MANAGEMENT CO-OP

%
%
%

INTERVIEWING
“Never'wear'a'backward'baseball'cap'to'an'interview'unless'applying'for''
the'job'of'umpire.”%–%Dan%Zevin%
%

Learning Objectives
%
Upon%completion%of%this%module,%you%will:%
• Apply%your%knowledge%of%how%to%prepare%and%structure%answers%for%the%different%
types%of%interviews.%
• Be%able%to%communicate%your%skills,%knowledge%and%interests%in%an%interview.%%
• Understand%what%the%employer%(your%customer/audience)%is%looking%for,%and%
how%to%tailor%your%answers%accordingly.%%
• Know%the%importance%of%professionalism%in%your%dress,%body%language%and%
image.%
• Know%how%to%present%“Brand%You”%within%an%interview%setting.%
• Experience%the%actual%interview%process%through%practice%in%class%as%well%as%in%a%
mock%interview%setting. %

Work%Term%Preparation%Course%Fall%2015/Winter2016% 67 %
 MANAGEMENT CO-OP

Pre-reading Exercise: The Nuts & Bolts of Interviewing

What%is%an%Interview?%
An% interview% is% a% method% of% evaluation% used% by% employers% as% part% of% the% candidate%
selection% process.% Through% this,% the% employer% hopes% to% assess% whether% or% not% a%
particular%candidate%is%the%right%person%for%the%job.%Interviews%are%traditionally%face%to%
face% (although% telephone% interviews% are% also% used)% and% usually% involve% an% interviewer%
asking% the% interviewee% a% series% of% questions.% The% types% of% interview% questions% are%
discussed%in%more%detail%below.%Interviews%can%range%from%being%very%conversational,%to%
extremely%structured%in%terms%of%format.%
%
Who%Conducts%an%Interview?%
The% interview% is% normally% conducted% by% a% Human% Resources% representative,% such% as% a%
Campus%Recruiter,%and/or%the%hiring%manager%for%the%particular%role.%For%example,%if%the%
position%is%a%Marketing%Analyst%Co=op,%the%interviewer%could%be%the%Marketing%Manager.%%
One%person%or%a%panel%of%individuals%can%conduct%interviews.%%%
%
Types%of%Questions%
Open%Ended%Questions%
These%questions%require%more%than%a%simple%yes%or%no%answer.%The%employer%is%typically%
looking%for%you%to%elaborate%on%your%information.%
Example:%Tell%me%about%yourself.%
%

Strategies:%%Take%this%opportunity%to%target%your%answer%to%the%skills%that%the%employer%is%
seeking.%%Also,%this%is%a%great%chance%to%let%them%know%about%your%USP’s%(Unique%Selling%
Points).%%Set%yourself%apart%from%your%competition!%%
%
Closed%Ended%Questions%
This%type%of%question%is%typically%used%to%verify%or%confirm%information.%
Example:'You%are%in%Management%Co=op,%correct?%
%

Strategies:% You% can% simply% answer% the% question,% yes% or% no,% but% also% expand% on% your%
answer.% % Take% the% opportunity% to% add% some% extra% information% such% as% why% you% feel%
privileged% to% be% in% the% program% or% why% you% are% excited% to% have% the% opportunity% to%
integrate%school%and%work%opportunities.%
%
Situational%Questions%
This%technique%is%used%by%interviewers%in%combination%with%other%types%of%interviewing%
styles.%%It%is%an%opportunity%to%provide%the%candidate%with%a%situation%to%determine%how%
they% would% handle% that% specific% scenario.% % The% interviewer% will% listen% to% the% answer% to%
determine% if% the% candidate% is% displaying% qualities% and% behaviours% desirable% for% the%
position.% % Typically,% these% types% of% questions% start% with% “Imagine% you% are…”,% or% “I’m%
going%to%give%you%a%situation…”.%
%

Work%Term%Preparation%Course%Fall%2015/Winter2016% 68 %
 MANAGEMENT CO-OP

Strategies:%%When%formulating%a%response%for%a%Situational%question,%it%is%advisable%that%
you%think%back%to%a%specific%experience%that%you%may%have%previously%encountered%that%
is%similar.%%If%you%have%had%a%similar%experience,%use%the%STAR%method%(explained%below)%
to% answer% the% question.% % If% you% have% never% encountered% the% situation% in% the% past,% you%
should%answer%it%intelligently%and%logically%on%how%you%believe%you%would%handle%it%(once%
again%trying%to%use%the%STAR%method).%%Also,%try%to%figure%out%what%skill%the%employer%is%
asking%for%and%why%the%question%is%being%asked.%%
%
Behavioural%Questions%%
This%technique%is%much%like%storytelling%and%based%on%the%theory%that%past%behaviour%is%a%
good% indicator% of% future% performance.% % Interviewers% using% this% style% will% have% a% list% of%
desired% behaviours% an% ideal% candidate% will% possess.% % They% will% ask% the% candidate% for%
stories%about%situations%in%which%certain%traits%such%as%teamwork,%initiative,%stress/time%
management,% organization% skills,% analytical% skills% etc.% were% demonstrated.% % Typically,%
these% types% of% questions% start% with% phrases% such% as% “Tell% me% how…”,% “Give% me% an%
example….”,%“Tell%me%about%a%time%when…”,%“Describe%a%situation….”.%
%

Strategies:%When%formulating%a%response%for%a%behaviour=based%question,%it%is%advisable%
to% use% the% STAR% method% (see% below).% % If% you% follow% the% STAR% method,% you% will%
demonstrate% your% skills% and% how% you% have% used% them% in% the% past,% and% therefore,% how%
you%will%use%them%in%this%new%opportunity.%
%
Case%&%Technical%Questions%%
These%techniques%are%often%used%for%finance%and%consulting%roles,%almost%exclusively%at%
the% senior% (2nd% and% 3rd% work% term)% level.% Case% interviews% are% used% to% assess% the%
candidate’s%quantitative,%analytical%and%problem%solving%skills.%The%interviewer%presents%
most% cases% orally,% although% in% some% situations% they% involve% handouts,% slides% or% are%
completely% written.% Types% of% case% interviews% include% “guesstimates”% or% market% sizing%
questions,%such%as%“How%many%watermelons%are%sold%in%Canada%each%year?”,%as%well%as%
brainteasers,% for% example,% “You% have% a% five=litre% jug% and% a% three=litre% jug.% You% must%
obtain% exactly% four% litres% of% water.% How% will% you% do% it?”%Technical% questions% can% often%
involve%financial%situations%where%the%candidate%will%be%required%to%calculate%a%solution%
or% provide% a% step% by% step% analysis,% such% as% "How% would% you% use% the% Discounted% Cash%
Flow%model%to%value%a%company?"%or%"What%are%3%stocks%you%would%invest%in%and%why?"%%
%

Strategies:% If% you% are% pursuing% a% career% where% these% questions% are% common,% you% will%
want%to%practice%and%prepare%using%available%resources.%To%do%so,%check%out%the%“Read%
on”%section%below,%or%book%an%appointment%to%speak%with%a%Co=op%Coordinator.%When%in%
an%interview%and%one%of%these%questions%arise,%the%keys%to%success%are:%remaining%calm,%
listening%and%clearly%explaining%your%thought%process.%Take%notes%when%the%interviewer%
is%presenting%the%case.%If%you%need%to%make%an%assumption%to%move%forward%with%your%
solution,% make% sure% you% lay% this% out% to% the% interviewer.% Listen% carefully% and% take% your%
time.%Try%to%organize%your%thoughts%by%laying%out%to%the%interviewer%the%process%you%will%
take%to%answer%the%question.%

Work%Term%Preparation%Course%Fall%2015/Winter2016% 69 %
 MANAGEMENT CO-OP

The%STAR%Method%

Situation% Describe% the% situation% that% you% were% in% or% the% task% that% you%
needed% to% accomplish.% You% must% describe% a% specific% event% or%
or% situation,%not%a%generalized%description%of%what%you%have%done%in%
Task% the% past.% Be% sure% to% give% enough% detail% for% the% interviewer% to%
understand.% This% situation% can% be% from% a% previous% job,% from% a%
volunteer%experience,%or%any%relevant%event.%

Action%you%took% Describe% the% action% you% took% and% be% sure% to% keep% the% focus% on%
you.%Even%if%you%are%discussing%a%group%project%or%effort,%describe%
what%you%did%==%not%the%efforts%of%the%team.%Don't%tell%what%you%
might%do,%tell%what%you%did.%%It%is%important%to%include%details%in%
this%section%of%your%answer.%

Results%you% What%happened?%How%did%the%event/situation%end?%What%did%you%
accomplish?% What% did% you% learn?% What% skills% did% you% use,%
achieved% develop% or% improve% upon?% % Try% to% relate% the% skills% to% those% that%
the%employer%is%seeking.%%

Written Exercise

View%the%following%video%http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9rn5kuTpHw.%%
%
After%watching%the%above%video,%please%write%down%the%tips%that%you%found%most%helpful%
to%you.%%Did%any%of%the%tips%surprise%you?%%Are%there%any%other%tips%that%you%would%like%to%
add?%%Bring%this%with%you%to%class.%
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Work%Term%Preparation%Course%Fall%2015/Winter2016% 70 %
 MANAGEMENT CO-OP

In-Class Take Home Messages

%
1.%
%
2.%
%
3.%
%
Still interested in this subject? READ ON!
1. Interviewing%Prep:%Job%Interview%Checklist:%
http://www.quintcareers.com/job_interview_checklist.html%%
2. Telephone%Interview%Tips%from%Quintessential%Careers:%
http://www.quintcareers.com/phone_interviewing=dos=donts.html%
3. Mastering%the%Case%Interview:%%
http://www.quintcareers.com/case_interviews.html%
4. Check%out%the%Co=op%Office%for%books%on%Case%and%Finance%interviews,%such%as%the%
Vault'Guide'to'the'Case'Interview.%Just%ask%at%the%front%desk!%
%

Work%Term%Preparation%Course%Fall%2015/Winter2016% 71 %
 Tip Sheet Validating your claims

Showcasing your abilities is a top priority for your resume and cover letter.
Students are often very eager to tell employers that they meet all of a job’s
qualifications but neglect to support these claims. Without validation, employers
cannot be sure if you actually possess the skills and abilities or if you are just
saying that you do.

Have you ever written: “I have excellent communication, interpersonal, and teamwork skills so I am the best
candidate for this position” or similar? It is great that you are confident in your skill set, but there are a few
issues need to be aware of:
 If your claims about your skills are not supported later on in your cover letter, it is an empty statement and
you can lose credibility.
 As a candidate, you can never be certain that you are THE BEST applicant. Saying that you are THE BEST
comes across as arrogant.
 Remember: Employers will compare you to other applicants. Others may write about the same skills. What
sets you apart? Show the employer why you might be better. What is your Unique Selling Point (USP)?

What to do
Use specific accomplishments to show how you used or developed a particular skill/ability. There are multiple
ways to provide validation. Here are some examples:
 Results: Provides quantitative evidence to show what you did worked
 Increased club membership by 75%
 Reduced weekly processing time from 3 hours to 1 hour. 

 Depth: Demonstrates how difficult or large a particular task was
 Organized a 100-attendee event.
 Presented findings to Director.
 Wrote a 200-page process manual
 Breadth: Shows the variety or complexity associated with the experience
 Coached students from 30 different countries.
 Interacted with clients in person, over the phone and via email.
 Tip Sheet Validating your claims

What to do
• Duration: Outlines the length of time you had the responsibility
 Over 5 years experience in leading teams.
 Taught children how to play soccer for 2 years.
• Description: Shows that you understand the skill and demonstrates how you have used it
 Communicate effectively during each skating class taught through conveying clear and concise
instructions for each skill for proper technique to be performed by group
 Planned and executed a networking event, including developing timeline, securing employers,
venue logistics, promoting to students and delegating to teammates.

Other tips
 Make your accomplishment obvious. Don’t make the interviewer guess what you did!
 Have someone else read it and ask if they have a clear idea of what you did.
 Ensure that each statement adds value. Space is limited so don’t include unnecessary information.
 Write down all ideas (with validation) and then select the most relevant ones.
 Build an outline before drafting your documents to provide structure and flow.
 Don’t under/oversell yourself! Demonstrate what you achieved but never exaggerate or lie.
 Currently working? Track your activities (ex. # of tax returns prepared) as you do them. This 
 way,
you won’t forget what you did and will provide a helpful source of accomplishments.
 Refer to your co-op evaluations. Your supervisor comments provide valuable insight into your
strengths and accomplishments.
 Tip Sheet Interview Preparation
Most interviews include questions regarding your qualifications, education, campus and community activities,
prior work experience, personal characteristics, skills, career interests and goals. To prepare for answering
questions about yourself, think about the following question:
 Which skills and personality characteristics do I want to talk about?
 What are my strengths? How did I develop them (in what activities?)?
 What are my weaknesses? How am I improving them?
 What examples can use to demonstrate my strengths, weaknesses and skills?
 What job experiences are my most relevant to this position?
 What did I gain from my education experience?
 What did I gain from my skills training course(s)?
 What are my short and long-range career goals?
 How does this position and employer relate to those goals?

The 4 Rs
Research
By adequately researching the organization, you will have a much better chance of creating a positive
impression. The following questions can help guide your research.
 What is the size and structure of the organization? What is the organization known for?
 How well is the organization doing? (Growth patterns, financial history)
Rehearse
The more you rehearse, the more confident you will be during the actual interview.
 Assess your strengths and skills for the position
 Prepare answers to difficult questions and practice speaking them
Relax
It is helpful to have some level of stress/excitement to prepare you for the interview, but too much can be
overwhelming and may impede your effectiveness.
 Try to have a good night sleep and eat a nutritious meal
 Arrive 10-15 minutes early so you are not feeling rushed and have time to focus and relax
 Smiling generally helps you relax during the interview.
Review
Go over the interview immediately afterwards and write down:
 Successful Reponses
 Surprise questions
 Any other thoughts/feelings that maybe helpful
 Tip Sheet Interview Preparation

Sample Questions

Here are some sample questions you can prepare for:

 Tell me about yourself?
 Why do you want to work for our company?
 What are your key strengths?
 What is one weakness that has affected your ability to perform in the past?
 Describe a quality in a previous manager that you really valued.
 Why should we hire you?
 Tell me about a project that you worked on that fell behind schedule. What did you do and what was
the outcome?
 Give me an example of a time when you had to make a major decision.
 Describe a time when you were able to successfully persuade someone to see things your way.
 Describe a time when you had a conflict with teammate and what you did to resolve it.
 Do you have any experience with project management? Give me an example
 This job requires a lot of communication and also presenting your idea. Tell me about the process that
you go through to prepare a presentation for a large group of people.
 Tell me about a time when you had to handle a conflict with an upset customer.
 Tell me about a time when you demonstrated initiative.
 Multitasking is very significant for this job. Describe a when you had to meet multiple deadlines. How
did you prioritize your time? And what was the result?
 Please give me an example of when you had to meet a tough deadline. How did you handle it?
 Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a co-worker/classmate? How did you deal with this?
 Do you have any experience in marketing/finance/accounting?
 Who are our competitors and what do you think makes our products stand out?
 What are your career goals and how does this position fit in?
 Tell me about a time when you assumed a leadership role? How did you organize others? What was the
outcome?
 Tip Sheet How to answer “Tell me about yourself”

This is the most frequently asked interview question and is typically asked
first. Employers ask the question to let you set the tone of the interview. It is an
introduction to the rest of the interview and should therefore be a short
summary of what you have to offer and your motivation for the role. During an
interview you must communicate ideas effectively and confidently, so prepare
an answer to this question and try not to ramble.

How can I prepare a great response?

Provide a synopsis of you. This is your Unique Selling Proposition or personal branding statement. It is a
succinct description of who you are, your key strengths and the major benefit that a company will
derive from your strengths.

Ex.: “I am an energetic marketing student who is passionate about the power of social networking. I
developed a social media-based membership drive for the Marketing Students’ Association which resulted
in a 40% increase in membership.”

We have developed an acronym, called PAWS to help you prepare your response in three steps. You can
include different elements of PAWS throughout your response to showcase your personal achievements,
goals, your academic accomplishments in related subjects, relevant work experiences and skills developed,
and extra-curricular and/or volunteer experiences where you developed related skills.

Personal
Academic
Work
Social and Skills

1. Work out what the THREE most important qualities are for the job. Begin your answer by stating
that you have these qualities and indicate where/how you developed them through past academic,
extra-curricular or work experiences.

Ex. "I enjoy helping others resolve their issues as it combines my analytical and interpersonal skills. I set
challenging goals and persistently work to achieve them."
 Tip Sheet How to answer “Tell me about yourself”

2. Select one or two things you achieved at your most relevant job.

Ex.: “I worked as a junior accountant for my last co-op work term at TaxIsFun Accountants. I prepared over
100 personal tax returns with a high degree of accuracy.”

3. Demonstrate specific knowledge of the industry and company. Say why you want to work for that
particular company and show enthusiasm.

Ex.: “I want to work with a mid-sized accounting firm because I want to build on my experience of creating
solid long-term relationships with clients. I know this is a key focus of your firm. Also, I am excited to join
your team, as at your firm I will be able to learn about all aspects of the audit process, due to the tightly knit
small audit teams.”

Now combine the parts and you have a great response!

TIP: Ask a question at the end of your reply to provide an opening for the employer, along the lines of: “Is
there any part of my background I can expand on for you?”

What NOT to do ?

 DON’T show interest in only yourself. Example of what NOT to say: “I want to work for your company
because you have great benefits and pay high commissions.”

 DON’T make your answer too long. 90 seconds tops. You want to interact with the
 interviewer. If you go
over 90 seconds you are giving a speech, not interacting.

 DON’T forget to make eye contact. You want to connect with the interviewer so look them in the eye.
There can be too much of a good thing - don’t have a staring contest!
 Tip Sheet How to provide references

Frequently either before offering a position, or after extending a conditional

job offer, employers ask to check your references. This is generally done to
ensure the accuracy of your application (you worked where you said you did,
when you did and did the tasks you outlined). Also, it is to ensure that there are
no major areas of concern with regards to your performance.

Here is a template of the reference list sheet with what is usually required:

Mr. / Ms. Name Job Title

Company
 Relationship (include approximate dates)
Email Address Business/Home/Cell Phone

Quick Tip: Format your references similarly to your resume – same header, font, etc.

Professional References

Normally for your co-op work term jobs, you should be giving Professional References. That means you
should be using people to whom you reported or who were responsible for reviewing your work as your
reference. Appropriate examples include your supervisor, manager, or co- workers (someone others respect).

 Number of References

It is a good idea to maintain a list of all potential professional references, and to select three to five who fit
best with specific positions. Three is the normal number of expected references. Using LinkedIn is a great
way to keep in touch with past employers, especially in the event that they move to another organization.

Ensure Availability
Always check with the people who you intend on using as a reference for their permission and if they will
provide a positive reference. This is crucial – the last thing you want is for a reference to damage your
chances of securing the role. If you know someone on the hiring committee then DON’T use him or her as
your reference because sometimes it will backfire as it puts that person in a 'conflict of interest' situation.
 Tip Sheet How to provide references

What if I don’t have any professional references?

There are other people to whom you can turn for helping you with a reference. Ideally that person should be
a respected member of the community or a profession. Examples include your Professors and volunteer
supervisors. (HINT: although they may know you really well, don't just use your friends).

Can I ask someone from the Co-op Management office to be my reference?

If you have worked in the Co-op office (work-study), please speak directly with your supervisor. If you have
NOT worked in the Co-op office, we unfortunately cannot provide a reference for a co-op position. We strive
to find all Co-op students great placements so providing references to students poses a conflict of interest.

For more information on giving references

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-professional-references.htm
http://employment.typepad.com/for_job_seekers/2006/12/tough_situation.html
http://www.quintcareers.com/job_reference_services.html
 Tip Sheet Offer Package Tip Sheet

An offer package contains the paperwork an organization needs to get you set
up as an employee. Most of the time the employer expects a quick turnaround
of 24 – 48 hours. Read the instructions carefully, sign all required documents
and return them back to your employer as soon as possible. Sometimes you
may be asked to attach a void cheque and certain government issued ID copies.

Inside your offer package

Inside your offer package, generally you will have the following documents (names and inclusion of certain
forms may vary depending on the company):
 Your offer letter
 Employment terms and conditions
 Applicant Identification and Authorization Form
 Police Disclosure of Criminal Record Form
 Emergency Contact Information
 Independence and Confidentiality Declaration
 Form TD1/TD1ON (see below for details)

Form TD1/TD1ON – What is this form for?

When a new employer hires you and you will be receiving salary/wages, or any other type of remuneration,
your employer needs to determine how much federal (TD1) and provincial tax (TD1ON) to deduct each time
he/she pays you.

This form will help your employer to determine how much personal tax credit you have so that the amount of
tax they deduct from your paycheck is appropriate (you don’t want the employer to deduct too much that
shrinks the cash in your pocket, nor do you want the employer to deduct too little that next year when you
file your tax return you owe the government money!).
 Tip Sheet Offer Package Tip Sheet

 Generally, if you are OVER 18 YEARS OF AGE, SINGLE, FULL-TIME STUDENT AT UofT and PAY
TUITION, you need to fill out Line 1 and Line 5. Review the other sections but they do not apply to
most students.
 Line 1: Basic personal amount: for most cases, everyone gets the basic personal amount of $10,382
(on TD1) and $8,943 (on TD1ON). Pro-ration might apply to you if you lived/will live outside of
Canada for part of the year. Check www.cra.gc.ca for further information.
 Line 5: Tuition, education and textbook amounts (full time and part time): as a UofT student, you
can claim the amount of tuition you paid + prescribed textbook amount in the year as a credit to
offset your taxable income. You can put down an estimate of what amount of tuition you are going
to pay. The calculation method is on the form. It’s okay if you don’t know the exact amount you’re
going to pay. Try to come up with the amount as realistic as possible. Keep in mind that this is for
the whole calendar year (e.g. January 2015 – December 2015).
 Read other lines to see if they apply to you (spouse amount, caregiver amount, disability amount, etc.)
and fill out the appropriate amounts.
 Line 13: Add the amounts in Lines 1-12 and put the total in Line 13.
 On 2nd page check the boxes that apply to you.
 If you think the salary you will earn is going to be less than the credit amount on line 13 on the previous
page, check the box under Total income less than total claim amount. This way your employer will not
deduct any tax on each of your paychecks. KEEP IN MIND that if you earned more than the credit
amount on line 13, the following year you may have to pay the tax that was not withheld by the employer.
 REMEMBER to sign and date the form

For more information on how to fill out TD1 form, go to:

http://www.cra=arc.gc.ca/tx/bsnss/tpcs/pyrll/hwpyrllwrks/stps/hrng/td1/menu=eng.html