Interview Preparation

Agenda
• Who we Are
• Preparing for Interviews
• Improving Communication Skills
• Body Language
• Advice on Nerves
• Virtual Interviews
• Sample Interview Questions
• Interview Tips
• Questions & Conclusion
 ABOUT US
If you don’t like something, change it. If you
can’t change it, change your attitude.
-Maya Angelou
 PREPARING FOR AN
INTERVIEW
I want to look back on my career and be proud of
the work and be proud that I tried everything.
-Jon Stewart
Preparing for an Interview
• Get to know the employer

• Be able to answer these questions:

What does this organization do?
What are they all about?
What makes them different than their competition?

• Utilize the ‘About Us’ section on their website

• Important to find out how the employer sees themselves
Preparing for an Interview

• Study the job posting or job description (make sure you

save it when you apply)
• Go through the posting and picture yourself doing the job
• Ask yourself these questions:
What would be the challenges?
What would you bring to the role?
What is the need? How can you support closing the gap
Preparing for an Interview
• Review the skills and qualifications – think about
experiences that match them
• It does not have to be direct matches, but think of
transferrable experiences
• Try and have sound examples that show, not tell how you
excel at it

REMEMBER: the job posting is a Wishlist

Preparing for an Interview
• Rehearse and practice interview questions
• Think of questions that you might be asked and create
answers
• Think of what questions you want to ask the employer
• First, write out the answers (this helps with retention)
• Then practice by recording yourself
• From there, practice with a friend, or family member
Remember: Answer these 3 Questions…
1. Can you do the job?
2. Will you do the job?
3. Will you fit in?
 COMMUNICATION

Find out what you like doing and get someone to

pay you for doing it.
-Katherine Whitehorn
Improving Communication Skills
• Talk slowly
• Listen
• Eye contact and expression
• Speak with confidence
• Choose your words
• Don’t talk too much
• Consider questions and answer carefully
Body Language

• It starts in the waiting room (or virtual waiting room)

• Professional image and attire (know your audience)
• Be aware of your posture
• Avoid fidgeting
• Nod your head as you’re listening
• Mirror image of the interviewer
Advice on Nerves
• Interviews put a lot of pressure on people – it is normal to be
nervous
• It is important to change your mindset to ensure you
communicate effectively
• Remember:
• The employer thinks your qualified
• The hiring manager wants to hire you
• The recruitment process is a two-way street
• And they have never seen a perfect candidate
 VIRTUAL
INTERVIEWS
Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.
-Chris Grosser
Virtual Interviews

• In-person and virtual interviews have the same

purpose, which is to assess a candidates fit for a
position

• There are some key things to be aware of to ensure

success in the interview
Virtual Interviews

• Test your technology and internet connection

• Have professional usernames for your accounts
• Attire still matters
• Beware of your background
• Limit distractions
• Test lightening, audio and acoustics
 TYPES OF INTERVIEW
QUESTIONS

I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.

-Estee Lauder
Open Ended Questions
• Cannot answer with a simple “yes” or “no”
• Behavioural and Situational questions are open ended
• Focus on the job description (think of the skills,
requirements and/or experiences)
• Open ended questions also help the interviewer get a
sense of your personality and to see if you fit into the
company culture
Behavioural Questions
• Based on the principle that the best predictor of future
behaviour is past behaviour
• The most common type of interview question
• Interviewer asks the candidate how they responded in a past
situation to assess qualities such as leadership, communication,
conflict management, failure or teamwork
Situational Questions

• Focus on situations likely to arise on the job

• Candidates are asked what they would do
• These questions entail assessing a circumstance
and responding with how you’d handle it in a
solution-based way
• Require problem-solving skills to think through and
respond effectively
How to Respond– STAR Technique

• What was the problem? Identify the Situation and the Task
• What did you do? Discuss the Action you took
• What happened? Conclude with the Result of your action
 HOW TO ANSWER
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.

-Estee Lauder
Sample Interview Question

“Tell me about yourself”

How to Answer
Present: Talk about your current role, the scope and showcase
an accomplishment (I created X and it resulted in Y)

Past: Tell the interview panel how you got to your current role
and mention experience that is relevant to the role you’re
interviewing for

Future: Discuss your goals and how they fit into this role –
basically why you’re interested in this role
How to Answer
Need more help? Think about…
Academics
Co-ops
Relevant work experience
Transferrable work experience
Volunteer and leadership experience
Sample Interview Question

“What are your strengths?”

How to Answer
1. One of my strengths are [insert the strength here – remember to
ensure it matches the job posting. This is why it is important to do your
“homework”].
2. Now give them an example of when you performed that skill well
• What was the problem
• 2-3 ways you solved it
• Discuss the outcome
3. This is what you can expect from me
• Tell them how you will do this on the job
Sample Interview Question

“What is your weakness?”

“Tell me about a time you

made a bad decision?”
How to Answer
1. The interviewer is less interested in the outcome than in:
• The process you went through
• The reasoning behind your actions
• The learning that came from the experience
2. Prepare for this questions by reflecting on negative experiences in
which you
• Achieved a positive outcome by using your knowledge, skills and
experience
• Turned the situation around so that something positive came
from it
• Drew on strengths to balance a weakness
How to Answer
Need more help?
• You were able to pull something positive of the situation
• You learned from the decisions and identified how you
would handle it differently in the future
• You achieved an outcome where the decision had only a
minor impact – you learned from the experience
Sample Interview Question

“Tell me about a time when you gave

exceptional customer service?”
How to Answer
Situation
I work as a Customer Service Associate at the Bay Goods & Apparel. Last week I answered a call
from Mrs. A., who had some very specific questions. When I suggested that I can transfer her to our
furniture department she sounded annoyed. She said that her phone call had been transferred several
times already.
Task
I offered to gather the information for her and to call her back later that afternoon.
Action
I talked with my supervisor, explained the situation and said what I planned to do. Then I made a
couple of calls to get the information I needed. I had to go to mandatory safety training, but I returned
afterward to follow through, even though my shift technically ended.
Result
When I returned the phone call to Mrs. A., she was very appreciative. She said that the Bay Goods &
Apparel had been more responsive than the other stores she had called. She then made a substantial
purchase for the new rental units she owns.
Final Tips
1. Eat breakfast.
2. Try on your full interview outfit the day before, down to all
the details, including shoes. You don’t need to discover the
morning of your interview that your suit pants no longer fit
or that the shoes don’t look right with the outfit.
3. Allow yourself way more time than you need to get there.
Spend the extra time in your car or a coffee shop reviewing
your notes.
Thank You

Any Questions?