Ask the expert: Face-to-face with an interview panel

By Dr MARIE WILSON

Q. It looks like I will have to face a panel interview for a job I am chasing. All I know is that it will be four people, which sounds a bit scary. Two questions: Do I have a right to ask who those people are and why there will be four? And secondly, what are the differences in handling a one-on-one interview and a panel that I need to bear in mind?

A. Panel interviews are increasingly common, and are usually structured so that a variety of interests can be represented in hiring (people from different areas or different levels) and to avoid the biases or mistakes that single interviewers often make.

Yes, you can certainly ask who will be on the panel and it helps to know names in advance so that you don't have to try to remember all of them at the time, while you are trying to respond to questions as well.

The key challenge is trying to maintain eye contact and respond well to several people at the same time.

You can help this by sitting in a position that allows you to see all of them at once. As each person asks you questions, make sure you address the answer to them, but then check to see if there are any other issues related to that question that the other members of the committee might have.

This increases the likelihood that your answer will satisfy all the interviewers, as well as maintaining contact with all the members of the panel throughout the interview.

Always have your own questions prepared for the end of the interview, and as you ask each one, also ask who you should direct the question to. Again, this establishes direct contact with a panel member.

Q. I have been told that my resume should be as short as possible. How short is short, though?

A. CVs should not ramble on with material that is not relevant to the job you are applying for, or your career stage.

Generally, material about your hobbies, primary and secondary education (unless you are a recent graduate) and personal details, as well as detailed descriptions of work done more than 10 years ago, are unnecessary.

The first page of your CV should include clear contact details, your career objective, and a brief overview of your qualifications that enables an employer to see, at a glance, that you satisfy the job requirements.

This should be followed with details of your experience, highlighting key achievements and beginning with your most recent position first, and then education, qualifications and other relevant skills.

You may state that referees and other information are available on request at the end of your CV. If you are a new entrant to the workforce, two pages should be ample.

After that, you may be adding a page every five years or so, depending on how frequently you have changed jobs and employers. Give more detail about experiences in the last employer or two, and eliminate detail the further back in time you go. An experienced senior professional or manager might have a CV of six or seven pages.

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