CPC INTERVIEW GUIDE

1. Introduction

2. Preparing for the Interview

3. Dressing for Success

! T"pes of Interviews a. #st Round $ Screening b. %nd Round $ Se&ection c. Te&ephone Interviews d. 'ehavioura&('ased Interviews )''I* e. Case Interviews
5. +uestions "ou ,ight as- at an interview

6. .o&&ow(Up Tips

7. Sa,p&e +uestions a. Co,,on Interview +uestions b. 'ehavioura&('ased Interview +uestions c. Case Interview +uestions

8. Resources

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#! Introduction
One of the most important things to remember about any job interview is that its main objective is to a ow for an e!change of information between both parties "app icant and company#$ so that a determination can be made as to how we the app icant fits the position% company and%or vice&versa. 's the app icant$ you want to impress upon the emp oyer how your bac(ground "i.e.$ education$ previous emp oyment%vo unteer positions$ e!tra&curricu ar and hobbies# matches the re)uirements of the position they are recruiting for. *our r+sum+ wi have given them some indication of how we you match$ but during the interview you are e!pected to e!pand on this and be ab e to demonstrate strong communication s(i s. *our communication s(i s "ora $ written and non&verba # wi be eva uated c ose y and are e!pected to be we practiced. Other s(i s critica to the position%company wi a so be eva uated$ so ma(e sure you have done research on the position and the needs of the organi,ation. -n the remaining sections of this guide you wi find information to he p you prepare for the interview$ dress for success$ fami iari,e yourse f with various interview formats$ prepare yourse f to as( )uestions at the interview and to conduct proper fo ow&ups. .he fina two sections consist of samp e )uestions and a resource isting.

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%! Preparing for the Interview

Do/ try to get a
pertinent data during phone ca 0ames and tit es of those interviewing you and their re ationship to the position you are app ying for 1ocation$ time$ type and duration of interview 2hone number and name of person to contact if a prob em arises and you must reschedu e or be ate for the interview

Do/ your research on the position$ company and industry

3eview a company%position data4 become fami iar with the industry and the company5s major competitors 6eep copies of the job postings%descriptions you have app ied to for reference%preparation

Do/ (now the cu ture of the company

7ay not be obvious over the phone$ but a ways a good idea to start forma and then acc imati,e yourse f to the cu ture 8eware of 9:asua ;riday< syndrome = where you interview in fu business attire but the company representatives are dressed down due to specia circumstances 6nowing an insider can rea y he p here4 but as a minimum$ try to read company iterature and%or chec( with the :2:

Do/ pac( proper y

0o bac(pac(s or bu (y purses = your image shou d be that of a professiona and not a student *our briefcase or portfo io shou d inc ude/ o 2aper "spira pad# and pen%penci o :opy of job description$ r+sum+$ cover etter$ ist of references o 'ddress$ directions$ te ephone number and name of contact o 0ame of person%peop e you wi be meeting o 8usiness cards o :hange for par(ing meter$ breath mints$ tissues o >hoes in a bag "weather dependent# ow business eti)uette *our handsha(e shou d be firm$ with two or three 9pumps< and no anci ary movements "e.g.$ shou der%arm grasping$ two hand cupping# -n the initia meeting$ et the interviewer offer their hand first4 after the interview$ offer your hand first to show you are than(fu that they too( the time to meet with you 1et the interviewer 9 ead< you to your seat = remember$ you are their guest 0o s ouching in chair4 sit with the base of your bac( touching the bac( of the chair .urn off any pagers%ce phones4 never be the cause for interruption during the interview 8ehave professiona y with everyone you encounter = unti you are offered the position$ every time you meet someone from the company you are essentia y being interviewed

Do/ fo

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's( for business cards so that you have the proper spe ing and tit e of each person who has interviewed you

Do/ remember that communication is (ey

>pea( to e!press and not to impress = using ingo%termino ogy that you are not tota y sure of can come bac( to hurt you ater 'void using s ang = be professiona 7onitor and adjust your intonation%vo ume%pitch 0on&verba communication may be eva uated as critica y as what you say = so remember to (eep a positive attitude 6eep good eye contact$ but don5t stare 8e mindfu of hand movements4 it5s o(ay for effect$ but don5t come across as someone trying to conduct a symphony y ' ways be as cooperative with the interviewer5s schedu e as possib e 6now yourse f = try to schedu e when your energy eve is norma y high "are you a morning person$ or is afternoon better for you?# @orst timings are considered to be A/BB a.m. "you are i(e y to be the first interview and there wi be no benchmar(#$ 1/BB p.m. "time when peop e i(e to catch up on their schedu e#$ C/3B%5/BB p.m. " ate in the day$ the interviewer may be fatigued or oo(ing forward to wrapping up their day# -dea timing is mid&morning or mid&afternoon

Do/ try to schedu e strategica

Do/ arrive 15 minutes ear y

'nnounce yourse f to receptionist -f you are unfami iar with the area$ perform a dry run the day"s# before "you can use 7apDuest for directions#$ noting how ong it too( you to get there$ whether security measures need to be considered$ and time the bui ding is open = Eet a good night5s s eep before the interview

Do/ bring a

ist of referees and (eep in touch with your referees -n case they have changed jobs .o remind them of your performance .o (eep them updated on your career .o gage whether they remain a good referee

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1! Dressing for Success

Do/ dress appropriate y
:hec( the 9:areer< section of the company5s website to see if they show pictures of staff and ta(e note of how they are dressed4 this section may even suggest a guide ine for dressing .ry using your networ( to ocate an insider and as( their advice @hen a e se fai s$ you can ca and as( F3 direct y -t5s a ways easier for someone to picture you dressed down then dressed up$ so a ways dress as professiona y as possib e

Do/ wear appropriate business attire

;or ma es/ o 8 ue and gray suits are fine and shou d be a comp ete suit "i.e.$ pants match the jac(et#4 b ac( is too forma o >o id co ours are preferred$ but thin pinstripe is fine o >hirts shou d be pressed and be of a ight co our$ preferab e b ue4 never have f ora $ strong y striped or dar( shirts o *our tie shou d comp iment your suit and not draw attention o >tic( with b ac($ we po ished shoes o *our be t shou d match the co our of your shoes o >oc(s shou d match the co our of your suit or can be s ight y dar(er4 never wear white soc(s o :hec($ and rechec( your interview 9outfit< "i.e.$ c othing and briefcase items# the night before4 ma(e sure its sti fits appropriate y and is c ean o 8e we groomed "c ean hair$ we shaved$ c ean finger nai s$ etc# and imit the co ogne ;or fema es/ o 8 ue$ b ac($ gray or beige suits are fine and shou d be a comp ete suit "i.e.$ s(irt%pants match the jac(et# o 8 ouses shou d be pressed and be of a ight co our$ preferab e white$ off&white or b ue4 subt e patterns are fine o >hoes shou d be a basic pump with a ow hee 4 can be b ac($ dar( b ue$ or brown o >hoes can be brought in a separate shoe&bag "i.e.$ not in a p astic grocery bag# when weather is either rainy or snowy o Fair shou d be c ean$ we groomed$ and sty ed in a c assic manner o :onservative y app ied ma(eup and itt e or no perfume shou d be worn

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a! T"pes of Interviews3 #st Round $ Screening

;irst round interviews are typica y c assified as 9screening< interviews$ as the company wi be oo(ing to screen out potentia candidates. Often a company wi interview 5G candidates with the hopes of being ab e to reduce this number to one or two. .hese interviews are usua y between 2B to 3B minutes ong and wi be conducted by a member of the company5s Fuman 3esource "F3# Hepartment4 in the case of sma er companies$ someone who wor(s in a different department may fi this ro e. .he types of )uestions as(ed fa into one of four categories/ Data4fact finding/ these are )uestions that are usua y based on the content of the candidates resume. ;or e!amp e/ I see that you are pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce, specializing in Accounting. Tell me why? Technica& "e.g. financia $ case$ tas(&based#/ these )uestions wi he p the interviewer measure how we you are ab e to address the more technica aspects of the potentia position. ;or e!amp e/ What o you feel are the reasons why the Cana ian ollar is !eha"ing the way it is? or #$plain to me how a networ% ser"er operates an what issues shoul a company consi er when loo%ing to ac&uire a new one? 5"pothetica&/ these )uestions as( a candidate to imagine themse ves in a situation and re)uire you to convey how you fee you wou d e!hibit a specific s(i "s#. ;or e!amp e/ 'ow o you feel you woul act when challenge !y a customer whom you %now is wrong? 'ehavioura&(6ased 7uestion/ these )uestions as( a candidate to share with the interviewer an e!amp e from when they were in a situation re)uiring them to e!hibit a specific s(i "s#. ;or e!amp e/ Tell me a!out a time when you ha to eal with a ifficult customer? What happene ? 'ow i the situation turn out?

>ome common )uestions you may find yourse f facing in a first&round interview inc ude/ Tell me a!out yourself? 'ow o(woul your frien s escri!e you? Why o you want to wor% here? Why shoul I hire you? What o you %now a!out our company? )osition? *o you ha"e the s%ills to wor% in this position(company? What is your greatest strength? Wea%ness? Why i you choose to stu y +++? *escri!e your lea ership(communication(coor inating(etc style? Where o you see yourself in +++ years? Tell me a!out a time(,i"e an e$ample of +++? What are your salary e$pectations for this position? *o you ha"e any &uestions? A!out the company? )osition? )rocess? 7ore samp e )uestions can be found in the section 98! Sa,p&e +uestions<.

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6! T"pes of Interviews3 %nd Round $ Se&ection

>econd&round interviews are typica y c assified as 9se ection< interviews$ as the company wi be oo(ing to se ect the best candidate from a group of two or more. -nterviewing for se ection purposes can ta(e p ace over mu tip e rounds with some companies re)uiring the successfu candidate to go through five or more rounds of interviewing. .he )uestions as(ed are a so genera y categori,ed into the same four categories as first&round interviews & data%fact finding$ technica $ hypothetica and%or behavioura &based )uestion = but the timing of the interview is typica y onger and can be spread out of mu tip e days. 'nother difference between first and second&round interviews is that the environment in which they are conducted may not be the same4 that is$ where first&round interviews are usua y he d between one candidate and one company representative "usua y$ but not a ways someone from F3#$ second& round interviews may invo ve mu tip e candidates and mu tip e company representatives. 8e ow are descriptions of common second&round interview settings/ Pane& Interviews ( 9ead Interview St"&e3
HR

Manager(s)

You Peer

.wo or more interviewers with a 7anager i(e y having most decision power "they wi be responsib e for managing the successfu hire# One ead interviewer$ others observing but might as( a few )uestions -nc ude everyone in your response "i.e.$ ma(e eye contact with a # >tart answer with person who posed )uestion$ scan others during response and comp ete answer with origina interviewer

Pane& Interviews ( Dri&& Down Interview st"&e

HR

Manager(s)

One person eads off with a genera )uestion and the rest add )uestions that 9dri &down< on the topic -nc ude everyone in your response$ and do not be afraid to reiterate%e!pand on previous answers

Peer

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Pane& Interviews ( Independent +uestions st"&e

HR

Manager(s) You Peer

Iach interviewer as(s )uestions pertaining to their domain%responsibi ity .ry not to become competitive with the 92eer<4 you are not trying to ta(e away their job$ but to potentia y wor( with them

Pane& Interviews ( Good Cop/ 'ad Cop st"&e

Interviewer

You Interviewer

' test to see how you can respond to a bad situation "more common for consu ting and sa es positions# *ou have to find a professiona and engaging way to be comfortab e with both interviewers 0eed to find ba ance between the two interviewers

Seria& Interviews

HR You

Manager(s)

Peer

7ore time consuming then pane as you wi spend time separate y with one or more interviewers 2otentia prob em of 9finding< an answer as you go a ong4 that is$ you may find a )uestion repeated that you previous y were unab e to answer. -f the answer has on y now come to mind$ share it$ but et the interviewer (now that you were previous y as(ed and the answer has on y occurred to you now. *our answer"s# can grow and change but shou d fo ow the same genera theme%scope. 7ight be a dri down approach where interviewers as( each other to probe you on one of your answers given. 't the end$ interviewers wi compare notes.

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Group Interviews

HR

Other

Manager(s)

You

Peer

@orst situation to be in as you have to be aware of the interviewers and the other person 'c(now edge the other person5s presence%answers 0ever judge the other person or their answers -f the other candidate5s answer is dead on$ say so 9tota y agree<Jthen dri down -f as(ed to give an opinion on the other person5s answer$ don5t compete%judgeJuse in(ing phrases and give your own answer

Diagnostic4S-i&& Tests
You

.his type of interview cha enges you to comp ete a tas(%test .as(%test may or may not be direct y re ated to the duties of the position app ied to 7ay a so inc ude psycho ogica or psychometric testing

Case Interview

You

.he case is usua y hypothetica or set in the past Ind resu ts usua y ess important then the process ta(en in answering case -dentify prob ems$ state assumptions$ show ogica reasoning :an be a group e!ercise "you wi be watched to see what ro e you gravitate to# Faving a fo ow&up p an or p an of action for imp ementation can set you apart

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Co,pan" or Depart,ent Tours ' ways an interview & (eep up same interview princip es throughout Hon5t comment negative y to anyone about the interview process whi e on site ' ways show you are a team p ayer and that you are e!cited to earn more about the ins&and&outs of the company5s operations

Socia& Situations 6eep your guard up & you are sti being interviewed 'void ordering any food that needs to be consumed with your hands on y or is difficu t to eat "e.g.$ spaghetti$ ribs$ oysters$ etc.# ;ood se ection = pic( items that fa within the average price range of the menu 'void ordering a coho %wine$ but can fo ow suit if interviewer does so >ince you are their invited guest$ et the interviewer pic( up the bi

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c! T"pes of Interviews3 Te&ephone Interviews

7any companies use the te ephone as a means to conduct job interviews. .his cou d be because app icants ive in an area some distance from the company5s ocation or because of the high vo ume of interviews to conduct. .his cou d a so be because the position wi entai the successfu app icant to spend some time on the phone during the course of successfu y fu fi ing the duties of the position. 3egard ess of why a company conducts a te ephone interview$ a few tips for app icants inc ude/ Reschedu&e if need 6e and schedu&e for when "ou can 6e without distractions/ one of the dangers of isting your ce phone number on your r+sum+ is receiving a ca from an emp oyer wanting to conduct a te ephone interview with you whi e you are having coffee with friends "or some other situation#. -f you are in a situation where distractions may stop you from giving the interviewer 1BBK of your attention$ as( to reschedu e to a more convenient time "you of course can e!p ain that you are unab e to interview due to these e!treme circumstances#. *ou shou d be f e!ib e and a ow the interviewer to recommend a date%time. Idea& setting/ wou d be a p ace where you can sit in a c osed room$ at a des( with the fo owing items = your r+sum+$ cover etter$ job posting and company information. ' te evisions and radios shou d be muted%turned off. Huring the interview$ do shou d not eat or chew gum$ but you may want a g ass%bott e of water handy in case you need it. 'void using ce phones and%or spea(erphones and do not answer other ca s that may come into the ine. 'e in interview ,ode/ dress for successL @ear interview or business casua c othing. ' though you may be in the comfort of your own home$ you may find it hard to ta(e yourse f serious whi e wearing your favorite bunny&head s ippers. Don=t get caught reading an answer/ a though a te ephone interview a ows you to have supp ementa materia at hand "e.g.$ website of the company up on your screen$ ist of possib e answer to potentia )uestions$ etc.#$ don5t get caught sounding i(e your answers have been prepared beforehand. No 6od" &anguage/ so voice4tone ver" i,portant/ a though the interviewer wi not be ab e to see your non&verba communication$ they may sti be ab e to sense it. >mi e whi e answering and do not forget to monitor and vary your vo ume%tone. .o&&ow(up/ ma(e sure to as( what the ne!t steps are in the interview process and try to schedu e a face&to&face meeting.

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d! T"pes of Interviews3 'ehavioura&('ased Interviews )''I*

8ehavioura &based interviews "88-# are typica y conducted in the second&round process and wi have a predominance of behavioura &based )uestions. 88- are conducted in order to ana y,e a candidate5s potentia abi ities by e!amining s(i s that have been used in past performance and uncover patterns of their accomp ishments. -f past performance of a candidate is the best predictor of their future behaviour$ then 88- wi provide companies with an effective way to measure competencies. >ome tips on behavioura &based interviews and )uestions inc ude the fo owing/ .ypica ead&ins to behavioura &based )uestions inc ude/ Tell me a!out a time-$ *escri!e for me-$ or ,i"e me an e$ample- Iach )uestion wi usua y target one specific behaviour%competency important to the position%company. -t is vita that the candidate recogni,es this and ensures that their answer demonstrates e!perience with this behaviour%competency and not a different one. .he best answers high ight specific e!amp es from the candidates past and tie&in to the behaviour%competency. ' common approach to answering behavioura &based )uestions -/ o P "prob em#/ this is where the candidate wi describe the situation%conte!t that they wi be using to answer the )uestion o > "action#/ this is where the candidate spea(s about their ro e and the steps they too($ emphasi,ing their e!perience with the behaviour%competency being as(ed about o R "resu ts#/ fina y$ the candidate needs to conc ude their answer by describing the outcome%conse)uences of their action as we as sharing what they earned from the e!perience and perhaps what they wou d not do faced with a simi ar prob em o 'n e!amp e/ Tell me a!out a time when you initiate a pro.ect or i ea that sa"e your company money? 'n answer to this )uestion might inc ude/ P While I was wor%ing at Company /, I notice that a lot of money was spent on the printing of e$am papers. There were 0 "ersions of the e$am an forty can i ates a ay woul write the e$am, an then forty more woul write the same e$am the following ay, an so on. > It occurre to me that the company coul sa"e money !y printing only a few master copies of each e$am an ha"ing them laminate . This lamination woul increase the cost per copy, !ut woul allow each e$am to !e reuse , as they woul only ha"e to !e wipe own after the test was ta%en. 1n my own, I contacte se"eral printing companies an was a!le to negotiate a price almost e&ual to the printing of non2laminate e$ams. I then !rought my i ea an wor% to the hea of the epartment that a ministere the e$am an they were "ery impresse !y the thorough approach I ha ta%en. R In the en , !y implementing this i ea, Company / was a!le to sa"e appro$imately 340,555 per year in printing costs an I was as%e to assist more in special pro.ects within the organization.
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>ome behavioura &based )uestions wi cha enge candidates to spea( about negative e!periences. 'n e!amp e wou d inc ude/ 9.e me about a time when you were ate handing in a report%paper?< ' though candidates may initia y fee they shou d say that the situation has never occurred to them$ it is not necessari y the best answer$ as it does not provide much substance to the interview. -nstead$ using one of the fo owing three approaches wi provide the interviewer with more substance and can turn the negative into a positive/ o .a ( about situations where the negative outcome had on y minor impact. -f you can choose between discussing the ate paper that ost your who e group a etter grade versus the one that a professor was wi ing to accept with no pena ty$ choose the atter. o .a ( about how you were ab e to pu something positive out of the situation. 2erhaps you were ab e to meet with your professor and deve op a rapport. o .a ( about what you earned from the situation and identify how you wi %did hand e it different y the ne!t time a simi ar situation arises%arose. ' common situation candidates find themse ves in is not having a specific e!amp e to use when answering a behavioura &based )uestion. -nstead of just saying I6m sorry, that has ne"er happene to me-$ it wou d be better to/ o -f the )uestion is re ated to a specific conte!t "e.g.$ wor(#$ as( if you can use a different one "e.g.$ academic#. ;or e!amp e$ a )uestion as(ing you to ta ( about eading a team at wor( cou d be answered by giving an e!amp e of how you ead a team at schoo . Must ma(e sure to as( the interviewers permission to change the conte!t of the )uestion. o 's( if you can instead ta ( about what you wou d do. Issentia y$ with the interviewers permission$ you wou d be turning the )uestion into a hypothetica . o 's( if you can instead ta ( about what you have observed others doing in the same%simi ar situation. -f a owed to go this route$ ma(e sure to discuss what you earned from observing and how you wou d%wou dn5t app y what was earned.

>ome of the more common behaviours%competencies a 88- wi e!p ore inc ude/ o >howing eadership o Hemonstrating initiative%innovativeness o @or(ing as part of a team o 7otivating others or what motivates you o Eiving bad news to someone o Faving to negotiate o -ncreasing company sa es%profits or decreasing costs o 7a(ing a good%poor decision o 'dapting to a changing environment o Fand ing criticism o 7eeting%missing a dead ine >amp e )uestions bro(en down by behaviour%competency can be found in the section 98! Sa,p&e +uestions<

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e! T"pes of Interviews3 Case Interviews

' common interview sty e used for consu ting and business deve opment positions$ or other jobs where the app icant wi spend a great dea of their time interacting with the companies c ients or supp iers$ is the :ase -nterview. -n this situation$ app icants are as(ed to respond to one or more case )uestions. :ompanies i(e to use these )uestions to see just how energetic and driven the app icant is$ and fee that it is a good way to simu ate how the app icant wi perform in the day&to&day functions of the job. .hese interviews are sometimes conducted with two or more app icants at the same time$ and in this case wi a so a ow the company to see what ro e the app icant"s# wi ta(e. .here are three types of case )uestions most often used/ 'rainteasers/ are pu,, es or ridd es that test your ogic$ creativity and abi ity to brea( down the )uestion. .here usua y is not a correct answer$ but there can be better approaches to answering the )uestion. *ou can ta(e notes$ draw diagrams and shou d try to brea( the prob em down into manageab e parts. Hon5t be afraid to as( c arifying )uestions$ and don5t be discouraged if the answer is not he pfu . 'n e!amp e wou d be/ Aliens ha"e ta%en you a!oar their ship. 7ou will !e as%e to ma%e a statement. If the statement is true you will !e !laste into atoms. If it is false you will !e e.ecte into space. 1ne statement can get you out ali"e. What is it? Guessti,ates/ as( you to perform )uic( ca cu ations using intuition and ogica reasoning. .he approach you ta(e wi often be eva uated more critica y then your fina answer. *ou may or may not be a owed to as( )uestions and you shou d be prepared to write down your ca cu ations "bring pen%penci and paper#. :andidates shou d use rounded numbers so as to simp ify the math. 7a(e and state your assumptions to the interviewer and do not et their response "usua y non&verba # throw you off. 'n e!amp e wou d be/ 'ow much money is ma e each year at lemona e stan s across Cana a? 'usiness cases/ are either written or ora cases as(ing you to so ve a business&re ated prob em. .hey are usua y either hypothetica or set in the past and candidates may or may not be a owed to as( c arifying )uestions "ma(e sure to isten to any answers and incorporate them into so ution#. :andidates shou d e!p ain the framewor( they p an on using to so ve the prob em "e.g.$ >@O. ana ysis$ 2orter5s ;ive ;orces$ :ost%8enefit 'na ysis$ etc.# and shou d ma(e recommendations in their conc usion. :andidates may be as(ed to give a forma presentation$ with or without the assistance of audio%video aides. 'n e!amp e wou d be/ 7our client wants to %now if they shoul e$pan their restaurant !usiness to the 8nite 9tates. What woul you a "ise them to o? s to avoid when answering case )uestions inc ude/ 0ot istening to the )uestion -gnoring% osing trac( of facts%data 's(ing the same )uestion mu tip e times 's(ing unre ated )uestions 'nswering without a p an

>ome pitfa

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Other tips on how to prepare for :ase -nterviews inc ude/ 8ring such items as paper$ graph paper$ pens$ penci s$ and ca cu ator with you to the interview. *ou may or may not be a owed to use them$ but it is a ways better to have them just in case. ;ami iari,e yourse f with (ey%common demographics for guesstimates and business cases "visit http344www!statcan!ca4,enu(en!ht, before your interview. >ome e!amp es inc ude/ o 2opu ation of :anada & appro!imate y 32 mi ion Duebec & appro!imate y 7.5 mi ion 7ontrea & appro!imate y 1.5 mi ion on the is and and 3.5 mi ion in the metro area N>' & appro!imate y 3BB mi ion o 3ate of inf ation = around 2.CK o Nnemp oyment = around 6.CK o Fouseho d si,e = appro!imate y 2.6 *ou may want to refresh yourse f on (ey business concepts%framewor(s such as 2orters ;ive ;orces$ >@O. ana ysis$ :ost%8enefit 'na ysis$ ;our 25s$ 2roduct 1ife :yc e$ etc. 2ic( up a boo( of brainteasers or visit such websites as www.brainbashers.com$ www.braing e.com$ or www.brainconnection.com 2ractice your presentation%spea(ing s(i s

>amp e )uestions can be found in the section 98! Sa,p&e +uestions<

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2! +uestions "ou ,ight as- at an interview

.he )uestion most interviewers wi as( ast is *o you ha"e any &uestions? "a though they may (eep you on your toes and as( it at the beginning of the interview or some time e se#. .he proper response to this )uestion in a first&round interview is a most never/ :o, all of my &uestions ha"e !een answere . .here are three areas you may wish to as( )uestions about with your interviewer. .he first wou d pertain to )uestions you were as(ed = you might want to c arify as to why something was as(ed or to see if you add additiona information. .he second wou d be to as( )uestions prepared in advance about the company$ position$ competitors and%or industry. .he answer to these )uestions shou d assist you in deciding on whether or not you want to consider the position%company and shou d not be easi y answered by just oo(ing at the company5s website. ;ina y$ you shou d as( about the fo ow&up process and as to when you may e!pect to hear about additiona interviews or the job offer. >ome common )uestions you may want to consider as(ing inc ude/

*escri!e a typical ay. What are you loo%ing for in the person who will fill this .o!? What areas nee the imme iate attention of the person you hire? What s%ills are most "alua!le in this .o!? What acti"ities coul I engage in now that might help me on the .o! if I;m hire ? What are your plans for new pro ucts or ser"ices? 'ow woul you efine your organization;s management philosophy? What %in of training woul I recei"e? 'ow o the uties change once the training program has !een complete ? What is the retention rate for people who ha"e !een in this training program after one year? After two years? 'ow is one e"aluate !oth formally an informally? Will a gra uate egree !e re&uire in or er to enhance my promotional opportunities after se"eral years?

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0! .o&&ow(Up Tips
'fter the interview$ candidates shou d be prepared to fo ow a course of action that inc udes/ Sending a than-("ou &etter3 to each of the persons interviewed with. 8esides e!pressing your sincere than(s in having been given the opportunity to meet with them$ you shou d ma(e sure to reiterate your )ua ifications and continued interest in the position. Prepare "our references/ if you fee that there is a chance the company wi be ca ing them$ contact each of your referees and et them (now about the interview you have just had. *ou want to prepare your referees so that they can give you the best reference possib e. .o&&ow(through with an" ne?t steps/ if the interviewer has as(ed you to do comp ete a tas( "e.g.$ submit a copy of your transcript or portfo io#$ ma(e sure to do itL 's we $ if you have promised to do something "e.g.$ ca them bac( in the fo owing wee( to see where they are in the recruiting process#$ ma(e sure it is done in the timeframe promised. @eep trac- of a&& contacts ,ade/ create a fi e on a companies interviewed with. Ref&ect/ thin( bac( on the interview"s# and try to ana y,e )uestions that gave you a hard time and why. -f you were missing e!amp es to provide in behavioura &based )uestions$ try to thin( of ones for future reference. Continue to Ao6 search/ unti you have accepted a job offer$ it is in your best interest to continue app ying to positions you fee )ua ified for and attending any interviews you are offered.

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8! Sa,p&e +uestions
CBCCBN INTERVIEW +UESTIBNS
Duestions about you/
o Tell me a!out yourself? o 'ow o(woul your frien s escri!e you? o What is the most interesting thing you;"e one in the past three years? o What o you want me to %now a!out you that isn;t on your r<sum<? o Tell me a!out an interesting article you recently rea in the newspaper. o What6s the last non2school relate !oo% you rea ? What i you learn from this !oo%? o What %in s of tas%s an responsi!ilities moti"ate you the most? o Why shoul I hire you an not the ne$t can i ate who wal%s in the oor? o *o you prefer to wor% with others or on your own? o What is your greatest strength? Wea%ness?

Duestions about your )ua ifications/

o Why o you want to wor% here? Why shoul I hire you? o *o you ha"e the s%ills to wor% in this position(company? o What specific s%ills ha"e you ac&uire or use in pre"ious .o!s that relate to this position? o Tell me a!out what you learne from your pre"ious .o!s an internships. o What i you li%e( isli%e a!out your last .o!? o What is your !iggest accomplishment? o *escri!e your lea ership(communication(coor inating(etc style?

Duestions about your education/

o Why i you choose to stu y +++? o *escri!e the course that has ha the greatest impact on your thin%ing. o What courses i you en.oy the most? =east? o Tell me a!out your e$tracurricular acti"ities uring school. What o you !elie"e you ha"e gaine from these e$periences?

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Duestions about your understanding of the job%company/

o What o you %now a!out our company? )osition? o Why i you apply to our organization? o What interests(impresses you a!out this organization? o What criteria are you using to e"aluate the organization for which you hope to wor%? o What can you tell us a!out our company? o What o you thin% of our organizational structure? o Who else are you inter"iewing with? What o you thin% of those organizations? o Are you see%ing employment in a company of a certain size? Why? o *o you ha"e a geographic preference?

Other )uestions/
o What are your salary e$pectations for this position? o Where o you see yourself in +++ years?

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'E5>VIBUR>9('>SED INTERVIEW +UESTIBNS

'ssertiveness/
o Tell me a!out a time when you were a!le to e$press your opinions maturely in spite of isagreements or o!.ections. o ,i"e me an e$ample of a time when you ha to !e asserti"e in gi"ing irections to others. o Tell me a!out a time when you successfully e$presse your i eas(opinions in a tactful an careful way. o Tell me a!out a time when you were willing to isagree with another person in or er to !uil a positi"e outcome. o *escri!e a time when you ha to sell an i ea to our !oss, authority figure, or technical e$pert.

:ommunication/
o Tell me a!out a time when you ha to present a proposal(i ea to a person in authority an were a!le to o this successfully. o Tell me a!out a situation where you ha to !e persuasi"e an sell your i ea to someone else. o Tell me a!out your most successful e$perience when ma%e a speech or presentation to a group. o Tell me a!out an e$perience of yours that illustrates your a!ility to influence another person "er!ally. o Tell me a!out a specific time when your s%ill in listening helpe you to communicate !etter. o Tell me a!out the writing e$periences you ha"e ha that you thin% will contri!ute to your a!ility to o this .o! well.

:reativity and -nnovation/

o Tell me a!out a situation in which you were a!le to fin a new an !etter way of oing something significant. o Tell me a!out a time when you were creati"e in sol"ing a pro!lem. o *escri!e a time when you were a!le to come up with new i eas that were %ey to the success of some acti"ity or pro.ect. o Tell me a!out a time when you ha to !ring out the creati"ity in others. o ,i"e me an e$ample of a time when you came up with a uni&ue an no"el solution to a common pro!lem.
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:ustomer >ervice/
o Tell me a!out a time when you ha to eal with an irate customer. o Tell me a!out one or two customer2ser"ice relate programs that you;"e one that you;re particularly prou of. o Tell me a!out a time when you ma e a lasting, positi"e impression on a customer.

Hecision 7a(ing/
o *escri!e for me a time when you ha to ma%e an important ecision with limite facts. o Tell me a!out a time when you were force to ma%e an unpopular ecision. o *escri!e for me a time when you ha to a apt to a ifficult situation. What i you o? o Tell me a!out a time when you ma e a !a ecision o Tell me a!out a time when you resiste the temptation to .ump to conclusions an thoroughly o!taine all facts associate with a pro!lem !efore coming to a solution. o ,i"e me an e$ample of how you reache a practical !usiness ecision !y an organize re"iew of the facts an weighing of options.

He egation/
o Tell me a!out a time when you elegate a pro.ect effecti"ely. o Tell me a!out a time when you i a poor .o! of elegating. o *escri!e for me a time when you ha to elegate to a person with a full wor%loa , an how you went a!out oing it.

Inergi,ing/
o ,i"e me an e$ample of a time when your positi"e attitu e cause others to !e moti"ate or energize . o Tell me a!out a time when your a!ility to rewar an encourage others create positi"e moti"ation. o Tell me a!out a time when you successfully use competition as a means of encouraging others to wor% har . o *escri!e a time when you were a!le to use recognition to create positi"e energy in another person.

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Eoa >etting/
o Tell me a!out the most important time in your wor% history when you successfully prioritize your goals. o Tell me a!out a time when you too% the initiati"e to set goals an o!.ecti"es e"en though you were not prompte or irecte !y others to o so. o ,i"e me an e$ample of a time when you use a systematic process to efine your o!.ecti"es. What type of system i you use? What payoff i you get from using the process?

-nitiative and ;o ow&through/

o ,i"e me an e$ample of a situation where you ha to o"ercome ma.or o!stacles to achie"e your o!.ecti"es. o Tell me a!out a goal that you set that too% a long time to achie"e or that you are still wor%ing towar s. o Tell me a!out a time when you won >or lost? an important contract. o Tell me a!out a time when you use your political sa""y to push a program through that you really !elie"e in. o Tell me a!out a situation that you ha significant impact on !ecause of your follow2 through.

-ntegrity/
o Tell me a!out a time when you were a!le to change in or er to meet the nee s of others. o Tell me a!out a time when you felt it necessary to compromise your own imme iate interests in or er to !e socially fle$i!le an tolerant of another person6s nee s. o #"en more ifficult than ealing with a ifficult person is !eing of ser"ice to a ifficult person. Tell me a!out a time when you ha"e !een successful with this type of situation at wor%. o Tell me a!out a time when you were as%e to compromise your integrity. o *escri!e a time when you ha to !en the rules in or er to !e successful or accomplish a goal.

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1eadership/
o *escri!e a wor% situation where your a!ility to set a positi"e e$ample ser"e as a mo el to others. o ,i"e me an e$ample of the greatest success you e"er ha in the use of elegation. o *escri!e for me a time when you may ha"e !een isappointe in your !eha"ior. o Tell me a!out a time when you ha to iscipline or fire a colleague. o Tell me a!out a time when you;"e ha to e"elop lea ers un er you. o Tell me a!out a time when you ma e an unpopular ecision. *i it pro"e to !e the correct one?

Organi,ation and 2 anning/

o ,i"e me an e$ample of any time management techni&ues you ha"e learne an applie at wor%. o Tell me what you ha"e one with such tools as flow charts, pro uction sche ule, filing systems, or any other tools to help you implement a plan. o Tell me a!out how you use realistic sche ules an timeta!les to generate a plan lea ing to a specific goal.

2riority >etting/
o Tell me a!out a time when you ha to !alance competing priorities an successfully. i so

o Tell me a!out a time when you ha to pic% out the most important things in some acti"ity an ma%e sure those got one. o Tell me a!out a time that you prioritize the elements of a complicate pro.ect. o Tell me a!out a time when you got !ogge own in the etails of a pro.ect.

.eam 8ui ding/

o Tell me a!out a time when you ha your !iggest success in !uil ing a team spirit. o Tell me a!out a time when you contri!ute to a wor%ing group6s a!ility to irect itself !y !uil ing group stan ar s for performance. o *escri!e a time when you use the techni&ue of collecting suggestions to !uil team commitment.

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o ,i"e me an e$ample of a time when you confronte a negati"e attitu e successfully with the result of !uil ing teamwor% an morale.

.hin(ing and 2rob em >o ving/

o Tell me a!out a time when you ha to analyze facts &uic%ly, efine %ey issues, an respon imme iately or e"elop a plan that pro uce goo results. o *escri!e for me a situation where you may ha"e misse an o!"ious solution to a pro!lem. o Tell me a!out a time when you anticipate potential pro!lems an measures. e"elope pre"entati"e

o Tell me a!out a time when you use your analytical s%ills to i entify potential pro!lems at wor% o Tell me a!out a time when you surmounte a ma.or o!stacle.

@or(ing Iffective y with Others/

o ,i"e me an e$ample that woul show that you;"e !een a!le to e"elop an maintain pro ucti"e relations with others, though there were iffering points of "iew. o Tell me a!out a time when you were a!le to moti"ate others to get the esire results. o Tell me a!out a ifficult situation with a co2wor%er, an how you han le it. o Tell me a!out a time when you playe an integral role in getting a team >or wor% group? !ac% on trac%.

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C>SE INTERVIEW +UESTIBNS

8rainteasers/
o Why are manhole co"ers roun ? o 7ou ha"e a 02gallon .ug an a 42gallon .ug. 7ou must o!tain e$actly @ gallons of water. 'ow will you o it? o Without writing anything or using any calculating e"ice, tell me if there are more As or Bs to !e foun in all of the num!ers from C to 05,555. o A little girl is in Al!erta, D her mother is in 1ntario. The little girl is in an acci ent, D has to !e rushe to a near!y hospital. The little girl is the aughter of the nurse who assists her. 'ow is this possi!le?

Euesstimates/
o 'ow many tennis !alls fit into a Eetro car? o 'ow many con"enience stores are there on the Islan of Eontreal? o 'ow many people tra"el !ac% an forth from Eontreal to Toronto each ay? o 'ow many paper cups oes Tim 'orton6s use each year?

8usiness :ases/
o 7ou6"e .ust in"ente a process that allows people to !ecome in"isi!le, is there a mar%et for this pro uct? o 7our client, a maple syrup pro ucer, wants to !egin e$porting their pro uct into #urope. 'ow woul you a "ise them? o *onal Trump is consi ering !uying the Eontreal casino. What shoul he consi er when e"aluating this eal? 'ow much shoul he !e willing to spen ? o 9houl the Coca2Cola Company ac&uire Couche Tar ?

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:! Resources

>ome websites with good information on -nterviewing inc ude/ www.vau t.com www.campusaccess.com www.wetfeet.com http/%%interview.monster.com http/%%www.)uintcareers.com http/%%ww2.cs.fsu.edu%Oshi ding%interview.htm www.case)uestions.com www.bain.com http/%%www.bcg.com%careers%interviewPprep%interviewPtips.htm http/%%www.case)uestions.com%

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