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:

• Series of interviewers: Several interviewers come into the room one after the other, leaving no rest time for the prospect.
• Demonstrating contempt: “Is that all you might come up with? Let’s move on”
• 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 interviews go to www.medicalinterviewpreparation.co.uk

1. Tips To Deal With Telephone Job Interviews In some cases, Telephone interviews are a way for employers...
2. Employable Job Interviews Once you have sent your CV and application form, the...
3. I’m Just Right for the Job Position Why Don’t I Get Interviews? Do you send 5, 10, even 100 resumes without a...
4. Negotiation Tactics for Business There seems to be an incredible amount of material available...
5. Redundancy May Be A Factor For Why It Has Become A Good Deal More Popular With People To Work From Home Due to the recession, lots of people have been made...