7.5 Interviews

Congratulations, your resumé, cover letter, and job search strategy worked! You’ve landed a job interview. You’re excited, and maybe even a little nervous, as you ask yourself, now what? How do I ensure I have the best possible chance of coming out ahead of my competitors?

This section will provide you with a thorough understanding of what you need to know at every stage of the interview process. We will explain the different types of interview formats and provide you with sample questions and answers that will be crucial in increasing your chances of securing your next job. Remember that the interview is a chance for the employer to learn more about you, your skills and experiences, but it is also an opportunity for you to learn more about the company and whether or not this opportunity will be a good match to your current goals and future career aspirations.

Common Interview Types

There are many different types of interviews being used in today’s job market. Understanding the most common interview formats will help you manage your expectations and prepare better.

Structured or formal: This type of interview is very common and is used as a standardized method of comparing multiple candidates. The candidate is invited to attend a face-to-face meeting with the hiring personnel. In this format, an employer develops questions that will help assess the skills and experiences they are seeking to fulfill the requirements of the position. Many employers will have a rubric or scoring system for each question. A score is given based on the appropriateness of the candidates’ answers and then these scores are compared as a method of determining the most suitable candidate.

Unstructured or informal: This type of interview is more casual, and may have some prepared questions, but is typically less structured. The questions may be determined or changed depending on the candidate’s responses or the direction of the conversation. In this method, the candidate can discuss their skills and qualifications more openly, emphasizing more of what they feel is important.

Pre-screening, video, or telephone: To narrow the candidate pool, a telephone or video interview may be used for initial screening purposes. This interview format may also be used to interview candidates who don’t reside in the same area. When taking part in a video or telephone interview, always remember to ensure your technologies are working and are charged in advance. Remove any distractions from the background. Dress and prepare as you would for an in-person interview. Preparation is essential in being successful in the interview process. Your research will show the interview committee your initiative, interest, motivation, and resourcefulness.

Panel: In a panel interview, a group of interviewers, typically two to five people from various positions and roles in the company, will take turns asking questions to one candidate. By having multiple opinions involved in the hiring decision, the employer will have a broader, more objective viewpoint when making a decision on which candidate will be most suitable. During your interview, it is important to engage all the panelists, therefore, as you answer each question, ensure that you are shifting your eye contact to address each one of them.

Group: Often the group interview is used in order for an organization to save on time and resources by screening a larger number of candidates at the same time. The structure of a group interview may look different from employer to employer, but typically includes a series of questions to observe how candidates communicate, interact with people, and react under pressure.

Performance, testing, or presentation: This type of interview can be arranged during a separate time or as part of a face-to-face interview. During this time, an interviewer asks the candidate to perform specified tasks related to the job within a limited timeframe. Employers cannot always make a hiring decision solely based on interview performance, therefore, depending on the job requirements, they may decide to test an individual’s ability as part of the hiring process. For example, for an administrative assistant position, you may be tested on your ability to use Microsoft Excel, for a hairdressing position you may be asked to perform a haircut, or for a teacher you may be asked to give a presentation.

Before the Job Interview

For those of you who are bravely saying to yourself, “I’m just going to wing it!” our advice to you would be to do the opposite. Though it may be exhilarating to take this approach, it will not be the approach that gives you the upper hand in getting the job. Preparation is essential in being successful in the interview process. Your research will show the interview committee your initiative, interest, motivation, and resourcefulness. Before your interview, take a look at the following five suggestions to properly prepare.

Confirm all the details:

• 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 be meeting with 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.

Review the job description and understand the job requirements:

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

Research the position and the company:

• 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, view discussions, and updates from the company.
• Familiarize yourself with the facts: How long have they been in operation? Who are 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.

Review sample questions, prepare answers, and rehearse:

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

Build your confidence and reduce your anxiety:

• Before your interview, practise visualizing yourself performing well, imagine that the interviewers are impressed by your professionalism and your ability to answer the questions with a sense of ease and competency.
• 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, believe in your own awesomeness by repeating to yourself things like, “I’m prepared,” “I’m the best candidate for this job,” and “I can do this.”

Practice Your Interview Skills 

PRACTICE + PRACTICE + PRACTICE = SUCCESS

Build confidence and reduce stress! Rehearsing for an interview allows you to respond to questions with ease and communicate effectively. Why not practice your answers to typical interview questions in video format? If you have access to a webcam you can practice your interview skills using Interview Stream.

Start by watching the tutorial, select questions and conduct a video interview. See and hear what you look and sound like in an interview setting. You can even customize your own video.

During the Job Interview

Just like a good story, you want to have a “hook,” a memorable and compelling piece that will capture the interviewer’s attention and keep them engaged. Your “hook” or in this case, your first impression, should spark the interviewer’s interest within minutes of your initial meeting. Comparatively speaking, if the interviewer(s) are interested in the first couple of paragraphs, they’re going to continue reading. Therefore, in the first couple of minutes, there are many different things you can do to make a confident first impression. Consider these valuable suggestions on body language, verbal communication skills, and interview etiquette:

Be punctual – Arrive for your interview 10-15 mins before your scheduled interview time. It’s important to show that you’re prepared. If you feel that you might be running late, be courteous and contact the interviewer to let them know; this will give them the opportunity to reschedule if it is more convenient.

Give a firm handshake – Introduce yourself with a solid handshake. Remember not to grip too hard or too soft. If your hands perspire when you’re nervous, be sure to keep a tissue on hand to absorb the moisture while you’re waiting to be introduced.

Be friendly, smile, and maintain eye contact – You’re not just concerned about making an impression on your interviewers; ensure that you are friendly to any individual you are in contact with from the moment you walk in the door to the moment you leave. Smiling will create a warm and positive impression, and maintaining eye contact will demonstrate your self-confidence, focus, and respect.

Be aware of your posture – Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor, hands on your lap, and your back against the chair. This open position will convey interest and engagement. Poor posture, such as slouching may come across as too casual, and may imply disinterest or even defensiveness. Avoid closed body language, such as crossing your arms or sitting angled away from your interviewer(s).

Just like a good story, you want to have a “hook” – A memorable and compelling piece that will capture the interviewer’s attention and keep them engaged. Your “hook” or in this case, your first impression, should spark the interviewer’s interest within minutes of your initial meeting. Comparatively speaking, if the interviewer(s) are interested in the first couple of paragraphs, they’re going to continue reading. Therefore, in the first couple of minutes, there are many different things you can do to make a confident first impression.

Professional Image and Attire

Your professional image and visual presentation weigh heavily on an employer’s impression of you. It is important to note that different employers and environments will have differing expectations of formality when it comes to dress codes, for example, a construction company may be much more casual than a law office. As a general rule, focus on dressing one step above what they would wear to work. This may involve researching the company beforehand or asking the person who has called to schedule the interview what the dress code is. Use the tips below to help you to prepare.

Working in Play: Planning for a Career in the Recreation and Leisure Industry in Canada (sections 7.2-7.7) by Linda Whitehead, BA, M Ed, MBA is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.