How Long Should an Interview Last?

Preparing for job interviews is an unsettling and stressful task. Candidates must pick what to wear, anticipate and practice job interview questions they are likely to encounter and do some background research to learn more about the prospective employer.

And if you are like many job seekers who have a significant number of other responsibilities, it can be very difficult trying to determine where in your busy schedule you will find time for the upcoming job interview.

Should you fit it in on your lunch break? After dropping the kids off at school? For most, how they calendar will come down to how long the job interview will last.

How Long Should an Interview Last 

While interview length largely depends on format, hiring manager, and interview stage, the average interview length is around 45 minutes to an hour.  So, when you are planning for a job interview, make sure you set aside at least an hour.

But if you really are concerned about how much time you need to plan for, do not be afraid to ask the employer how long he or she expects the interview will last.

Factors that Impact How Long an Interview Lasts

While the average job interview length is around 45 minutes to an hour, there are several factors that can shrink or lengthen that time estimate.

Job screening interviews: Screening interviews are a brief job interview, normally conducted over the phone, that allows an employer to determine if a candidate possesses the minimum qualifications for a particular position. Screening interviews are more common when the interview process includes several rounds of interviews and typically lasts 15 to 30 minutes.

You can go here for some great interview tips for screening interviews.

Late-round job interviews: If a particular position requires you to undergo several rounds of interviews, you should plan for longer interviews the further you make it in the process. You should also expect the questions you face to become more targeted towards the skills particular to that position.

You can go here for some great interview preparation tips for late-round interviews.

Multi-person job interviews: Not all interviews are one-on-one. There are times you will interview alone in front of a panel, and other times you will interview alongside multiple candidates. As you increase the number of candidates and interviewers in a single interview, the longer the job interview will take.  

You can go here for some great interview tips for panel interviews.

Remote job interviews: Remote interviews by way of zoom or phone are not necessarily shorter than in-person interviews unless they are meant to serve as screening interviews.  But these remote formats do help cut down the interview time because of the time you save not having to travel to and from a physical location.

You can go here for zoom interview tips and phone interview tips.

Are you looking for job interview tips? Or maybe still trying to find a job?  Visit CyberCoders.com for job insights and job opportunities.