Interview Overview
Interview Overview
An interview is a conversation between 2 or more people to collect and assess information. The purpose of a job interview also includes deciding which applicant is the best fit for the job, organization, and team based on your response to their questions.
Employers ask interview questions to confirm 3 things:
- If you have the abilities and skills to do the job;
- If you will fit well with the team and the organization; and
- If you have enthusiasm and a good work ethic
Interviews can be structured or unstructured, informal or formal, and held in person, by phone, or virtually.
While sometimes one round of interviews can suffice, many employers engage in multiple rounds of interviews before deciding whether to extend a job offer to a candidate. For example, candidates may be asked to take part in a telephone interview with Human Resources, and if they screen in, they may be invited to interview with a direct manager.
The following 9-minute video from Indeed will help you understand what to expect from an interview, along with some top tips for interviewing:
Structure and Format
While some employers take an unstructured, informal approach to interviews, most employers use more structured, formal methods: doing so allows them to accomplish multiple goals, including ensuring that all questions they ask relate directly to the job at hand and that each candidate is evaluated in the same way.
The structure of an interview will vary somewhat based on the type of interview, which we’ll review soon, but most high-level interviews will proceed through the following steps:
Before the interview
- Research and prepare: This includes researching the company, reviewing the job posting, and preparing your responses to common interview questions.
- Check out the York U Career Centre resources to help prepare for an interview
At the interview
- Greetings and introductions. The interview may give a brief summary of the position and of the planned selection process.
- Interviewer asks the candidate a series of questions and the candidates gives responses
- Candidate asks 1-3 prepared questions and the interviewer gives responses
- Thanks, indication of next steps, and conclusion of interview.
After the interview
- Employer and candidate each conduct their post-interview activities.
- Check out the York U Career Centre resources for steps to take after an interview
Not all interviews are the same. Interviews can vary not only by their delivery format but also by their structure and the types of questions asked. Knowing what type of interview to expect will help you determine how to best prepare. Let’s look at the various types of job interviews. No matter which format is used, treat each interview like you would a formal, face-to-face business meeting: be well-prepared, dress appropriately, and conduct yourself with professionalism.
Types of Questions
The questions asked by the employer during an interview can be of different types. Your interview may be composed of one type of interview question but, more often, interviewers will use a variety of question types in order to gather the information they need from candidates. Let’s look at some of the more common types of interview questions you’re likely to deal with.
