By Connie Tremblay
In part one of this blog series, I shared what often happens after a candidate leaves the interview room: the candid debrief conversation where panelists share perspectives, discuss concerns, and assess whether the candidate has the skills, experience, and approach needed to be successful in the role.
Now for the more useful question: What can you do with the insights provided in part 1?
After participating in hundreds of panel interviews and debrief discussions, I can say this with confidence: the strongest candidates are rarely perfect. They are not always the most charismatic, the most extroverted, or the person with the longest résumé. More often, they are the candidates who make it easy for the panel to understand how they think, how they communicate, and how they would show up in the job.
Start by answering the actual question
This sounds obvious, but it is one of the most important interview skills. Listen carefully, identify the core of the question, and answer it directly before adding context. If you need a moment, take one. A thoughtful pause is almost always better than launching into a long answer before you know where you are going.
A helpful structure is:
- Provide a direct answer
- Include a specific example
- End with a takeaway
That keeps the panel from having to search for your point.
In one interview, a candidate was asked to discuss a relevant project. During the debrief, panelists spent less time discussing the details of the project and more time evaluating how clearly the candidate communicated what their role was in the project, the reasoning behind their decisions, the actions they took, and the results they achieved. The conversation focused on the evidence the candidate provided and what it revealed about their skills and approach to the work.
That kind of answer gives the panel what they need. It answers the question directly, proves the candidate has done the work before, and leaves the panel with a clearer understanding of how the candidate thinks.
Next, prepare specific examples before the interview
Do not rely on your résumé to speak for itself. The panel already has your résumé. The interview is your opportunity to bring your experience to life. Strong examples like the one just mentioned usually include the situation, the challenge, your specific role, the action you took, the outcome, and what you learned.
Prepare several stories so you are not using the same one repeatedly. Think through examples that show leadership, collaboration, conflict resolution, technical problem-solving, adaptability, decision-making, and communication with stakeholders. You shouldn’t memorize a script, but you should know your material well enough that you can speak naturally.
Learn to tell your career story
Almost every interview includes some version of “Tell us about yourself” or “Walk us through your experience.” There is no reason to be caught off guard by this question. Your career story should be concise, compelling, and connected to the role in front of you.
The goal is not to recite every job you have ever had. The goal is to help the panel understand how your experiences connect, what strengths you have developed, why certain transitions made sense, and why this opportunity is a logical next step.
Be prepared to address employment gaps or job transitions honestly and briefly. Be ready with a clear, brief explanation without overexplaining and move the conversation back to what you bring to the role.
Make complex ideas easy to understand
This is especially important for technical candidates. It can be tempting to prove expertise by going deep into jargon, acronyms, or highly technical details. But in many roles, especially senior roles, credibility comes from being able to explain complex issues in a way that different audiences can understand.
Choose examples that are clear, concise, and easy for any panelist to follow, even if they do not have direct experience with the topic. If an example requires too much background context to make sense, it may not be the strongest one to use.
Remember that panelists may be asking themselves: Could this person brief an executive? Could they explain a risk to a non-technical stakeholder? Could they calm a frustrated customer? Could they help a team understand what needs to happen next?
Clear answers are not less sophisticated. They usually show that someone understands their work well enough to make it understandable to others.
Presence matters
You have been preparing for the big day and it’s finally here. Try to find time before the interview to take a moment of Zen before you enter, or zoom, into the room. Center yourself to come across as prepared, steady, curious, and professional.
In virtual interviews, small things matter: lighting, camera angle, sound quality, a professional background, and business attire. You also need to dress for the part, even for virtual interviews.
Low energy can be misread as a lack of enthusiasm or confidence, even when you are simply nervous. You do not need to perform, but you may need to sit up a bit taller, lean in, smile, and show the panel that you are engaged. Nerves are completely normal, especially during the first few minutes of an interview. Most candidates relax and become more comfortable once the conversation gets underway.
Internal candidates should prepare just as seriously as external candidates. If you already know the panel, resist the temptation to become too casual. Do not assume people know the full scope of your work or remember your accomplishments. Explain your examples fully. Treat the process as a professional evaluation, not an informal conversation with coworkers.
Prepare thoughtful questions
The interview does not end when the panel finishes asking questions. When they turn it over to you for the last 5-10 mins, the questions you ask say a lot about your level of preparation, curiosity, and strategic thinking.
Strong questions often focus on team priorities, success measures, organizational challenges, stakeholder relationships, or what you would need to accomplish in the first six to twelve months. Panel interviews are not the time to ask about work hours, benefits, or PTO (save that to ask the recruiter later).
Try to avoid overly generic questions. For example, a common question asked is: “What is the culture like here?” That is not a terrible question, but it is very broad. A stronger version would be: “I noticed this role works closely with both campus partners and internal stakeholders. How would you describe the working style of the team, especially as a remote role?”
Another example of a thought-provoking question would be: “When you first joined the team, was there anything that pleasantly surprised each of you about the work, the culture, or the organization?” It gives every panelist a chance to participate, including those who may not have spoken much during the interview. It also tends to end the conversation on a warm, positive note.
Final thoughts
You do not need to be flawless, none of us are. Panels are looking for evidence that you can do the work, communicate clearly, learn, collaborate, and represent the organization well.
I genuinely empathize with anyone who puts themselves out there and takes the risk of interviewing. Interviewing can be challenging, regardless of where you are in your career. But panel interviews are not mysterious. They are structured, predictable, and easier to navigate when you understand what the panel is really listening for.
Every interview is a chance to practice telling your story, organizing your thoughts, and showing how you would work with others. Even when an interview does not result in an offer, it can teach you something about your communication style, your preparation, your confidence, or the type of role and work environment in which you are most likely to thrive.
The strongest interviewers make the panel’s job easier. They help the panel see not only what they have done, but what it would feel like to work with them every day. Let’s hope that after your next interview, you have the panel saying, “we need to get this person on our team ASAP!”
Want to learn more?
Below are a few resources to help you prepare for your next panel interview:
38 Smart Questions to Ask in a Job Interview
Harvard Business Review: What You Should and Shouldn’t Focus on Before a Job Interview
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/virtual-interview?
Author
Connie Tremblay
Senior Talent Acquisition Partner / Executive Recruiter
University of CA Office of the President
About the Professional Growth Series
Our new Professional Growth series will explore topics such as mentorship, interviewing, career pathways, and learning and development opportunities, with a focus on helping employees grow, connect, and thrive across the UC system.
