Phone, video, panel and assessment centre interviews

Why the format matters

Whatever the setting, an employer is trying to answer the same questions: can you do the job, will you do it well and will you work well with the team? The format changes how they find out. A phone screen checks the basics quickly, a panel tests your evidence in depth and an assessment centre watches what you actually do.

Knowing which format you face, and what it is designed to test, lets you prepare in the right way. The invitation usually tells you the format, how long it will last and who you will meet. If it does not, it is perfectly reasonable to reply and ask.

Phone and video interviews

A phone interview is often a short first step. The caller is checking that you meet the essentials, that your interest is genuine and that practical details line up, such as hours, location and notice period. Without seeing you, they judge a lot from how clearly you speak. Take the call somewhere quiet with your CV and the job advert in front of you, answer with your name and keep your answers a little shorter than you would in person.

A live video interview is scored exactly like a face-to-face one, so prepare the same answers. What changes is the technology. Test your camera, microphone and connection the day before, on the device and platform you will use, and keep the interviewer's phone number to hand in case the call drops. Sit facing the light, with the camera at eye level and a plain background behind you.

In a recorded interview there is no one on the other end: questions appear on screen and you record each answer against a timer. Imagine you are talking to a friendly interviewer, read each question fully before you start and keep an eye on the clock so you reach the result in time. Check beforehand whether you get a practice question or a second attempt.

• Look at the camera, not at the faces on screen, when you want to make eye contact.
• Close other programs and silence notifications before you join.
• Keep brief notes nearby as prompts, but do not read your answers from them.
• Dress as you would for an interview in person, even for a phone call: it helps you feel ready.

Panel and strengths-based interviews

A panel is two or more people interviewing you together, often the line manager, someone from HR and sometimes a colleague or a person who uses the service. It is standard in the NHS, local authorities and schools, and for senior roles. Each member usually asks set questions and scores your answers separately before they agree a mark, which makes the process fairer rather than harder.

Note everyone's name and role at the start. Answer the person who asked each question, but look round at the others as you go so the whole panel feels included. Do not be put off by people writing while you talk: they are recording your evidence so they can score it, which is exactly what you want.

A strengths-based interview asks what you enjoy and do well, often in many quick questions such as "What kind of task makes the day fly by?" The interviewer is listening to your energy and the detail you give, because people tend to perform best at work they find rewarding. It is hard to rehearse by design. Before the day, think honestly about the tasks that give you energy and the ones that drain you, and have a real example of each.

Assessment centres, presentations and tests

An assessment centre brings a group of candidates together for half a day or longer, and is common for graduate schemes, apprenticeships and large employers. Assessors watch you across several exercises, score each one against the same set of skills and then compare notes. Because every exercise is scored separately, one that goes badly does not decide the day, so put it behind you and focus on the next.

In a group exercise, assessors want to see how you work with others, not who talks the most. Contribute ideas, build on other people's, keep an eye on the time and bring in anyone who has not had a say. In a presentation, keep to time and keep your slides simple, then be ready for questions about cost, risks and who else would be affected.

You may also sit tests. Reasoning tests check how you work with numbers, words or patterns. A situational judgement test asks what you would do in realistic workplace scenarios, and an in-tray exercise gives you a pile of emails and tasks to sort by priority. Practise with free example tests so the format feels familiar, and read the employer's values before a situational judgement test, because the best answers usually reflect them.

Practical tasks and trial shifts

For many jobs, the most useful evidence is seeing you do the work. A chef may be asked to cook a dish, a care worker to talk through a scenario, an administrator to complete a spreadsheet task, a teacher to deliver a short lesson and a warehouse operative to try a picking route. These tasks test how you approach the job as much as the end result: safety, care, accuracy and how you take instructions.

A trial shift should be short and explained in advance: what you will do, how long it lasts and who will supervise you. Treat it as an interview that happens on the shop floor. Arrive on time, ask sensible questions, follow the safety rules and be friendly to everyone, because the team may well be asked for its view. If a trial is long, or looks more like ordinary work than an assessment, it is reasonable to ask whether it is paid before you agree.

On the day: travel, what to bring and arriving

Plan your journey the day before and allow time for delays. Arriving about ten minutes early is ideal; much earlier just means waiting around. If you are running late, call as soon as you know, because a quick, polite call is remembered far better than an unexplained late arrival. Check whether the venue has parking or a step-free entrance, and keep the contact name and number from the invitation on your phone.

Dress a step smarter than people in the job would normally wear, unless the employer has told you otherwise. Be courteous to everyone you meet, from the receptionist to the person who shows you to the room, because they may well be asked what they thought of you.

• The invitation, with the address, the time and the names of the people you are meeting.
• A copy of your CV or application, and the job description.
• Photo ID and any documents they asked for, such as certificates or proof of your right to work.
• A pen and notebook, with your questions for the interviewer written down.
• Water, and money or a card for travel in case your plans change.

Asking for reasonable adjustments

If you are disabled, which can include a long-term condition that has a substantial effect on your daily life, the Equality Act 2010 means the employer must make reasonable adjustments so that the process is fair to you. That could be a step-free room, extra time for a test, questions in writing, a sign language interpreter, a break, captions on a video call or the option to be interviewed remotely. Many employers ask every candidate whether they need adjustments, but you can ask even if they do not.

Ask as early as you can and explain briefly what would help. Confirm it in writing so everyone is clear. You only need to share as much about your condition as it takes to arrange the adjustment: before a job offer, an employer is generally not allowed to ask about your health except for limited reasons such as this. If a request is refused, ask what alternatives they can offer, and get advice from Acas or Citizens Advice if you need it.

Calm your nerves with preparation you can start today

Nearly everyone is nervous before an interview, and interviewers expect it. Nerves can take the edge off how you come across, but they rarely decide the outcome. The racing heart you feel is physically very like excitement, so telling yourself you are excited, rather than trying to force yourself to be calm, can genuinely help. Sleep, eat properly and leave plenty of time, so nothing adds to the pressure.

In the room, you are allowed to pause before answering, to ask for a question to be repeated and to say "Could I have a moment to think about that?" If your mind goes blank, say so calmly and come back to it. Remember that the worst outcome is not getting this particular job, and that every interview makes the next one easier.

Today, find out which format your next interview will use. Test your technology if it is online, or plan your route if it is in person. Ask now for any adjustments you need, then practise three of your stories out loud. Our guide to building a story bank shows which stories to prepare, and our guide to the STAR method shows how to shape them.