What to expect in a group interview

[forevercharmed]

I have a couple of interviews coming up this month and both include group interviews (in fact, one of the schools only has a group interview). I am pretty nervous because I don't know what to expect! Does anyone have any insight into this? I would really appreciate it!

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[Diddy30]

I have general advice from group job interview experiences. I can't say how relatable or applicable my experiences will be compared to your program interviews but I can offer my simple opinion on the matter.

In a group interview I feel that it's important to assert yourself & show that you have a voice & an opinion on matters brought to you. In a group you should be able to express your opinions, collaborate on meanings, & argue your point. You want to stand out so you should make yourself be heard, just like you would in a class where the teacher is a real stickler on participation points.

Obviously a good tactic would be to make sure you're well versed on mission statements/expected program outcomes, or anything else available that gives you insight/information about the program & it's goals. Know why you want to be a part of the program, know what's important to the school/program & why you're a good fit.

This may be pretty straight forward, but I think the best advice you could get, aside from the obvious (like be prepared to discuss interview topics/have answers for common questions), is to have a voice & try to present yourself in a way that shows you have ideas, you're capable of contributing to a team, you're a good fit for the program, & that you know what you want out of it all.

Also, try to have questions of your own. I feel like in interviews I've always stood out b/c most applicants are so intimidated by the process that they forget they're interviewing the school/job too. You should try to have some questions of your own to get a connection with the interviewers. At the least it will make you stand out in comparison to others who maybe didn't have any questions of their own & just answered what was asked of them.

Again it may be general, but it's been my experience with group interviews & it's always seemed to benefit me.

 

[Spydra]

I've done group interviews for jobs and programs and think Diddy gave you excellent advice. I would also add be prepared for awkward pauses while they all take notes or literally talk about you as if you're not sitting there and take a small bottle of water to sip to avoid dry mouth or being tongue tied. Also do not be surprised if more people are there than they originally told you would be present. I have had many interviews where I was told it would be 3 people and then *surprise* there were 6!

In program interviews I found it more common for the panel to be nosy about my personal life which I found irritating. There's generally laws about what can and cannot be asked in job interviews, but to my knowledge that doesn't apply to programs. You'll have to decide what you're willing to share about your personal life and thinking about this ahead will keep you from blurting stuff you'd rather not or responding rudely.

Just like any other interview bring extra copies of your cv/resume, transcripts, contact info for references, etc. I had some panels go line by line through my whole cv/resume wanting to discuss everything and others just picked a few things.