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5 different types of interviews and tips to ace them

Lady interviewer taking interview of a candidate
Interviews are the most crucial part of any job/internship selection process because at this round it is decided whether the candidate is suitable for the job or not. There are different types of interviews in every organization which depends on the type of product or service that the organization provides.

Let's say, a consulting firm will go for a case interview to select a candidate or a manufacturing firm can go with stress or panel interview. In this article, we will discuss the types of interviews and some tips to ace each type of interview.


Unstructured interview

It is a type of interview in which the interviewer has no pre-planned questions in his/her mind, although they have certain topics on which they can ask questions to the candidate. This interview is more like a conversation between you and the employer but you need to be prepared for this kind of interview because questions can be very uncertain.

Tips to ace

  • Do some research on question types asked in an unstructured interview- Ask your seniors or someone you know has experience in this kind of interview about the questions asked and how to answer them. You can also Google the questions or check Quora to know about the questions asked in the interview.
  • Be confident- The main purpose behind an interview is to check your confidence level, so always be confident with your answers, and if you don't know the answer to any question asked simply say "I don't know" to the interviewer.
  • Be prepared with answers to the questions like "tell me about yourself", "work-experience" or "hobbies"- In this type of interview there is a high chance that the employer will frame questions from your resume, so it's your responsibility to frame your answers to the generic questions in simple and understandable language and deliver the answer with full confidence.

Structured interview

It is just opposite of the unstructured interview as in this interview, the employers have a pre-planned set of questions in mind and they are going to ask those questions to every candidate and on the basis of their answers, the employers will select the right candidate.

Tips to ace

  • Keep a good knowledge about the job/internship profile for which you are applying- There is a chance that the employers may ask about the profile for which you have applied to test your knowledge in that domain. So, prepare your answer accordingly to make a good impression in front of the employer.
  • Explain your point clearly- If you are trying to tell about a particular skill that you possess then it's better that you explain your point by giving an example of your past experience in which your this skill was used so that the employer get a clear idea about how you perform the given task.
  • Listen-Understand-Answer- To answer any question, it's important to listen to the question carefully so when the question is asked, listen carefully, understand it, and then give the appropriate answer.

Panel interview

In this interview, the candidate is interviewed by more than one person. The interviewers can be from an internal team of the company, alums, or people from outside. The main purpose behind the panel interview is the unbiased hiring of the candidate. 

Tips to ace

  • Stay calm- There is a high chance that after seeing at so many interviewers you start to become nervous and lose confidence but losing confidence is not a good sign in an interview so try to stay calm and answer each question confidently.
  • Keep smiling- Different panelists can have different behavior towards you, some may be polite and some may be rude but you need to address each panelist with respect and maintain a smile while answering the questions as smile shows that you can handle a situation calmly.
  • Prepare yourself beforehand- Practice the panel interview before the actual interview so that you have an idea about how to perform in the interview, practice the questions, your speaking style, and your presentation so that you do not make any mistake in the actual interview.

Stress interview

As the name says, it is a type of interview in which the employer puts the candidate in a stressful situation either by asking tough questions or cross-questioning the candidate's answers or doing both of them. The main purpose behind such an interview is to check whether the candidate will be able to deal with a stressful situation such as work pressure, multitasking, and rude behaviors or not.

Tips to ace

  • Keep practicing- The only way to ace any interview is to practice beforehand. Practice the type of questions that can be asked and have a mock interview with someone you know to make yourself comfortable in the environment of the actual interview.
  • Don't worry much about time- Interviewers can throw a lot of questions rapidly at you which can be difficult to answer, you need not answer all the questions as fast as you can but you need to take your time and understand the question, this will tell the employers that you don't jump to the conclusions rapidly and think before taking any step.
  • Right answers are not so important- If you don't know the exact answer to the question then simply listen to the question carefully and understand it then you can find a relevant conclusion. The purpose behind such an interview is to check your problem-solving skill and not your speed.

Case interview

It is the type of interview where the candidate gets a case study to solve. The case study is similar to the problem that arises in the real business environment and the main aim behind such an interview is to check the candidate's problem-solving skills.

Tips to ace

  • Understand the context- In this interview, first, you need to understand the case and make notes simultaneously. If you have any questions regarding the context then you should ask the interviewer and get your doubt clear before proceeding further.
  • Form a structure- Solving a problem requires connecting dots, so, after listening to the problem break it into the components, explain them to the interviewer, and then you can move to the solutions.
  • Practice makes perfect- Before the interview, practice as many case studies as you can to sharpen your skills so that you can ace in the main interview.
These were basic 5 types of interviews that are common in organizations but all the interviews have on success mantra that is to be confident because when you are confident, your personality shines, and that's what employers want.


 

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Location: India

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