You’ve been invited back for an interview, congratulations! However, instead of a one-on-one interview like you expected, you will be interviewed by a panel. While the thought of being asked rapid-fire questions by a group of hiring managers can be nerve wracking, there are actually some upsides; you’ll be meeting multiple people you may end up working with and the interview process may move faster.

To help make the most of this type of interview, here are 4 tips to help you prepare:

Understand how the panel interview might relate to the role

Based on the job description and requirements of the role, there may be a reason why the hiring manager has chosen this format for an interview. For example, panel interviews may be conducted as an alternative to individual interviews because the hiring manager wants to see how you interact with others—especially when you are interviewing for a role where you will be working as part of a team.

Research who will be on the panel

Knowing who will be on your interview panel and their role within the company is important, so ask the person who contacted you for the interview about the panelists themselves. This way, you can understand which skills and experiences to highlight based on the people in the room.

For example, during your interview, you’ll be asked questions by different members of the team; therefore, doing research on the panel beforehand may help you tailor your responses to each person’s role within the company. Learning more about the panelists can also help you anticipate the types of questions you’ll be asked so you can prepare your responses accordingly. Though you won’t know for sure what questions you will be asked, rehearsing or conducting a mock interview with a friend or family member can help you feel more confident and prepared.

Engage the entire panel

It’s important to address all of the interviewers when answering questions. While it can be difficult to remember that other people are in the room when answering a question asked by one person, try and answer the questions in a way that includes everyone on the panel.

To do this:

• Introduce yourself to everyone;
• Make eye contact with everyone when answering questions;
• Try making connections between each panelist’s questions by referring back to previous inquiries and responses. Doing this shows that you have the big picture in mind and are able to draw parallels between each carefully crafted question.

Send personalized thank you notes

Once you’ve left the interview, your interviewers will meet to discuss your meeting. No matter how you feel your interview went, it’s important to send a personalized thank you note to each panelist.

Just remember, your interviewers most likely all work in the same office and will be discussing your considerate follow up note when they convene to make their decision. Since sending all the interviewers the same thank you note can look insincere and lazy, address each person individually and briefly mention a topic you discussed during the interview. End your note by thanking them for their time and reiterating your interest in the role.