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1st middle or last interview slot?

9 replies

ARoomSomewhere · 30/08/2018 13:28

which would you choose if you had a choice

and were VERY nervous?

OP posts:
POPholditdown · 30/08/2018 13:34

1st, just to get it out of the way, otherwise I end up interviewing myself all day and making myself more nervous.

Plus, if it’s first thing, everyone’s had their coffee and the day probably hasn’t gone wrong yet, so it’ll be a lighter atmosphere all round!

user1471459936 · 30/08/2018 13:37

Last. Almost always gets the job.

Twickerhun · 30/08/2018 13:38

Middle. The first candidate often doesn’t have a great interview unless the panel interview together a lot.

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Twickerhun · 30/08/2018 13:38

Ha ha ha what a mix!

amusedbush · 30/08/2018 13:40

I stopped looking into this shit. My last two jobs I interviewed at 9:30am and at 4pm and I got both.

I interviewed yesterday for a job, they are doing two afternoons of interviews and I went for the second slot on the first day, simply because that was over my lunch break so no colleagues would be looking for me.

POPholditdown · 30/08/2018 13:40

The first candidate often doesn’t have a great interview

Oh bollocks I know what’s holding me back nowGrin

mostdays · 30/08/2018 13:40

Depends on the time of day- I cannot perform at my best before about 10.30am, I just can't. So I'd have to go for a later slot if the first was earlier than that!

I'd always choose the first or last slot because of half remembered learning about the primacy/ recency effect, which is probably utterly irrelevant to interview order! But I'd expect being the first or last candidate to make you slightly easier to remember, if that makes sense.

KavvLar · 30/08/2018 13:51

I interview people, it's not my main job and I'm not in HR but I do it as a representative of the business iyswim. It is not an exact science.

It may be different for people who do it as a job, but for me the very very first interview I'm trying to gel with the other panel members, while also working out what the benchmark is going to be for this particular grade. I don't think it disadvantages the first candidate, but they become the initial point of comparison for the other candidates.

Last of the day can be more memorable, I agree, but also the interviewers may be tired or drained from the process and therefore potentially less receptive (not ideally, but it is what it is)

There are pros and cons to all slots. Before lunch, are tummies rumbling? After lunch, are they full and sleepy? I would honestly focus on what will work best for you, knowing yourself as you do.

For me, first thing would be best to get it over and done with. For friends, they prefer to have time to get up and ready at their leisure, get a coffee, go over cv etc, so later slots suit them better.

My best advice would be to be punctual but not excessively early, be polite and charming to every single person you interact with (I often glean a lot from the ushers about how candidates have acted towards them, it all helps build the picture of how they would be to work with), wear something smart but comfortable and give the interviewers the best version of yourself and your own performance. Deep breath, you will smash it!

WipsGlitter · 30/08/2018 14:31

I think at the start of the day. By the end you're just willing it to be over and trying to stay focused.

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