Rogers Resume Blog

In a stress interview, the prospect is being examined on her or his abilities to handle pressure or adverse behaviours. The interviewee is exposed to a hostile, disinterested or intimidating interview, whose purpose is to destabilise the candidate. The types of questions or behaviours that you may run into with a stress interview include:

• Large-scale interview interview panel: The prospect faces a interview panel of many interviewers (6, 8, 10 or more) who incessantly ask questions
• Doubting your honesty:”I am sure you are hiding something from me. Are you sure you did not get sacked from your previous job?”
• Aggressive body language: The interviewer is not looking at the candidate, rolls his eyes, lays back in his chair, takes phone calls in the middle of the interview or allows his secretary interrupt him for common matters

Means by which stress interviews can be handled include:

1) Depersonalise the operation: you must stay focussed on the fact that this is all a game and that the panel are only acting as their part to destabilise you. Once you have taken on that none of this act is personal, you can relax a bit more.

2) Maintain eye contact with the individual asking the question and keep your answers concise (typically 20-30 seconds) so that you don’t become interrupted.

3) If you feel valiant enough to do this, endeavor to gain control of the space around you. For example, if there is a flip chart, walk up to it and write some points on it to back up your replies. It will make the interviewer slow down.

4) Try to be yourself. Don’t try to take the bait. Try to speak more slowly than you usually talk so so that you do not let your frustration take over.

For more help with ST interview go to www.medicalinterviewpreparation.co.uk