The transition from specialist trainee to consultant is an important one. Many newly appointed consultants feel inadequately prepared to deal with new management roles such as sitting on an interview panel.^1,2 Conducting an interview can be as challenging as attending one. One has to exercise keen judgement to separate the cream out of the multitude of applicants. Courses to hone individuals’ techniques for conducting interviews are run by most trusts. However, experience from courses is nowhere as close to the real-life experience of conducting interviews. I recently had the opportunity of being part of an esteemed panel of interviewers. …