Matthew Engel

This month, I had a new ‘first’. It was my first experience administering an interview. I was on a panel with three others, and we interviewed roughly five candidates for one position. The experience has given me a whole new outlook on the interview process, and I believe it will improve my own skills, now that I have gained perspective sitting on the other side of the table. Several of the candidates were very qualified, and each seemed to have skills or traits which would make them a good fit for the position. However, once the interviewers began discussing the candidates amongst ourselves in private, we began to make consensus finding some strengths and flaws in each one and determining how each would hypothetically fit into the position. Since the job is flexible, the candidate would have potential to do alot with it so we were looking for someone relatively outgoing. This maybe unfair of me to say, and I will admit this is a biased weakness – but one of the candidates just ‘rubbed me the wrong way’. The only reason I mention this is because I am sure it must happen in many interviews all the time, and that the candidates are judged the instant they open their mouths – maybe even before. Likewise, I am sure the reverse is true in that some people just ‘click’. For example, one of our most promising candidates began the discussion with an extremely powerful statement which highlighted their experience and showcased their intelligence. I was quite taken aback, and duefully impressed. I would have liked to hire this person right away.

I also found that it was not just the questions and answers which mattered to me, but more how the person responded to them and were able to handle their composure in a stressful situation. The body language and sound of their voice told me a lot more about their attitude and demeanor than their words alone.

However, people who are going into interviews always wonder about what sorts of questions are asked so I will tell a few good ones I thought were interesting:

• What makes you uniquely qualified for this position?
• Can you tell us about a time ______ (fill in the blank). For example, tell us about a time when you came across a difficult situation and how you overcame it?
• What about this job would give you the most trouble?

During the interviews, I spent some time writing notes mostly to myself about the good questions I heard being asked, and my response to the candidates physical and mental composure. Here are several of the points I noted down, but keep in mind this is just my personal opinion and I am obviously by no means an experienced interviewer. You may not agree with these observations, however I felt strongly about these points during my experience.

• Do not voluntarily talk about any of your flaws! If you are forced to, admit only a small one and instead capitalize on this opportunity and turn it into a strength. I noticed one candidate doing that and I was most impressed.
• Be silent when listening to the interviewer. I found the little “mmhmmm’s” and “ahhaa’s” to be distracting and were perhaps a sign that they were not focused while the question was being asked.
• Enforce the point that you have an open mind. I find this extremely valuable and shows that you can learn and grow as the work progresses.