Anyone had an interview that included eating lunch with interviewers and interviewees?

[breastsofjordan]

This is my situation this week. I think it'll be more stressful than the actual interview. Any tips?

order something easy to eat

Yes I have, just remember that this is not just lunch but part of the interview.

Be friendly, positive and take part in conversation.

Yes - but only in a school canteen!

Teaching interviews often do and it is part of the selection process. Act friendly and confident, be interesting but do not dominate.

Yes - I was a bit horrified when I knew we would have to do this as well as the interview.
Like listenglisten says - be friendly, professional, join in the conversation, think of a few interesting conversation starters but don't try too hard - try and be as natural as possible.
We ended up talking about football and I knew I was on to a loser at that point!
Good luck

I had interviews over two days for a job and we all ate together in the evening with interviewers. Just think of how you would behave if you were maybe meeting someone's family for the first time - so, friendly and chatty, but not taking over the conversation.

It's to see if you can get on with people in a less formal situation.

Don't drink too much if there's any alcohol provided. Try not to be awkward and "difficult" about the food, but you don't have to eat things you really don't like. And if you're ordering stuff, then pick things that won't be too much struggle - spaghetti for instance!

Avoid spaghetti and don't get drunk?

I mean of course, don't pick spaghetti Unless you can eat it without spreading it all over the place...

Thanks for the advice really useful. There's no danger of me dominating the conversation, it's just so nerve racking actually thinking about what to talk about and how to fill a gap in the conversation.

Ask them about themselves and let them see what kind of person you are. We do this quite a lot at my work for senior posts. I had lunch with a group of candidates last week and my director sounded us out afterwards to see what we thought. It is definitely part of the interview and It's OK to be open and say you're nervous about it. People who are super slick can be bloody annoying.

This always happens in a teaching interview. Don't worry about it you will be fine. Don't have spaghetti or anything tho!

Pick the dish of the day in the canteen so you appear easy-going and supportive of the catering (unless it's spag, as has been mentioned!)

Portions aren't usually enormous and it will be non-fiddly and non-controversial. Have the set pud as well or not at all.

btw I agree with queenofdenial - I have lunch with a fair few candidates and also trainees that come to our place. Lunch is defo part of the process.

I was once on an interview panel - the interviewees not only had all sorts of tests and formal interview over two days, they had to come to a posh buffet with us and do networking nonsense. I felt soooooo sorry for them, they were all crapping themselves and trying to act normal and eat their chicken drumsticks without looking like a prat. Pure torture imho.

So things could be worse....

Once I had interview (not good one), when I was offered lots of coffee and cakes, while they tried to intwrview me... went very wrong, I looked so stupid!!!

I've had an interview which included various assessments and lunch, was totally crapping myself about lunch but ended up just me and the other candidates sharing a plate of sandwiches, not part of the assessment at all!
good luck!

Don't have an egg mayo sandwich. Humanly impossible to eat in a refined way.

Don't choose grated cheese sandwiches because all the filling will spill out making you look like you can't even handle eating a sandwich let alone the fantastic new job. Ditto choosing a very crumbly cake with very sticky icing - won't even go into what a mess that can make...I speak from experience!

...although I did get the job!

I remember going for an interview where we were all given fish for lunch and that was right before the interviews. I whipped out my mints and offered it to the others who politely declined. I'm pretty certain that the minty fish breadth was the only differentiating factor that got me the job.

Don't forget, the interviewers will be a little nervous as well. I've not tried the "eating together" idea yet, but the worst day I have was to interview EIGHT peeple and didn't appoint anyone. The interviewees were dire, despite my best efforts to help them show their qualities.

And that's the thing to remember. Good interviewers don't want to trip you up or spring surprises, we try to help you show us what you've got. Just be yourself, listen to the conversation and pick up a few cues to chat about.

Best of luck to anyone facing interviews.

I have been on both sides of this (aws a teacher) - try to speak to everyone a bit, as I have always been asked what I thought. Informally, that is, and I'm not sure it made any difference, unless we all had a particularly good or bad feeling about someone.

Just to say that it might not be part of the process. A colleague and I took candidates to lunch and it was definitely not part of the interview - the interviewers didn't attend and nobody asked us our opinion. It was just meant to be friendly! I think it must depend on the organisation.