The Executive Panel Interview

Interviewing is no easy task, and, typically, it doesn’t get easier when you’re doing it at the executive level. In fact, often times it’s more challenging because you’re no longer visiting with one person - you’re meeting with a panel.

The panel interview can be one of the most intimidating interviewing formats out there. Even if you have the gift of gab, you can easily find yourself flustered when facing multiple faces that all want answers from you. So how can you get through the panel interview without sweating too many bullets? Here are a couple tips to consider …

Research the Members of Your Panel

When you receive the call alerting you that your next or final interview will be a panel interview, after you gulp in nervousness, it’s important to find out who the panel members will be. At the executive level, it is possible that your panel will consist of VPs, the president and maybe even the CEO - the cream of the crop. And of course, you don’t want to let any of them down.

So this means it is up to you to conduct research on these panel members before you meet them in person. Learn about their roles in the company, what contributions they’ve made over the years and how they will relate to your prospective position. It is likely that you can find press releases, news articles and bios for these panel members; but you don’t want to stop at reading this information. You also want to spend time thinking about how you can enhance their roles by doing a great job in yours. The more you learn before walking into the interview, the easier it will be to find common ground with your panel.

Don’t be Afraid to Engage Everyone and Tell Interesting Stories

Just as you may be a bit nervous about your panel interview, some of the panel members may be a bit nervous too, or simply quiet by nature. But don’t let the less talkative members convince you not to engage them. They are there for a reason and need to be engaged like everyone else. So be sure to give every person in the room eye contact as you talk about your skills and accomplishments.

Also, don’t be afraid to tell interesting stories. Interviews can be boring for just about anyone, so there’s nothing wrong with spicing up the panel interview as long as the stories are appropriate. Focus mainly on interesting events that occurred in previous positions - and those that showed your ability to prevail in difficult times and may even have a touch of humor to them.

At the end of your interview, it’s a good idea to ask each interviewer a question to let them know your thought process and also determine just what they’re looking for in the person filling the position. If you can manage to get all of this accomplished, you are putting yourself on the right track to having a very successful panel interview.

Executive Resumes
Choose the best executive resume writing service for you.