Interview Tips: How to Prepare for Different Types of Interviews

While on a comprehensive job search, applicants will find themselves in many different types of interviews. Employers aren’t restricted to having an applicant show up in person and conducting the interview at corporate headquarters.

Interviews in a variety of situations can help hiring managers better understand the merits of a job seeker in the real world. A conversation at a business lunch or happy hour, can change the tone of an interview and afford hiring personnel a different view of a potential employee. It also gives the candidate a chance to shine in a different light.

Thanks to a rapidly growing global economy and the emerging role of technology, new interview techniques lower costs and break down geographical barriers. Videoconferencing eliminates physical distances. When videoconferences are not practical, many organizations will send representatives to job fairs to meet multiple job seekers for the price of one ticket. On the flip side, committee interviews are an efficient way to assemble an entire hiring team in one place for a comprehensive question-and-answer session with a promising candidate.

Today’s job seeker must be well versed in many different interview situations and able to tailor her attitude and approach to each. Here are some of the best interview tips for committees, lunch meetings, videoconference calls, job fairs happy hours.

Asking a candidate to face multiple interlocutors in a single conference room helps a company determine how a senior-level prospect will operate under stress.

One way to hide any nervous jitters is to find a comfortable position at the conference table, one that allows you to make eye contact with all members of the committee. When addressing a specific member, don’t forget to engage the rest of the room.

Try to find out in advance the function of each player who’ll be interviewing you; then, make sure you’ve done enough research to address the specific perspective of each member of the committee, such as focusing on marketing priorities in response to a question from a marketing exec. If research about one of the hiring managers turns up a common professional association, you might want to mention that fact in your response to that person.

Don't change your personality to play to the audience, but bring just a little extra energy to the room so you can project your strengths to multiple interviewers.

Lunch Interview Tips

A lunch interview is superficially informal and can be an excellent icebreaker. Don’t get too comfortable, however; many potential hires have lost job opportunities when they let their guard down over a meal. It may resemble a social event, but a lunchtime interview is no time to badmouth a former employer or overstep propriety. With that caveat in mind, do try to use the setting to demonstrate your personal charm and distinguish yourself from the pack. Sharing a laugh, a joke, or common interest will help ingratiate a candidate to a potential employer.

There are also some practical considerations when talking over a meal. Order something light and easy to eat; candidates will be expected to do most of the talking, so a complicated meal might not ever get eaten. Don't pick a messy marinara dish or a steak that might require lots of cutting, and definitely avoid finger foods. Alcoholic beverages are typically off limits; a single glass of wine would be the maximum appropriate.

Always be mindful of business-lunch etiquette and dress codes. Check ahead with the restaurant about appropriate dress. Keep cell phones and pagers off or on silent, and always thank your host for the meal!

While long-distance interviews used to be conducted by phone or conference call, new technology has created the videoconference. The new technology is simple to use, and there are many free beginner guides to help with setting up the necessary equipment. Nearly any company that would insist on a videoconference would also gladly reimburse an applicant for the $20 it costs to purchase a video camera and microphone.

Successful videoconferencing requires rehearsal. Interviewers will judge your body language and presentation just like they would a face-to-face meeting, and they won’t excuse technical glitches or distractions from your end. When participating in a call from home, make sure to clear out any and all distractions from the home office. If necessary, have the spouse, a babysitter or neighbor take care of the children for an hour or two, and have the pets fed and taken care of beforehand.

The video call also requires a little bit of staging. Make sure the area that will be in the frame is clean and free of clutter, and make sure the camera is focused on your face. Ensure there is adequate lighting. (Try running a mock interview with a friend exactly 24 hours before, to make sure the lighting conditions are right for the time of day.)

Videoconferencing requires on-camera skills that aren’t natural to most people outside Hollywood. Before your interview, practice making eye contact by looking directly into the camera. When the hiring manager is speaking, focus attention on the video display rather than the camera to see her body language. Ado[pt a rhythm of looking into the camera while speaking, then down to the monitor when listening, and then back up again. Soon enough, videoconferencing will come as naturally as face-to-face interaction.

Job fairs are like a job search on overdrive. A gymnasium or hotel conference room filled to capacity with job searchers and hiring personnel can be intimidating. Make a plan and research which companies will be present to make best use of the available time.

Prep a 30-second “elevator pitch that sums up what you can offer a company. Practice until you can deliver it delivered quickly, coherently and with confidence.

Unlike a lunch, a social drink is acceptable at a happy-hour meeting. Nurse a single drink, however; two drinks is a stretch even for people who can hold their liquor. Never let the alcohol have an effect.

Mind your wardrobe. A meeting over drinks seems casual, but it is definitely not a date or a get-together with friends. Any clothing that translates well from the office should work during happy hour. Men and women alike can dress down by removing a few articles, such as a tie or blazer, or dress up a casual outfit with accessories or a sports coat.

An extended job search will likely include several of these interview scenarios. While experience is the best teacher, these tips will help guide neophytes and job-search veterans alike.