Candidate Interview Guide

Job interviews in this day and age are a two-way street, much more like a conversation than a question/answer session: employers use them to evaluate and get to know a potential employee and candidates use them to determine whether this person and/or company is a good fit for their professional and even personal growth. The result is job interviews that are more behavioral than traditional, allowing candidates to tell stories about themselves rather than respond to the interrogation-type questioning characteristic in interviews of the past. This type of interview puts significantly more onus on the candidate to be well-prepared, to speak up, and to sell themselves. Despite this pressure, candidates should also keep in mind that they are equally entitled to ask questions of the interviewer and if you go in with the mindset that the interview is more like a conversation, you should be more relaxed and able to give better responses, while at the same time asking good questions.

The Interview from Start to Finish

BEFORE:

Research the employer: what does this company do? What is its track record for success? Mission statement, company objectives?
Confirm the interview location and plan your route.
Confirm the names and positions of everyone on the interview panel. Use your sources to find out a tidbit of career history for each member.
Prepare questions for the panel based on your research of the company.
Prepare a list of your top 5 strengths
Brainstorm some situations from your own career history that you can use as examples when answering questions. Practice telling these “stories” to a trusted friend.

ARRIVAL:

Dress appropriately. If possible, find out what the corporate dress code is and dress accordingly. Always err on the side of up, not down.
You should be well-groomed and tidy. Men should be freshly shaved in a collared shirt and tie, possibly suit if corporate code dictates. Women should have tidy hair, pulled back if long. Always wear nylons if dressed in skirt and a suit jacket is nice option to pull everything together.
Bring copies of your updated resume, one for each member of the panel and a copy for yourself. Any written letters of reference, transcripts etc. should also be brought along- be prepared to leave them behind.
Bring a notepad and pen. Have your questions written down and ready to go. Write down additional questions as they come to mind throughout the interview.
BE 10 MINUTES EARLY AND BE NICE TO THE RECEPTIONIST. Tardiness for interviews is unacceptable. At the very least, call ahead if you are running behind. As for being nice to the receptionist, it should go without saying that you should be courteous to every person you encounter when going on an interview. The receptionist is especially important because they are your first and last chance to make a good impression.

DURING:

When answering questions, have examples ready and tell the story in a Problem-Action-Result (PAR) format. Describe a problem you had at work which relates to the question, tell what action you took to resolve the problem and then explain the result or outcome.
Make sure you speak up, maintain eye-contact with as many members of the panel as possible, and sit up straight. Posture and body language in an interview is just as important as the words that come out of your mouth.
Allow the interviewers to speak and ask their questions, they should ask you at the end if you have any questions for them. If they don’t, volunteer.
Don’t be afraid to refer to your notes and questions written down, that’s what they’re there for!

CLOSING:

Sell yourself and aim to get an offer- if you decide the position is not right for you can always turn it down.
Don’t hesitate to show enthusiasm if the position interests you.
Even if the position turns out to be less than ideal, try not to display disappointment or negativity- the interview panel may be trying to gauge your reaction to negative news. In addition, you don’t want to burn any bridges and there may be a more suitable opportunity with the company down the road.
Ask when you can expect feedback.

AFTER:

Send a thank-you note within 48 hours.

Questions & Answers

WHAT TO ASK
Ask questions about the position and its responsibilities:

I understand this position requires the following. . .
How do you define a successful performance for this position? What are your expectations from someone in this role?
What challenges will I inherit if I take on this position?

Ask about your team and who you’re responsible to directly:

Who will I report to directly? Indirectly?
Will I have any staff reporting to me? How many?

Ask about the company’s objectives & plans for the future?

What are the company goals/ mission statement?
How do you expect this to position contribute to the company objectives? Department objectives?

Ask about past employees in this position:

What have you found to be important traits of someone who has been successful in this position in the past?
Why is the current person in this role moving on?

Ask about the panel and their histories with the company:

Could you tell me how long you’ve worked for this company and a little bit about how you grew into your current position?
How do you think I would fit into this role? To this organization?

WHAT NOT TO ASK

Questions about salary or benefits are off limits. Only discuss salary when offered the job.

HOW TO ANSWER
Could you please tell me about yourself?

You could probably go on forever about yourself, where you grew up, your family etc. so keep it brief and focus on three or four aspects of your skills, experience, and interests that are relevant to the position.

What are your long and short-term career goals?

The best way to answer this question is honestly and humbly. Indicate your long-term ambitions but make it clear that you understand the need to put in effort and take the necessary steps to get there. The employer wants to know if you’re worth the time & effort of training or if you’re going to jump ship at the next opportunity to come your way.

What are some of your strengths?

This is your chance to sell yourself. Describe the strengths you have that relate to the position and back them up with examples whenever possible.

Why are you looking to leave your current job?

Any answer that is something along the lines of, “I’m ready for a new challenge” or “There’s no more room for me to grow with my current employer” is pretty safe. Be sure to avoid bad-mouthing your current boss, coworkers or office environment. Stay positive and make your move about you.

Why did you leave your last position?

Same deal as above. Be honest and stay positive. If you did leave because you had a nasty boss, articulate it without assigning blame, such as “My boss and I didn’t see eye-to-eye on some key issues.”

Outside of work, what are some of the things you do?

Again, an opportunity to sell yourself and show you are a good person. Talk about extracurricular or community activities you are involved in and show enthusiasm. Passion goes a long way; if you are passionate about activities outside of work, chances are you’ll bring the same passion to a job you enjoy.

What were some of the challenges of your last job and how did you handle them?

You should have a couple of examples in mind to tell in PAR format; think of a problem you or the company had, the steps you took to resolve the issue, and the resulting outcome. This may include anything from a particularly difficult customer you had and how you handled it, to a project you led which increased company sales by 25%. Again, avoid examples that are overly negative and don’t make it personal (ie. I had a coworker from hell. . .)

Reminders

Be nice & be early! Shake hands firmly, it shows confidence.
Know your top 5 strengths (& be able to back them up with examples of accomplishments)
Have several stories to tell from your career history; these should be rehearsed but not memorized
Maintain eye-contact and good posture; be articulate and vocal; smile!
Be honest and stay positive
Don’t talk salary or benefits; if pressed, ask what the position pays.

What do I do when they DON’T ask me behavioral-style questions?

If you find yourself in an interview where the questions are interrogation-style, yes/no type questions then turn it around by giving behavioral-style answers.

For example, you might be asked: “Are you good at customer service?” instead of “Describe a time when you went out of your way to provide exceptional service.”

Don’t just answer, “Yes, I’m really good at customer service” say something like: “Yes, customer service is one of my strengths; for example . . .” and use one of your PAR stories that is suitable.

Additional Resources & Websites

http://www.susanireland.com/interviewguide/index.html
This site is great for interview preparation; it provides more details on the types of questions asked, how to answer them, and what the interviewer might be looking for when asking certain questions.

http://www.quintcareers.com/behavioral_interviewing.html
A site that discusses Behavioral interviews; provides a lot of examples of questions you might be asked in a behavioral interview; also features and extensive resource list which includes examples of Traditional interview questions, what to do when faced with off-the-wall questions, and top 10 interview bloopers.

The Globe & Mail, National Post & Vancouver Sun
The Careers Section of your daily newspaper is an excellent resource for job seekers. Every major Canadian newspaper issues at least one Career Section per week containing articles about appropriate workplace behavior & ethics, resume tips, interview guides and much more.