A large portion of the planning for interviews surrounded the questions. On the interviewer side, there are questions to prepare, based on what the approach the interviewers want to take, and what they feel is important to know about the interviewee. The interviewee, on the other hand, should think about what kinds of questions they might be asked, and how they will answer them. Both parties should be as knowledgeable about the position as possible and should additionally be prepared to present professionally during the interview.
Regarding interviews overall, I initially was put off by how many rules and expectations surround the interview process. However, having practiced the process from both sides, I now understand that these rules exist to guide the evaluation process and provide a set of standards for potential candidates. It is important to have these standards, especially when a candidate cannot be evaluated directly based on their performance.
I was unable to play the role of interviewee during this project, however in the role of interviewer, the energy was different than any interview I have been in before. The situation felt more controlled from this end, and there was less nervous anticipation, because I wasn’t trying to think ahead to the next question. Rather, my focus was on the interviewee’s answers to the questions and observing them as well as listening to what they were saying. However, there are also some similarities between the roles. For example, as one of the interviewers, I still wanted to make a good impression on the candidate, so as not to drive them away from a position that would otherwise interest them.
The project left me with a better understanding of interview dynamics, and the importance of thorough preparation. It was interesting to see what an interview is like from a different position, as well as from an outside perspective as an observer. Also, taking a deeper dive into all of the behind the scenes work that goes into an interview made the entire process much less mysterious. It is nice to have that understanding of what leads up to and goes into a job interview.
