I'm sitting in the waiting room, and instead of my name, they call out, "Applicant number 3, please come in." When I go in, there are five applicants sitting side by side in front of the interviewers. I heard even the international students were startled at first. The rule is just one sentence. Korean companies interview several people at once. ## Why do they interview everyone at once? Large companies' open recruitment drives draw a flood of applicants all at once. If interviewers met each candidate at length one by one, it would take them several weeks. There's one more reason they call candidates by number. It means they'll cover up names and schools so they can evaluate everyone fairly. ## When the Rules Don't Apply Interviews at small companies or for experienced hires are often one-on-one. Even at big companies, the final executive interview is sometimes conducted by just one or two people. On the other hand, some companies have candidates hold a discussion or give a presentation. In these cases, they look at how well you listen to others rather than how well you speak. ## Tips You Can Use Right Away In a group interview, you can hear everyone else's answers too. Repeating the same thing is noticeable, so listen to the person before you and add one experience of your own. Nodding along while you listen when it's not your turn also earns you points. The format differs from company to company. The interview notification text or email says whether it's an "individual interview" or a "group interview," so be sure to check.