Group interviews are common practice for many organizations. It’s a great way to assess people as individuals as well as how they work within a team setting. Put a group of hungry job seekers together who all want the same job and you’re going to learn a lot about someone! If you ever participate in a group interview there are some things you can do to make yourself stand out to the selection committee. Let’s take a look.
Don’t be the pushy leader type
In group interviews it’s common for there to be some people who feel they need to be the loudest and most visible person by showing “leadership” qualities. You will have to show you can be a leader but it should be natural and not in an over the top pushy sort of way. Organizations want leaders but they also want someone who can contribute without being a leader. Think about it – if an organization just hired people who wanted to lead all the time and there were no team players it would be a mess. You have to show yourself a leader and a team player.
Be yourself
The easiest thing to do is be yourself. In a group interview situation so many people try and reinvent themselves into something or someone they are not. It’s often because insecurities take over. It’s not about you trying to show you’re the alpha in the room. You should focus on being poised, confident, professional and competent. Those are the qualities that will make you stand out.
Call ahead
It’s perfectly fine to call ahead and ask someone how long the group interview is going to last as well as what types of activities will be taking place. Knowing this will help you be able to prepare and will alleviate the nervousness caused by not knowing what’s going on. This definitely gives you a leg up on the competition.
Send thank you letters
Many group interviewees forget this crucial step. This one step alone could get you to the next round. Make sure you send a thank you letter to each person. Also mention something that you spoke about in the interview. Make sure you use the thank you letter as an opportunity to further express your excitement about the position and how after going through the process you feel even stronger about being a great fit for the job.