Preparing for a Job Interview

Presenters

 Sonja Burke, Manager, Employment and

Training, Goodwill, Ontario Great Lakes
 Katie Froussios, Human Resources
Counsellor, Western Ontario Region, TD
Canada Trust
 Preparing for a Job Interview
Agenda
 Preparing for the interview
 At the Interview - Presentation
 Post Interview
 Giving Quality Answers
 Sample Answers and Guidelines
 Questions to Ask at an Interview
 Disclosure
 Examples Good and Bad
The Call
When you get “the call” for an interview,
you should ask the following:
 Time and location of interview.

 Who will I be meeting with?

 What is the person’s job title.

 What type of interview (1 to 1 or panel)

 Can I have a copy of the job

description?
Get Ready
 Research the company
 Review job posting, advertisement
 Review your resume
 Practice interview answers
 Prepare questions to ask the interviewer
 Contact your references to let know
about the interview and job applied for
Reduce the Stress
 Go to the location of the interview the day before
 Note the time it took you to get there
 Look for the best parking spot or closest bus stop
 If possible, look around the place of business you
are applying to, get brochures, information etc
 Lay out your clothes the night before the
interview – dress one notch better then what you
would wear to work
The Big Day
 Be on time, not too early and NEVER late
– 10 minutes early is acceptable
 Bring your resume, references, reference
letters, certificates, outstanding
performance reviews. Put in a file or
folder
 No gum, cigarettes or fragrances
 Its okay to be nervous, the interviewer
probably is too
The Interview
 Use positive statements, “I can, I will, I do”
 Be aware of your body language
 Use eye contact and try not to fidget
 Provide interviewer with your references

It is okay to:
 Ask for a moment to think about your answer

 Ask for the question to be repeated

 Ask to come back to the question later

Whew, its over…..
 Always send a thank you letter ASAP
 Call your references and provide them
information on the job and review your
skills that relate to the position
 Follow up with the employer
Behavioural Interviews
 Are based on the idea that a potential
employee's past performance is the best
predictor of their future performances and it
increases an employer chance of picking the best
candidate for the job.
 These questions usually begin with
 Tell me about a time when….
 Describe a situation that you….
 Give a specific example of….
 Give me an example of a time when you gave a
suggestion or recommendation to improve……
 What interests you about this role?
Quality Answers
 Keep them business focused
 Mentions skills that are relevant to the
job
 Back up what you say with examples
 Be positive – never “bad mouth”
another employer
 Show motivation and enthusiasm
Questions You Should Not be
Asked
 Are you married? Separated? Divorced?
 What does your partner do?
 Do you have young children at home?
 What will happen if your children get
sick?
 How old are you?
 Do you have a disability?
Questions to ask the
Interviewer
 Can you tell me more about…..?
 Do you have any training programs? Can you
describe them?
 What would my schedule be like?
 How has this position become available?
 When will you be making your hiring
decision?
 Will you be contacting all candidates once you
have made your hiring decision?
Disclosure
 It is a personal decision, there is no
right or wrong answer
 There are pros and cons to disclosing
Good and Bad Interviews
 We’ve all had them….
 Tell us about yours…..