42 Before the Interview: Plan and Prepare

• • Verify the details of your interview, ensuring that you have recorded the correct date and time.
  • Map out the location and address of the interview in advance to ensure that you will arrive on time.
  • Record the names (with correct punctuation) and the titles of the people you will meet and research them beforehand, when possible.
  • Ask about the amount of time being allocated for the interview.
  • Inquire about whether there will be employment tests and the duration of these tests.

• • Understand the job requirements and be able to demonstrate how your skills and experiences match these requirements.
  • Review the Scope Statements on your resume and prepare additional examples of achievements from previous work, volunteer, or academic studies related to the job requirements.

• • Use the company’s website to learn about and understand their mandate, mission, vision, values, products, services, and market and be able to relate this to why you want to work with them.
  • Use news sources and social media (Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn) to research the recent organizational activity and view discussions and updates from the company.
  • Familiarize yourself with the facts: How long have they been in operation? Who is their clientele? What are their products? Are they a local or international organization?
  • See if you know anyone who works at the company, or ask people in your network if they know about the organization.

• • Plan and practice your answers as well as your delivery in advance. It will increase your confidence, allow you to articulate more clearly, and make you more comfortable overall during the interview process.

• • • Before your interview, practice visualizing yourself performing well, imagine that the interviewers are impressed by your professionalism and ability to answer the questions easily and competently.
    • Sit up straight, put your feet flat on the floor, breathe deeply, and exhale through your mouth to slow your heart rate down, this will allow you to focus more clearly on your answers while reducing your nervousness.
    • Use positive self-talk, and believe in yourself by repeating to yourself things like, “I’m prepared,” “I’m the best candidate for this job,” and “I can do this.”

Use your 30-second elevator speech! (See Chapter 30 Preparing to Network: Networking Tools)

Focus on describing your related education, experience, and personal traits, and emphasize your interest in this position or company.

AVOID being too general, and don’t go into irrelevant personal details.

Example answer:

“As a Conestoga College student working towards my certificate in Medical Office Practices, I have in-depth knowledge of medical terminology and electronic medical records (EMR). In my current/previous position as Crew Member at McDonald’s, I developed skills such as teamwork and multitasking. I pride myself on being compassionate and flexible and look forward to contributing to a health office position using my Office 365 and verbal communication skills.”

This question tests your self-knowledge. The interviewer is looking for you to describe some of your core skills or traits that would make you an excellent candidate for this job.

Clearly and directly identify your strengths as if you were a product that you were trying to sell to the employer.

Focus on identifying three strengths that relate to the job requirements and providing concrete examples from your work, school, or volunteer experiences.

Example answer:

“In all of my past jobs, I’ve always considered myself to have a strong work ethic. For example, I remember a situation that occurred during my Culinary Management field placement when I was working with a chef who had my team on a strict timeline. Unfortunately, there was some confusion, and we did not receive a delivery of vegetables that we needed to prepare for an upcoming event. After calling the supplier, we learned that the shipment would arrive later that evening, after the time at which everything should have been ready to go. Rather than go home, I volunteered to stay late and finish everything, ensuring that we would be prepared well before the event started.”

We all have weaknesses, that is why an interviewer will ask you about yours to see if you have a realistic picture of your own limitations. A thoughtful response shows self-awareness and initiative in overcoming your weaknesses.

In your response, discuss a weakness that does NOT directly affect your ability to do the job you are applying for and then follow up by demonstrating what you are doing or have done to improve upon this weakness.

AVOID overused clichés, such as “I work too hard” or “I am a perfectionist.”

Example answer:

“When delivering presentations to large groups of people or speaking in front of crowds, I sometimes feel nervous, and I have a hard time getting my words out. However, while completing my Diploma Program, I have taken many opportunities to voluntarily present information during my group projects, which involved speaking in front of 30-40 classmates. As a result, I feel more comfortable presenting, however, I know I need to continue to improve my skills further – this is why I have decided to attend a Toastmasters group once a week.”

This question provides you the opportunity to give your sales pitch. Reiterate to the employer what benefits they can expect from you.

This is your opportunity to show your confidence and highlight what differentiates you from other candidates to an employer.

Example answer:

“I believe there are many reasons why you should hire me. For one, I meet the education and experience qualifications you are seeking for an individual to succeed in this role. I understand that there are likely other candidates that meet those criteria too, which is why I want you to know what sets me apart is my passion and commitment to motivating my team members to achieve their goals. For example, in my past work experiences, I have always exhibited a positive attitude and made it a point to lend a helping hand whenever opportunities presented themselves. My relationships with my team members have always been extremely collaborative and, as a result, we were more productive and efficient in completing our daily tasks.”

This question is asked to address what your future goals or career aspirations are and how you intend to achieve them.

Employers want to get a sense of your long-term commitment to their organization.

AVOID speaking about unrelated ideas or ideas that would make the employer question your interest in working for them, such as mentioning your real goal is to start your own business or return to school full-time.

Example answer:

“In the next five years, I would like to become the very best Computer Programmer your company has on staff. I would like to take opportunities to learn and grow so that I can become the expert that others rely on in the future. I aim to learn from this company’s talented team of professionals. In the long-term, I feel like this will prepare me to take on greater responsibilities as those opportunities present themselves.”

The interviewer is asking if you have a realistic expectation of your salary based on your skills and experiences and whether or not your expectation fits within what the company can realistically offer you.

Make sure to conduct your own research and show your flexibility by providing a salary range rather than a concrete number.

You can research this information ahead of your interview using the following resource:

• • Government of Canada Job Bank 

Example Answer:

“In my research, I have seen salaries ranging from $42,000 to $46,000 based on positions requiring my education and experience. However, I am very flexible to discuss the salary that you had in mind for this position.”

This question is often asked to see how you are able to manage conflict and work cohesively as part of a team.

Your ability to demonstrate appropriate problem-solving skills in resolving conflicts, while dealing with different personalities, will give the employer confidence that this is something you will be able to effectively deal with in the future.

AVOID saying that you’ve never had a conflict or using negative language to describe others in the situation. Your answer should not include relying on your manager to solve the problem – employers want to know that you are able to overcome small conflicts and move forward without interrupting the flow of the workplace.

Example answer: (Remember, you must answer using an experience from YOUR life)

Situation: “When I was working as an administrative assistant with a large accounting firm, the firm was experiencing some staffing changes. I was asked to support one of the other managers I had not previously worked with. My previous manager had been very diligent in providing me with feedback on my work so I knew what was expected of me. The new manager provided less feedback, which I found challenging. This caused a few disagreements as a result of not understanding what the other person wanted.”

Task: “I knew that I needed to clarify the manager’s expectations of me and identify how I could support him better.”

Action: “I suggested that we meet so that we could have more of a conversation about this. In the meeting, I acknowledged the disagreements and asked for specific feedback on what was and was not working. Being able to have an honest discussion regarding work styles and expectations led to a much better understanding of how we could work together more effectively. Listening and understanding each other’s point of view was helpful in coming up with a solution.”

Result: “After we had this conversation, we successfully worked together for several years. Since that experience, whenever I start a new job, I always take the opportunity at the beginning to discuss expectations.”

Interviewers want to see how you are able to appropriately manage conflict and use sound judgment to find a solution and maintain professionalism when faced with difficult situations.

AVOID saying that you’ve never had this happen, but rather, relate it to a situation in which you exercised conflict resolution. Show how you took the initiative to implement a solution without having to escalate it to your manager.

Example answer:

Situation: “When I was working as a sales associate at Walmart, a customer came in looking for a specific product that was currently on promotion. Due to the fact that it was a busy time of year, we did not have any of that product left in the store. The client appeared agitated and verbalized her frustrations towards me and several other employees.”

Task: “I knew that I had to calm the customer down and find out what I could do to help.”

Action: “I took the customer aside, listened to her concerns, validated her frustrations, and apologized for the inconvenience. Through our conversation, the customer disclosed that finding transportation was very challenging for her and she was upset because she knew she wouldn’t be able to get to another store to purchase this product. I then presented a solution by calling other stores to locate the product and offered to have the product delivered straight to her house the following day.”

Result: “As a result, the customer felt understood and made sure to tell me how much she
appreciated my efforts, despite her initial concerns. Later that day, my manager pulled me aside to recognize my excellent interpersonal skills and my ability to handle a difficult situation with such professionalism.”