Tips for Succeeding in Panel Interviews as a Web Developer

I just went through a panel interview recently and landed the job! It's really important to give full attention to the person asking the question. Make sure to maintain eye contact with everyone, and don't treat anyone differently. If you don't know something, be honest about it instead of trying to fake your way through. Highlight times when you adapted and learned for previous employers. This helped me stand out, according to my future boss. Honesty and openness can really make a difference!

I've had a couple of panel interviews, and they were actually pretty enjoyable! Being passionate, polite, and enthusiastic helps a lot. If you appear as someone they'd love to work with, it makes convincing the non-tech HR people much simpler. Technical questions can be intimidating, but they also help you see what skills you could improve. Just remember, if I can succeed in them, so can you!

Honestly, I think panel interviews are kind of outdated. In the past, we did these to gauge a candidate's knowledge, but now, with the internet, competent developers can find answers easily. For me, the main focus in interviews is checking if the candidate fits the role and their eagerness. Can they meet deadlines and handle the work? That's what really matters to me.

Here are some quick tips:
- Prepare as much as you can!
- Expect that you might not get everything right—maybe 50% is realistic.
- If you can, try to ask them questions about the technologies they use. This can help steer the conversation and distract them from grilling you!

Typically, you'll have developers asking you technical questions and the non-tech interviewers focusing on behavioral questions. I recommend looking up the 'STAR' method for interviews and preparing thoughtful responses. You might encounter questions like 'Tell me about a time when...' or 'Describe a situation where...'. Keep the stories meaningful and don’t ramble, showing you’ve thought through your experiences.