Panel interviews can be considerably unpleasant. You are surrounded by all of the people that are going to make a decision on your employment at once. A single mistake is amplified, because an entire panel is staring at you and judging you. You may also feel ganged up on, as it can appear as though the applicants are trying to get you to fail. In order to improve your chances, here are five panel interview tips designed to give you a leg up on the competition.

Panel Job Interview Tips:

They Are Out to Get You

It is not uncommon to feel like the interviewers are trying to get you to fail. It’s because they are. A lot of panel interviews are designed to challenge you to such a high degree that if you cannot handle the pressure you are going to fail. It has nothing to do with how good a candidate you are. The interviewers are purposely trying to get you to feel like they do not want you, in order to see how well you handle it.

Just remember that if it appears they do not like you, it is because they are acting that way on purpose. It is not because you are a bad candidate. Remain confident throughout the interview. Even when it sounds like they are pointing out flaws, they are very likely only pretending those are flaws to try to throw you off your game.

Come Prepared

It is extremely important that you prepare as much as possible for a panel interview. Panel interviews really do exacerbate mistakes. If you do not know what the company’s main product is, everyone in the panel is going to notice, and your chances of getting the job are reduced. The more you prepare, the better.

Speak Up

It is very important that you speak loud enough that the entire panel can hear. If one of the panelists cannot hear your answers, they may rudely ask you to repeat what you are saying. Even if the other panel interviewers were able to hear you fine, they will also notice that the other interviewer was unable to, and assume you are not talking loud enough.

Smile and Be Confident

Again, the panelists are trying to pressure you and see how you handle that pressure. Don’t give them the satisfaction of watching you crack. Smile and act as though you deserve this job, no matter what they may say to you during the interview. The more confident you appear, the more impressed they will be.

Bring Thoughtful Answers

The more thought and logic you put into your answers, the more confident you can be that even if the interviewer attacks it, you know you still answered the question well. The panelists will pick up on your doubt. If you come up with great answers, the likelihood of experiencing severe doubt during your panel interview will decrease.

Panel interviews are designed to be hard. That is their purpose. Their ultimate goal is to give you a challenge in order to see how well you handle that stress. Don’t let them succeed by letting them affect you. Even if the interviewer loves you, they are going to pretend they hate you. Come into the interview with that knowledge and you reduce the chances that they will win.