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Heeeerrre’s Your Panel!

Written by Bernie

Bernie Frazier, SPHR is the Founder and President of CAREERCompass, LLC, a speaking and career coaching firm in St. Louis, MO. She also spent almost 25 years recruiting talent to six organizations across four industries and led the talent acquisition function for four of those organizations, including one global team.

Whether it’s to save interviewing time, ensure everyone hears the same thing, or reinforce the company’s priority for team work, panel interviews are all the rage!  No, it’s not that panel interviewing is a new concept, but it has certainly gained more notoriety over the past ten years. 

If you have a panel interview coming up, don’t panic!  At the end of the day, it’s still just an interview.  However, there are a few things you should keep in mind to help make it a success: 

  1. Find out as much as you can ahead of time – How many will be on the panel?  If you’re told how many, try to find out their names and job titles? 
  2. Be prepared – You should definitely bring enough copies of your resume/CV/portfolio for each person on the panel, and don’t forget to bring one for yourself!
  3. Do a little research – If you get the names of the panelists, try to find out as much as you can about them.  Visit LinkedIn or search them out on Google to increase your knowledge.
  4. Don’t panic! – There are times when people use a panel interview because none of the interviewers are experts in interviewing.  They may be just as nervous as you!
  5. Think “team” – The fact that the interviews will be done in a team could mean that team work is very important for the company.  Be sure to brush up on your experiences while working in a team setting.
  6. Know your stuff – Make sure you’re very familiar with your resume/CV/portfolio contents so you can recall examples quickly.
  7. Close on a high note – At the end of the interview, be sure to take time to thank each interviewer, shake each hand, and ask for business cards from each.  Even if one or two of the panelists acted in lead roles, you never want to ignore the supporting cast.
  8. Say thank you – Within 24 hours of the interview, be sure to send one thank you letter or note addressed to the head interviewer and the interview panel, and thank them as one group. 

Now that you’re ready, go get ‘em!

Until next time….