Panel interviews occur infrequently—less frequently these days than they once did. But you need to be aware of them since it is possible you may encounter one. In a panel interview, you are interviewed by several people at one time. Whether intended or not, the panel interview produces greater stress for the job candidate. After all, you have more people to analyze and respond to simultaneously which puts you in an inherently reactive situation. Some panel interviews are intended to put pressure on the applicant—part of what the employer wants to discover is how well the interviewee maintains composure under stress.
If you find yourself the center of a panel interview, take a deep breath and try to remain calm. Take each question one by one, ask for clarification if the intent of the question is not clear or the scope extremely broad. Ask for the opportunity to respond to the important question posed by one interviewer before being pushed into a response to a question by another one of the panel members. Chances are the content of your answers is less important in this situation than your ability to remain unflustered in the face of stress.
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