Well done, you’ve landed yourself an interview for a great pharmaceutical job. You might be well prepared for your interview, but suprisingly your interviewer may not be.

The majority of interviewers are skilled and well trained. Unfortunately, there are interviewers out there that lack training and are simply not interested.

We all know that interviewers are stressful and getting lumbered with a bad interviewer can easily knock you off balance. Therefore, it is important that you are prepared for those interviewers who might not be up to scratch.

Most of us have encountered a ‘bad’ interviewer somewhere along the line, so we asked members of the business networking site, Linkedin, ‘what is the best way to handle a ‘bad’ interviewer’, to help us come up with a list of hints and tips to help candidates do just that.

The Unprepared Interviewer: The interviewer has not looked at the interviewees CV, they answer telephone calls, emails, start conversations etc with colleagues, during the interview.

How to handle an unprepared interviewer:

• Always bring an extra copy of your CV with you and reiterate the major selling points that feature in it.

The Unfocused Interviewer: The interviewer answers telephone calls, emails, start conversations etc with colleagues during the interviewer.

How to handle an unfocused interviewer:

• If the interviewer is answering telephone calls throughout the interview, suggest to reschedule and remain calm and professional.

The Inappropriate Interviewer: An interviewer who asks inappropriate questions regarding political/religious views etc.

How to handle and inappropriate interviewer:

• If they ask questions that are inappropriate then ask them politely how they feel this is relevant to the job.
• Do your best to ignore the illegal question and try to return the focus to your job qualifications. Directly pointing out the illegal question will most likely be the end of a job possibility.
• Explain that you would prefer to concentrate on your professional skills.

The Inexperienced/Nervous Interviewer:

How to handle an inexperienced/nervous interviewer:

• You’re in luck!! they’ll be as on the edge as you are…or maybe more. Be polite and helpful and highlight all the pro’s on your CV! 
• Don’t let the interviewers nervousness transfer onto you.
• Do not make the person feel inadequate.
• Try to lead the conversation without letting the interviewer realise that you are controlling the conversation.
• Steer the discussion towards your strengths.

Some more general tactics which you should bear in mind when faced with a ‘bad’ interviewer include:

• Keep calm and don’t lose your cool.
• Be polite.
• Keep yourself smiling and don’t changeyour expression as u are irritated.
• Answer the questions calmly don’t rush for answers.
•  Ask for clarification if needed.
• Don’t try to second guess what is going on in the interviewer’s mind.
• Stay focused on trying to find out what the job requires, and what is involved in the job description.
• Pretend nothing is wrong.
• Be patient.
• Listen to the interviewer
• Don’t give up!

Found this advice helpful? Please see below for further job hunting resources from CK Clinical:

• 10 Ways to Banish Interview Nerves
• 15 Ways to Stay Motivated During Your Job Search
• 11 Ways to Make a Good First Impression on Your First Day
• 25 Interview Mistakes
• Clinical Research Job Interview Questions
• Competency-based Interview Tips
• Coping with Redundancy
• CV Writing Tips
• Data Management Interview Questions
• Dress to Impress at Your Interview
• How to Handle a Bad Interviewer
• How to Write a Cover Letter
• Interview Preparation
• Interview Tips
• Linkedin Profile Tips
• Online Job Hunting Mistakes
• Questions You Should Ask Your Interviewer
• Regulatory Affairs Interview Questions
• RSS Feeds and Job Hunting
• Social Media Job Hunting Tips
• Telephone Interview Tips
• The Best CV Buzzwords
• Using Recruitment Agencies