Once a professional resume writer has created your top-notch resume and cover letter, you are sure to score an interview. There are several different types of interviews that you might encounter, and for each type you might wish to employ a slightly different strategy.
The Panel Interview
The panel interview is one of the most common types of interviews so resume writers definitely recommend that you be prepared for this type of interview. During a panel interview, the applicant typically sits in a chair with three or four people sitting across from them at a table. While this can be intimidating, the purpose of this type of interview is to allow several different types of employees to gauge each applicant’s ability to fit well within the corporate structure. For instance, the panel might include a member of the human resource staff, a few members of the management team and perhaps even a long-term employee.
When you are facing a panel interview, you probably will be asked questions from each member of the panel and the team will take notes throughout. It’s often difficult to know where to look during these interviews. One tip a resume writer might recommend is to be sure to look directly at the person asking the question. As you begin to answer the question, you can shift your focus to include other members of the panel as well. At the end of the interview, thank each person individually and ask for a business card. This will provide you with contact information for thank you notes, a service which a professional resume writer can provide for you.
One-On-One Interviews
The one-on-one interview is another common approach and typically this will be led by the person for whom you will be working. Obviously, this person’s main goal will be to see if you are a good fit for the company and because this person will be your direct supervisor it gives you some good insight into what type of work atmosphere you might be entering. Resume writer experts recommend that you be prepared to make eye contact throughout the interview, show enthusiasm and be ready to answer questions such as “why are you right for this job?”
The Lunch Interview
This is a less common type of interview, and usually this is the type of interview that might be set up for a second interview. Once a hiring team or a manager has narrowed down their list to a select few candidates, they might schedule this type of interview. Often, you can expect to eat lunch with the hiring manager as well as one or two other employees, who will want to ask you further questions about your qualifications and visions. This is a great time for you to ask questions about the company and job for which you are applying. Any resume writer will tell you that this interview is not about the food so be sure to order something that is easy to eat as well as inexpensive and take small bites, so that you always will be ready to answer a question.
The Group Interview
A group interview is a type of interview when many candidates for a job all come to the interview at the same time. There might first be a short presentation about the job or jobs available and then individual candidates might be interviewed or you might be interviewed together. You might even be given a task to complete as a group. Often these types of interviews are set up for positions where people will often be working together as a team or for high-stress, fast-paced work environments.
The trick to nailing the group interview is to make yourself memorable. Introduce yourselves to other job candidates and be friendly. While you are all competing for the same job, you also might have to work as a team to complete some sort of assignment so it’s wise to break the ice and be friendly. This is also a good time to show off your leadership skills, but resume writer experts caution that you walk the fine line between being a leader and just being bossy. The hiring team will make note if you do a good job working with others, show enthusiasm for the process and listen as well as you lead.
The Phone Interview
An interview by phone might be requested if you do not live close enough for an in-person interview and it also might be a sort of initial interview where the manager is trying to ascertain whether or not you are qualified for the job before scheduling a formal in-person interview.
While a resume writer can provide you with a great resume, only you can nail this type of job interview. It might be tempting to just hang out at home in sweats and put your feet up, but this interview is just a serious as the in-person variety. Get dressed, find a quiet room for the interview and be prepared. Sit up straight and answer questions in a formal manner just as you would during an in-person interview. Be sure to listen carefully to the person speaking and answer questions thoughtfully.
The interview process is daunting for everyone, whether you are fresh out of college or someone with 10 years of experience. A resume writer service not only can help you score the interview by creating a great resume, many of them also provide interview coaching and career coaching services where you can polish up your interviewing skills. Preparation is imperative, a person who has practiced and done some research about the company and the job, will always be more relaxed and ready to answer tough questions. Take a look at our recommendations for the best resume writer services and take advantage of the many job hunting services these companies offer.
