You should never be at a disadvantage in a group interview, or in any other kind, when you have done your homework. Although more people may be present, they can ask you only so many questions in a given time period. Besides, you know a lot about them and can use that knowledge to learn even more, just as you would in a one-on-one meeting. You also know yourself inside and out by now. Your planning and rehearsals have prepared you to respond to any question with the details that will bring you closer to the job at hand.
Luncheon Interviews
Lunches can be an opportunity or a nuisance. Many candidates don't like luncheon meetings, particularly when they have not prepared very well and are unable to ask questions that will keep the interviewer talking enough for them to eat. Which brings us to these points: Taking an interview without preparing for it is like starting on a trip without putting gas in the car. One should not assume that the purpose of a lunch interview is to eat.
Food Considerations
Order food that (1) you are familiar with and have eaten before, (2) fits in with what your host is ordering, (3) can be delivered to the table quickly, (4) needs little or no carving, (5) is easy to get onto your fork, (6) won't slide off your fork or spoon, (7) won't drip, (8) can be pushed around on your plate (to look as though you’ve eaten more than you’ve had a chance to), and (9) won't cause you instant indigestion.
If you are invited to order a drink, remember the rule that you should never do anything alone. In this case, go one step further. Instead of saying "I will if you're having one," say "If you're having something, rill have an iced tea [Pepsi, Perrier ..Make no excuses. Even if you might like a glass of wine or something stronger, this is not the time to indulge. You need to be at your sharpest for the interview that brought you there.
Facing Interruptions
Interruptions are part of the problem of being kept waiting; other aspects need to be considered. You might want to believe that the interviewer has locked in your entire appointment time so there can be absolutely no interruptions, but logic is against it. Things do happen. The only question to consider is this: How do you and the interviewer deal with the interruptions when they do occur? Let's start with the interviewer.
The interviewer who will accept interruptions to sign letters, handle phone calls, and say hello to colleagues who stick their heads in the door is not focusing on the interview. The meeting that can influence your future just doesn't have the same priority for the interviewer. That is unfortunate, but it reflects upon your host, not upon you. If this person is ultimately to become your boss, you can expect more of the same treatment. In such an interview, simply pause each time you are interrupted and when you start again, backtrack with a quick summary of the point you were trying to make.
If you arrive at the meeting to find that the interviewer has higher priorities, such as a report that "has to be in the boss's hands by three o'clock," you may be watching a poor planner at work. If the interviewer would be your boss, let that guide your decision. Perhaps you'll get lucky and your priorities will rank as high on his desk—even higher than he apparently ranks his invited guests.
Unexpected company is a different issue: If you are meeting with the VP of a regional office and the president of the parent organization walks in unannounced, you can be certain the interviewer will interrupt your meeting to say hello. Most likely the interviewer will explain that you are being interviewed and set a cutoff time for your appointment in order to meet with the boss. It is just as likely that the president will understand. If, however, they need to transact some business, offer to step out of the office without waiting to be asked. They'll appreciate your thoughtfulness. When your meeting resumes, however, each of you may have to summarize what you had discussed prior to the interruption.
If a true crisis strikes, deal with it the best way you can. You must put the interview out of your mind. Don't become desperate as one candidate did: The interviewer received a call that his wife was on the way to the hospital to have their first child. As he tried to leave to be with her, the job seeker followed him to the elevator that never came and then down three flights of stairs while spouting his reasons why he thought he should be hired. The boss, on the other hand, knew one good reason why he shouldn't be.
