As a junior, the pressure to get a summer internship can be a nagging feeling. LinkedIn can be daunting, and the endless list of positions available can be overwhelming. Each time I apply, I get butterflies in my stomach, wondering if I will hear back. Recently, I was asked to participate in a group interview session with Estée Lauder, for my first-round interview with this company. At this time I had never done a group interview, especially with the world moving towards “self-recording” platforms and AI-generated interviewers, a true interview setting is harder to come by. I thoroughly read through the interview guide packet and prepared to answer three questions in front of the other applicants on the call and the group collaboration session at the end. Being interviewed is all about being asked questions about yourself, so if you haven’t participated in a group interview before, you may be wondering how the process works, especially with others being present during your time to show the company who you are.
After my own group interview call, I reflected and jotted down what I liked about the format and what I didn’t, and also sharing my experience so if you haven’t participated in this process before, you know what to expect!
my group interview pros
The thing I liked most about this process is that I could meet other applicants and learn about their backgrounds through a short introduction. All of us are from different parts of the U.S. and we all attend different universities. It was interesting to hear the other applicant’s answers to the recruiter’s questions, and how we were all able to bounce off one another’s stories and opinions. It gave me a feeling of comfort, knowing that my peers on the call could be the coworkers I intern with this summer, and possibly introducing me to some recognizable faces I will see in the office. To wrap up our interview we completed a group exercise, which ended up being my favorite part, allowing me to connect with the other applications and get to know them better. Overall a group interview is all about working together. This experience definitely allowed me to work on my collaboration skills, which is an area I can lack in. Our group interview process gave me insight into what the work environment would be like for this company and the colleague relationships I can develop there.
My Group Interview cons
Throughout my first group interview, I noticed there were some aspects that I did not particularly enjoy. I felt like it was hard to connect with the recruiter since we were all meeting her for the first time at the same time. We also only had about one minute to answer each of the three questions, which was specific to my personal group interview, but I felt added some stress to the experience as a whole. I think there was also a slight fear of judgment and a sense of competition since we all were applying for the same position. Compared to a one on one interview, the energy is different, there is definitely less pressure when you don’t have to worry about the other applicants being in the call or room with you.
My Takeaways
Overall, a group interview has its pros and cons, just like anything else. I do not think I would prefer to do a group interview over a one on one, but I would never turn down an interview if it was a group interview. My dad has always said, “Any interview is a good interview experience,” regardless of the final outcome.