What to Expect

Reduce your pre-interview anxiety by knowing what to expect:

• Find out what type of interview it will be
• Understand the interview process.

Types of interviews

There are several different ways to interview candidates and an employer may use one or more of them to assess you. When you’re contacted for an interview, ask what type of interview to expect.

Screening interviews are used to eliminate candidates who don’t have the required qualifications or who may not be a good fit for the organization. Screening interviews may be:

• in person
• by phone
• by computer
• as a member of a group, where each person answers a question about themselves or makes a short statement.

Some employers also use proficiency tests to screen candidates, e.g. a test to demonstrate your writing ability or accounting skills.

Panel interviews are conducted by a group of people, often representing different areas of the company.

Serial interviews can be individual, group or panel interviews or any combination of these. If you succeed at the first interview, you move on to the next.

Video or conference call interviews are used to interview candidates who live at a distant location. Some employers ask candidates to respond to a list of questions on video before inviting them back for an in-person interview.

The interview process

Interviews often follow a sequence designed to give you and the interviewer the opportunity to observe and communicate with each other:

• The interview starts with a greeting process where your confidence and your ability to meet new people and handle new situations is tested.
• During the first part of the interview, it’s the interviewer’s role to ask questions and your role to answer them. Expect to do most of the talking. You’ll be asked general questions about your background and specific questions about your skills.
• Towards the end of the interview, you’ll have a chance to ask questions.
• The interviewer will signal when the interview is finished. You may want to briefly restate a few key points that remind the interviewer about your qualifications for the job.
• Be prepared to provide your list of references if the interviewer asks for them.
• Before or after the interview you may be asked to:
• show evidence of your qualifications
• demonstrate job-related skills
• take a test to evaluate your aptitude, psychological profile, personality or technical skills.