Know Your Interviewers

Interview formats can differ from company to company. Some are one-on-one, while some require you to meet a panel of interviewers ranging from 2 to 5.

Interviewing techniques can vary. Some interviewer use the cordial approach and would encourage you to articulate your thoughts and ideas while some prefers concise answers. There are also some interviewers who try to agitate you by asking unreasonable questions to see how you would respond. There could be a reason for this as the job you apply for may require you to handle difficult customers and/or colleagues.

One interesting observation I noticed is that different interviewers react to differently to the same response you give. Good examples are responses to questions like "What activities you engage in your free time?" and "Where did you go for your further studies?". If you share the same interest or background with the interviewer(s), it would make the interview process easier for you. So, if possible find out more about the background of the interviewer.

It is therefore to your advantage to know who your interviewers are and to prepare to answer accordingly to the questions they are likely to ask. While not everyone has the benefit to know this beforehand and not able to control questions thrown to you, you should at least control on how you present yourself whether verbally or through body actions. The simple rule-of-thumb is to remain compose and answer objectively and tactfully. It is very important to sit straight, not fidget and maintain direct contact with the person talking to you. Of course to do so, you need to prepare yourself well for the interview.