Instead of being assessed by the interviewer, why not assess him instead? Is he worthy of conducting the interview?

 Is he competent enough to be given the role of being the one who decides the course of your life by determining your career?

 Let's start by figuring out what the interviewer is thinking. Let's turn his checklist on him:

IS HE PREPARED?

Interviewing is a responsible job. If  the  interviewer doesn't  even  bother to find out the  details of  the  position being offered, or the

background of the applicant, he is not suited to the task. An interviewer has to do his homework as well—he just cannot presume he

can run an easy-flowing meeting without knowing the basic details.

IS HE NERVOUS?

Look for the give-aways: shifting legs, tick in the eye, avoiding eye contact. Realise that probably he's nervous as well. Interviewing is

not an easy task. The  onus of  selection weighs heavy on the interviewer. He  has  been  given the  difficult  task of  finding a  suitable

candidate who fulfills all the criteria,  yet has  moderate salary expectations  and is also a reliable person. All  this to be  found out and

that too in the duration of a couple of meetings.

IS HE HONEST?

Find out if the interview is just a sham, and the MD's sister's son-in-law has already been promised the job. A just interviewer will

play it fair, will follow the rules and will be sincere with you. He/she won't come to the interview with preconceived and fixed ideas.

He/she will be ready to listen to you and give you, and other applicants, a fair hearing.

IS HE NASTY?

Tough questions are part of the interview repertoire, the likes of which have been listed by William A. Cohen in The Executive's Guide

to Finding a Superior Job.

A few examples:

"What are your three greatest strengths, in order?"

"Where do you want to be in five years?"

"What does the word success mean to you?"

"Why should we be interested in hiring you?"

But there are questions he/she ought not to be asking:

"Why did you go in for a divorce?"

"Why are your parents separated?"

KEEP A DISTANCE

There is really no need to get familiar or personal during the interview. Don't,  however, get too  involved or  preoccupied in

your attempt at analyzing/assessing the interviewer. For, you may then forget the real reason for the interview: getting the job .