in shorts and a tree shirt and he told me as the interviewer that I should have dressed better for him. Kinda funny, but guess what happened when he went to the interview in a suit and tie and the owner came in to interview him in Bermuda shorts and a pocket tee short. The interviewee started laughing from the beginning to the point that the boss had to ask him what in the world was so funny. It was the young mans way of handling some of the nervousness that goes along with a job interview...but he never heard back from the company. He did contact them later to inquire and he was told that the position was filled by someone else, who ironically, had less experience and qualifications. The reason he wasn't hired? The owner was nice enough to tell him...they were afraid that he wouldn't be able to take things seriously when he had too. Don't go in acting like a clown, but don't have a pole stuck where the sun doesn't shine either. You let the interviewer lead the interview. More on that later.

Ok, we all stink. Go just a few hours out of the shower and we really need to turn right back around. So we use perfumes, colognes, mouthwash, breath mints and all kind of things to make us smell really nice. It is very important to not have body odor when you are in an interview, but it is equally important to not knock out anyone with the smell of perfume or cologne. The longer you wear a certain perfume or cologne, and they older we are, the less likely we are to notice that we have packed on to much smell good stuff. I have been in interviews where we have cut them short due to the strong smell of body odor, but more often we have cut them short because the perfume or cologne is so strong that we were all struggling to breath. A few small dabs is all that you need. Don't go nuts with spray or pour on half of a bottle. A lot of people are allergic to different smells, the last thing that you need is to waste your time on a shortened interview because no one can stand the smell of you. Again, I am not trying to be mean, just honest. Give yourself every opportunity to get the job.

Now, when it comes to mouthwash. A lot of people seem to use mouthwash just before and interview. The smell can permeate a small room. What does the typical mouthwash smell like? How about ALCOHOL and mint? We have interviewed enough people with alcohol on their breath as well as slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and the whole routine. Brush your teeth and use a mild breath mint as you head for the interview. Do not have it in your mouth during the interview unless you are certain that you can keep it unnoticed. Some even recommend that you shower and use deodorant and go to the interview that way. Use your own judgment, just be aware of the possible consequences.

Are you a smoker? Do not smoke before your job interview

Case 3

A female comes into an interview, dressed well and looking very professional. Half way through, her cell phone rings and she proceeds to answer it and has a 5 minute conversation while we sat there. DO NOT FORGET TO TURN OFF YOU CELL PHONE! Putting it on vibrate isn't good enough. You are expected to give the interviewer your undivided attention. If they have to answer their cell phone, that is up to them. They already have a job. There are exceptions, if you are dealing with a possible emergency, let the interviewer know. We had one man that came in for the interview and he let us know from that start that his wife was pregnant and overdue. He asked if it would be okay if he left his cell phone on vibrate in case she called. We had no problem with that, especially since the interview also required a test on our computers and the whole process took about 4 hours. If there is a possible emergency pending, we never thought anything less of an applicant that let us know ahead of time. His wife did call and was on the way to the hospital about 2 hours into the process and because we knew up front, we were more than understanding and re-scheduled his interview for another time.

Case 4

An interviewee came in and brought her three children. She asked if we had a secretary or someone that could watch her children while she went through the interview process. We explained that we did not and then she asked if the kids could sit in with her while on the interview. We decided to give it a try in hopes that she would have every opportunity that we could afford her. After 10 minutes of the children interrupting, climbing all over everything and knocking over chairs, we decided that it just wasn't going to work. The interviewee actually got upset with use and stormed out the door stating that she didn't want to work here anyway because it was obvious that we didn't like children. The bottom line, make arrangements for the children before an interview. You typically can't bring them in with you to most jobs since most employers can't afford day care. The interview is of the utmost importance. Treat it as such.

Case 5

Do you like to drink? If so, I would highly recommend not drinking alcohol the night before a job interview. I have interviewed numerous applicants that smelled of the night before. Alcohol stays in your system for a while and even if you shower, brush your teeth and do all of the right things before an interview, if you have alcohol in your system, it can be noticeable and sometimes very noticeable.

Case 6

A lady walks in to the interview room which was big enough for three people to sit comfortably. She is well dressed, well groomed, looks professional and clean, the only problem is, she smelled of cigarettes so badly that to the two non smoking interviewers, it was sickening. If you smoke, do not do it the day of your interview. Use clean clothes and wear a clean jacket as well. The sense of smell is a strange thing. Odors can be inviting, stimulating or as we all know, can make you want to throw up. On day without cigarettes isn't going to kill you, as a matter of fact, it may be a good time to quit. If you are being interviewed by a smoker, then they will probably not notice the smell but that is a stupid chance to take! Also, do not go outside and have a smoke while waiting for your interview. I don't thing that I need to elaborate on that...

To me, it doesn't matter what job that you are being interviewed for, you should look as professional as possible. Even if it is a job in a mill or as a HVAC service person, the interview is extremely important and you should dress the part. For men, a suit and tie are preferable. For women, a nice business like dress or a nice pant suit is probably called for. Look at it this way, the interview is your one chance to impress the employer. This may be your final shot. I really do not think that you can over dress for the role that you are now in. Now, if the employer tells you in advance that casual dress is fine for your interview, then you can consider a change. If they do not tell you, go dressed to impress.

Make sure you are well groomed, but don't go overboard with the hair spray and even consider using unscented if you have to use it. Again, the smell of some hair spray is overwhelming to some people so why take the risk. Why am I even mentioning these things? Because in all of my years of interviewing, this things that I am mentioning have happened, and happened way to often.

Like most things, there are always exceptions to the rule. When we lined up interviews, we would sometimes get a candidate that was already employed and they would ask if they could stop in for the interview in their work attire. We understood this since a lot of jobs don't offer personal days or other time off and we would even look at it as dedication. Some don't feel this way and think that if you really wanted the job and felt that you were a good candidate, you would take the time off. I was never that harsh since the real world can cut into all of our best ideas. However, because I was understanding doesn't mean that all employers or interviewers will be. If you must do it this way, ask first. If they say okay, make sure to thank them for considering your circumstance when they tell you it is ok and repeat the appreciation at the interview itself. Make it clear that you would have been dressed differently if there was a way that it was possible. This shows that you respect the job and the interview process that you are going through.

How to handle Job interview emergencies.

We had a few interviewers that came in that got a flat on the way and changed their tire. We even had one that took pictures on a cell phone to prove that it happened. The pictures were complete with the time and date stamp. If this happens, most employers will understand. If you are going to be late due to a situation like this, make sure that you call the employer and let them know. Always get a contact phone number and load it into your cell phone just in case. That way, you will have it without going through a long process when and if an emergency should arise.

Now that you are on a job interview, most everything that you do and say is being examined. When you greet the interviewer, stand up straight and give a professional greeting and handshake. If the interviewers introduce themselves by name, then shake their hand, but not like a dead fish. Be firm with men when you shake their hand. It is also a good idea to say something like "nice to meet you, Mr. Smith." This shows that you cared enough to remember the persons name. If it is a female, the same applies, shake her hand firmly, but don't over do it. Firm is all you are after and make sure that, if she has told you her name that you reply with a "pleased to meet you, Ms. Smith." Pay attention to how a female interviewer introduces herself. If she says Miss or Mrs make sure that is in your greeting. If she says that her name is Carol Smith, stick with Ms. Smith when you respond. If the interviewer wants it more casual and tells you to call them by the first name, do so. That could be the first sign that the interview is going to be on the casual side. I was interviewing employees with a female interviewer. She was the senior interviewer at the time and all of he interviews were cut to the chase, get down to business type of interviews. There was no time or room in her interview sessions for humor or small talk. She was very professional at all times. I only saw her upset one time. An applicant came in for his interview and upon greeting her, her took her hand and kissed the back of it. She was not impressed and the poor guy had the toughest interview I have ever seen her give. The bottom line...HANDSHAKES ONLY! Also, do not grab the interviewers hand when you greet him or her. If they extend their hand to you, fine. Then shake their hand. If they don't, extend your hand to them and wait for them to reach out and put their hand in yours. There is nothing more embarrassing than having your hand extended when an interviewer goes to raise his hand to say "no, I can't, I have a real problems with germs." But it is too late because you reached out and grabbed as he or she was in the process of raising there hands to animate a "no".

Learning the personality of an interview is a very important factor. This can be difficult to do because in a typical job interview, the interviewer will typical be speaking about 30% of the time. Of course, this means that you as the job applicant being interviewed will be responsible for 70% of the conversation. If the interview starts off light and jokingly, then you will want to keep your end of the conversation lighter and yet professional. Don't go overboard with the humor. Also, don't laugh the loudest. If someone says something funny, it is fine to laugh but don't over do it. Don't fall off of the chair and don't be loud. There are still a lot of companies that have learned that humor in the workplace is a good thing and that can carry over into a job interview. Just remember that you are still a professional. I have had interviewee's that have gone way overboard. Sometimes an interviewer would say something like "this reminds me of the time", and go on to say something that was humorous. Don't respond with "did you hear the one about?". Just laugh with everyone else and let the interview move on. I have interviewed my share of future stand up comics over the years and some just never knew when to get off of the stage. If you are in an interview and someone has to say something like "okay, let's get serious now." You have probably gone to far. Don't get to that point.

If you are sitting for an interview and the interviewer isn't standing to greet you or doesn't rise to greet you when you walk in, it may be a very serious interview so be prepared. Get the feel for the interview when you walk in. I would still attempt to shake hands when the interviewer introduces himself.

The job interview where it is just you as a job applicant with one person doing the interviewing are usually not as seriously structured as the panel interview. They tend to be more informal and most applicants naturally feel less intimated by this kind of interview. You will find these in a lot of small business interviews. Most larger companies and government agencies will have two or more interview potential employees for legal reasons and to build a consensus on the applicants performance for a grading system. There are a lot of things that a potential employer is not allowed to ask and large companies as well as government agencies will have the interviews set up with a standard list of questions that they do not deviate from. the same questions for each interviewee and the same allotted time for the answers. The one person interviews can be structured but usually allow for more room to deviate from the game plan. Now remember, just because an employer isn't allowed to ask certain questions, if you offer more than they ask, it can be used to help or hurt you. If you have nothing to hide and think that you have a great personality for the job that you are applying for, do not be afraid to embellish. Get into the frame of mind that even if it is a one on one interview, it is the same thing as a panel interview. The difference is that one person is grading your efforts as opposed to a panel and only one person is asking the questions. There is no reason to be intimidated either way. If you have done your homework and prepared for the interview, you will be fine!

Let's look at the one on one interview. It is a lot easier to feel for the personality of a single person asking you questions. If the interviewer is constantly joking, than that is probably his or her personality. Show that you have a sense of humor by laughing along but keep the joking in return to a minimum. If the interviewer begins to gossip about other employees in front of you, just acknowledge with generic phrases like "it takes all kinds doesn't it" or acknowledge with a simple "oh, my." Don't get caught up in the conversation by saying stuff like "oh I know, I hate people like that" or worse yet, "what an idiot." I know of people that lost jobs agreeing with an interviewer who was using this strategy to see if you as the interviewee would be a gossip too. It is amazing how we all gossip to some extent, but no one likes a gossip. Just watch you step. Keep it professional and generic. Let the interviewer lead and watch for pauses. If you are asked a question and the interviewer responds with silence, then they are probably waiting for you to mention something that they saw on your resume, cover letter or application. That is why you want to keep all of these close to the same and learn them. Use you KSA's education and experience that you have listed on these documents and highlight them in an interview. The one on one, while less intimidating, can be more tricky and amazingly enough, can be the more difficult interview. The interviewer is in control and a lot of jobs are given based on how well one person likes you after talking to you and asking a few questions over a very short period of time.

Having a job interview in front of a panel of 5 or 8 or even 12 people is usually one of the most feared forms of job interview. Most claim that since they have to answer questions for a board and be rated by a group, it is much more difficult than the one on one interview. This isn't and shouldn't be the case! Panel interviews are usually set up where each panel member will ask you a pre-determined number of questions and all of the panel members will rate your answer. These are easier because each applicant is getting all of the same questions. There is a set process in place and again, if you did your homework and know your resume, cover letter and application as well as some knowledge of what the job entails, you will be fine. I would rather have a panel interview me any day as opposed to a single interviewer. There are some tips that you need to know and I will give some examples of a few mistakes that you do not want to make.

Panel Job Interview Tip #1

Don't try to be funny off the bat. I'll give you an example where it backfired. I was on a police hiring board in the 80's. The panel consisted of myself (police officer), an elected official, a state trooper, a police chief and a private citizen. That was the way we were introduced to each applicant as their job interview started. We had one applicant that heard the introductions and sat down. Before we even started he said, "This sounds good, but who could ever trust an elected official?" Here was an applicant for a professional police officer position and that was how he wanted to start the interview? Needless to say, he had no chance because each member was allowed to veto 5 applicants that day. The elected official used her veto on him. Not a surprise. Look, you may think it, I might even think it, but to say it even jokingly is a big NO-NO! I realize that the applicant was nervous and just trying to break the ice. He had an excellent interview otherwise but the damage had been done. Learn from the mistakes of others. When you go in front of a panel, show complete respect. There is time for humor on a typical panel interview but NEVER pick out one of the panelist to joke about. All it takes is for one person to get pissed off at you and you are probably done!

Panel Job Interview Tip #2

Keep your answer brief but complete. Do not argue with the interviewer. If you are under time constraints like 3 minutes to answer each question, don't waste time repeating the question back to the panel member that is asking it. On the same panel as in tip #1, there were some applicants that would repeat the questions back. Some of the questions were rather long and it wasted valuable time. Interviewee's were given three minutes to answer each question and after the question was asked, the timer was started. The applicant could ask for the question to be repeated once, but that was on their three minutes. If the question was not answered adequately in three minutes,

It is going to happen in almost any interview that you will have. Towards the end of the interview, they are going to ask you if you have any questions. No, is not an answer. You must be ready with at least one GOOD, OPEN ENDED question to ask the interviewer no matter if it is one person or a panel of 23. You want to ask a question that is open ended. In other words, something that engages the interviewers and can't be answered with a simple yes or no. It is time to make them think, but more importantly, it is time to sell yourself even more.

Let's start with things not to ask in your job interview and a few examples

Do not ask about things that appear selfish or create a problem

I had done many one on one interviews with prospective police officers over the years. The position was full time with shift work. I have had applicants ask these closing questions of me in these interviews. They were so amazing that I actually keep a list of them. None of these applicants were hired.

"Does this job offer sick days for family members? I have three kids and they are always sick and I like to be home with them when they are ill."

Ok, this was an honest question but what was I hearing here? I am looking at someone that will miss a lot of days. This was a small police department and every time someone called off, I had to pay overtime and the budget wasn't

What was I hearing here? I didn't care about his seniority elsewhere, he was starting at year one with us. All I heard was, here is trouble and definitely not a team player. Thanks for applying and goodbye!

"Can I work day turn with you because I want to learn to be a police chief?"

This person may have thought that this was a great question and showed a real good attitude. I was on the job for 3 years at that point and wasn't going to retire for another 8. I didn't need a replacement, I needed an officer for the midnight shift. It is a good thing to want to advance but NEVER go into an interview and ask to train for a higher position unless it is offered to you. Remember TEAM PLAYER!!

"Do we get pay raises every year?"

There is nothing wrong with asking about things like pay, benefits etc. Some disagree, but I never had a problem with it. As a matter of fact, we would explain the pay, benefits, vacation and sick days to each employee. (Granted, we didn't explain if they were for the individual and/or family members up front. If the person in example one would have just asked, there wouldn't have been a problem with it, but when they mentioned that the kids are "always sick", that can cause a problem.) To ask about pay raises is poor judgment. Get the job and then deal with raises. If you know the starting pay, you will know if you can afford to take the job. Maybe you don't want to move and the job is too far away to drive. Even with pay raises, the typical pay increases coupled with the cost of living will probably make it no better down the road. PLUS-NEVER SAY WE WHEN REFERRING TO THE CURRENT EMPLOYEES. That may be seen as arrogant and cocky.

Great closing questions for a job interview!

Now that you have a few ideas of what not to ask, here are some food for thought on what to ask and how to ask it.

Rule 1

Open ended questions

As I stated earlier, ask a question that makes them think. Make sure that a simple yes or no will not do. You want to engage them and let them know that you are looking out for the company as well as yourself.

Rule 2

Let them know that you will do whatever it takes, because you are a team player and you want to improve yourself as well as be more of a benefit to the company!

You can ask a good closing question that shows you want to be a long term benefit to the company and you are motivated.

Something like "Does the company offer development programs to make myself a better or more effective employee?"

or "are there training programs available to aid me as an employee to better improve my abilities in the short and long term?"

You can even go along the lines of advancing in the company but DO NOT SET ANY DEMANDS OR GO OVERBOARD WITH THE QUESTION.

For instance, in the examples above of what not to ask when the interviewee asked "Can I work day turn with you because I want to learn to be a police chief?", isn't there another way that a question along these lines can be better asked? How about "Are their advancement opportunities within the company and what are they based upon?" I mean, if you are going to asked about a promotion at a job interview, at least put it into a good light. I would recommend however, that you stay away from this type of question at an interview. It may be taken in a way that is not flattering to you as an applicant. Almost anyone that goes into a new job is probably hoping to move up, but let you work performance, desire and ability get you there. It is much easier to ask these types of questions once you are in. Develop and grow and then if there are no opportunities to advance and that is what you are after more than anything, then you may be best off searching for another job. Just take advantage of the training opportunities as they come up in your current position and do a good job while you are there. They will be an important job reference.

Just think of the job interview questions that will engage them and show that you are motivated, interested and above all, A TEAM PLAYER!

Ok, the interview is over and they didn't offer you a job or give you input one way or another. What is next? You need to send a thank you note for the employer allowing you to interview for a job no matter what the outcome is!!. It can be through regular mail or email. Simply thank them for allowing you to come in for the interview. Express how impressed your were and/or how appreciative that you are and let them know that no matter who they decide to hire, it was a worthwhile experience for you. Remember, even if you don't get this job, you may end up in front of the same interviewer or panel in the future so the last thing that you want to do is burn your bridges. Just keep it short and sweet as well as to the point.

points would be shaved off of their scores. For instance, one of the questions was "You are the officer in charge on a midnight shift and you had two other cars out with you. Four calls come in at the same time, how would you handle the situation?" By the time the applicant repeated the question a few times he was running low on time. He then asked "What were the calls? I would know the answer to that." He then proceeded to belabor the point that he would know what the calls were and ran out of time. Of course, we were looking for an answer like "I would prioritize the calls by seriousness first and then by officer location if seriousness was a non issue." This is a short version of the answer that we were looking for. We expected most applicants to give examples and fill in the blanks for us as most did.