Modalities
In-Person
An in-person interview is a face-to-face meeting between a candidate and an interviewer, typically held at the interviewer’s office or another designated location. It allows the interviewer to assess not only a candidate’s qualifications and experience, but also their communication skills, professionalism, and ability to engage in person. During the interview, you should be prepared to answer questions, ask thoughtful questions of your own, and make a strong first impression.
Remote Video
In a remote video interview, the interviewer(s) and interviewee converse in real-time through a web-based video platform, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, etc. In this type of interview, both parties connect from different locations using internet-enabled devices, allowing for flexibility in scheduling and participation. Remote video interviews often simulate an in-person conversation, but technical considerations like internet connectivity and camera setup play an important role in ensuring a smooth experience.
Phone
Phone interviews are often used to screen candidates before inviting them for an in-person or remote video interview. These interviews usually cover basic topics so the interviewer can get to know you and determine if you fulfill the minimum requirements for the position or program. Since there are no visual cues, phone interviews place extra emphasis on clear communication, professionalism, and tone of voice to convey your interest and qualifications.
One-Way/AI-Assisted/AI-Led
These types of interviews, also referred to as asynchronous interviews, are a newer form of interview that uses technology like voice recognition and AI to pre-screen candidates. They’re like a remote video interview because you complete them on camera at a computer, but instead of talking to an interviewer, you record your answers to preset questions. In some one-way interviews, you may be able to re-record an answer, but others only take your first attempt. After the interview, a hiring manager or a computer program analyzes your answers and determines whether to invite you to move forward in the interview process.
Structure
One-on-One: One-on-one interviews, or traditional interviews, involve a conversation between one interviewer and one candidate. They’re a chance for the interviewer to ask about your experience and skills and to evaluate your personality and presence. A one-on-one interview may be structured, meaning that the interviewer asks every candidate the exact same questions. It may also be unstructured, which is when the interviewer has a set of standardized questions to ask and may follow up with more questions based on your responses.
Group: Group interviews involve multiple candidates being interviewed at the same time for one or more job positions or admittance into a program. Hiring managers may choose this interview style to screen candidates, to interview multiple candidates more efficiently, or to test how candidates behave in a group setting. Interviewers are likely to watch how you interact with the other candidates, so be sure to treat them politely and provide unique answers to questions.
Panel: Panel interviews involve a group of multiple interviewers questioning a single candidate. The panel may be a small group of around three to five interviewers or a larger group. Usually, interviewers take turns asking the candidate questions either from a pre-made list or inspired by the candidate’s responses. If the panel includes many people, then some interviewers might observe instead of participating in the questioning.
Specialized Interviews
Depending on the industry and job role, you may be required to engage in a specialized interview. Some examples of specialized interviews include:
- Technical Interview: Employers utilize technical interviews to have you demonstrate industry-specific skills and knowledge. These are common in the consulting, finance, engineering, and computer science fields.
- Job Simulation/Project-Based Interview: Job simulations or project-based interviews require candidates to complete tasks that closely mirror the responsibilities of the role. This resource offers job simulation activities for a variety of industries and job roles that you can view and interact with.
- Presentation: Presentations may be a component of the interview process when candidates are asked to showcase their communication and organizational skills and their expertise on a given topic. Sales, marketing, teaching, event planning, nonprofit, and other client- or public-facing roles may require a presentation.
- Academic Interview: In an academic job interview, a candidate discusses their research, teaching experience, and future goals with faculty members, demonstrating their qualifications and fit for a specific academic position in a college or university. See examples of common academic interview questions here.
- Superday Interview: Superday interviews are intense, day-long interview sessions typically used by investment banks and consulting firms, where candidates participate in multiple back-to-back interviews with various team members. These interviews assess technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and compatibility between the candidate and company.
- Multiple Mini Interview: The Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) is an admissions process for healthcare-related graduate school programs where candidates rotate through several short, structured stations, each assessing qualities like communication skills, ethical decision-making, and teamwork. At each station, candidates are given a prompt to respond to, and interviewers evaluate their ability to think critically and demonstrate maturity, empathy, and cultural sensitivity.
If you are invited to interview for a position, make sure you fully understand the interview’s modality and structure so you can adequately prepare.
The Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills offers additional resources to help you learn about interviewing such as various articles, videos, and guides which you can access here.
