Interview guide
The key to success in job interviews is preparation! This guide will help you break down the steps to make a good impression.
Analyse the job description
To effectively persuade an employer to hire you, you need to be able to communicate your transferrable skills and related experiences and connect them with the requirements and responsibilities of the job.
Put yourself in the place of your interviewer: what would they want to hear the most about from you as a candidate?
Study the job description
- Key requirements of the job: Skills, qualifications and experience that they are seeking in a candidate.
- Tasks and responsibilities associated with the role.
- Key words used by the employer to describe the job and its requirements.
Use this information to reflect on your experience and how it relates to the job description:
- Study your resume and be prepared to talk about your experiences or qualifications, specifically connecting them to the job description.
- Prepare stories that demonstrate your qualifications and focus on your accomplishments.
Conduct employer research
Researching the employer demonstrates your interest in the organization and allows you to connect your skills, values and interests, and those of the employer.
While reading the company website is the first step, you can also look at their social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc.) and any articles, podcasts or other features you can find about their work.
Details to note
- the products and/or services that they offer
- their mission and values
- their current projects
When asked, “Why would you like to work for this company?”, you demonstrate your intrinsic motivation by explaining how one of these aspects resonate with your own values or what type of challenges you’re eager to solve.
Practice answering interview questions
Practice answering questions out loud as much as you can before the interview. Practice with friends, family, or record yourself answering sample interview questions. You can also meet with a career advisor to practice for your interview.
Common interview questions and what employers are looking for in an answer
Remember to use your employer research and the job description in your answers!
Tell me about yourself.
Employers want to get an overview of your background. Include a summary of your professional history, key accomplishments and how your skills and experience make you a good fit for the role. Your answer should be one to two minutes maximum in length. Focus on the highlights, not the exhaustive details of your career history.
What do you know about our company and why are you interested in working for us?
Employers are looking for candidates who demonstrate enthusiasm about the company and its mission. Researching the organization effectively is key! Articulate how your values and skills align with the organization’s goals.
What are your strengths?
Employers want to understand how your strengths (professional skills and personal qualities) align with the role. Highlight specific strengths relevant to the job and provide concrete examples of how you can apply them to thrive in this position.
What are your weaknesses?
Answering this question thoughtfully demonstrates maturity and self-awareness. Recognize your weaknesses and show the employer what strategies you have put into place to overcome them. Choose a genuine weakness that is relevant to the job, but not critical.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Employers want to learn about what motivates you and gauge your potential commitment and growth to the company. How do your goals align with the opportunities provided within their company?
Why should we hire you?
Employers want to know if you understand the position and how your skills and experience are a fit for the company’s needs. Demonstrate your value and confidence.
Why did you leave your last job?
Employers are looking to understand your motivations and assess any potential red flags. Be honest and diplomatic, focus on positive reasons like seeking new challenges, career growth and reasons why the role you are interviewing for aligns with your goals.
How would your last supervisor describe you?
Employers want to gauge your self-awareness. Highlight positive traits and specific examples of your work ethic, skills and contributions.
Behavioural questions
Behavioural questions ask you to describe a specific situation or experience and your response or an action that you took.
To answer behavioural questions, we recommend using the STAR technique to organize your thoughts and keep your answers focused.
STAR technique
Situation
Provide a short overview of the situation to provide context (working on a class project, previous job, volunteer experience).
Task
What was the problem to be solved, responsibility you undertook, or goal you were attempting to reach?
Action
Describe what steps you took to solve the problem or achieve the goal and why. What was your thought processes? What skills did you use?
Result
Describe the result or action. Try to come up with examples that had positive results. If you need to use an example that had a negative result, describe what you learned and how you might do things differently.
Common behavioural questions
Practice using the STAR technique in your response!
Describe a situation when you had a conflict with another individual and how you handled it.
Employers ask this to assess your ability to handle interpersonal challenges. Describe the conflict briefly, your approach to resolving it diplomatically and any positive outcomes or lessons learned.
Give me an example of a goal you reached and how you achieved it.
This question gauges your ability to set and accomplish objectives. Outline a specific goal, the steps you took to achieve it and the positive results or impact of your achievement.
Describe a stressful situation and how you handled it.
Employers ask this to understand how you cope under pressure. Describe a stressful situation, your actions to manage stress effectively and how you successfully navigated through it.
Tell me about a team project that you are particularly proud of and describe your contribution.
This question evaluates your teamwork and collaboration skills. Describe the project briefly, your role and contributions and highlight specific achievements or outcomes attributable to your efforts.
Tell me about a problem you solved and the steps you used to solve it.
Employers ask this to assess your analytical and problem-solving skills. Outline a specific problem or challenge, the steps you took to analyze and resolve it and the positive outcome or results achieved.
Describe a situation in which you received constructive feedback and how you handled it.
This question assesses your openness to feedback and ability to learn and improve. Describe the feedback received, how you approached it with a positive attitude and the actions you took to address and implement the feedback.
Tell me about a time where you had multiple projects and how you were able to prioritize them.
Employers ask this to gauge your organizational and time management abilities. Describe a situation where you had multiple projects, how you assessed priorities based on deadlines and importance and how you effectively managed your time to meet all objectives.
Recognize inappropriate interview questions
Employers are not allowed to ask you questions about your age, nationality or ethnic origins, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or family status, pregnancy planning, political and religious beliefs, disabilities, or criminal record.
If you receive one of these questions and you don’t feel comfortable responding, you can politely decline to answer, referencing how it does not impact your ability to perform the responsibilities of the job. You could also reframe your response to focus on the job and its tasks.
Prepare questions to ask the interviewer
Interviewers expect that you will have questions for them.
Insightful questions can:
- highlight your interest in the position and engagement in the process
- allow you to demonstrate the research you conducted and your knowledge of the industry
- help you gather more information as to whether the organization is a fit for you
Have three to four questions prepared prior to your interview. If the interviewer answers one of your questions during the interview, choose another one.
Sample questions for the interviewer
- What are some of the challenges I can anticipate in this position?
- What are priorities that you would like me to tackle?
- What is a typical day in this role?
- How would you describe your work environment?
- Is this a new position or are you replacing someone?
- What does the onboarding process look like for new employees?
Understand the salary range for the role
It’s important to know your worth! However, it is not recommended to ask an interviewer about salary in the first interview unless they initiate the discussion. If asked about specific salary expectations, try to provide a range that you are willing to accept that is consistent with industry standards.
Before your interview, look at a variety of resources to get an idea of salary ranges for the industry, type of roles and geographical location(s) that you are targeting, as well as your education level and experience.
Salary range resources
For the Canadian labor market:
You could also use annual salary reports from placement agencies that survey employers and employees, for example:
Reflect on what salary you need to be able to maintain your lifestyle and ensure that your expectations align with what is realistic for this role/industry. Be sure to consider total compensation: benefits, bonuses, professional development opportunities, vacation time, personal time, sick days, an expense account, corporate vehicle, or any additional benefits.
Prepare professional references
Make sure to come to your interview with professional references prepared.
Select people who can speak positively about your work ethic, skills and character, and who have directly observed your performance, for example, a manager, supervisor, or director.
Ask your references for permission prior to sharing their contact information. Make sure they are expecting a call or email and have a clear recollection of your performance and qualifications.
If you haven't been in touch with your references for more than a year, it’s good practice to reconnect with them to refresh their memory about your achievements.
References should include:
- First name and last name
- Title of their position
- Name of the company
- Phone number
The day of the interview
When you’ve done your best to prepare, the interviewer will be able to tell. The day of the interview, these tips can help you make a good impression.
- Dress professionally: Choose attire that aligns with the company culture and industry norms to make a positive first impression. When in doubt, dress slightly more formally.
- Bring necessary documents: Have copies of your resume, a list of references, and any other applicable documents such as a portfolio.
- Arrive early: Give yourself plenty of time to find the interview location and account for transit delays. If your interview is online, check your tech in advance (Wi-Fi, meeting link, microphone) and make sure your background is professional and neutral.
- Manage your stress: You might try deep breathing or visualization exercises prior to the interview. Recognize that some stress is normal; it can even help you be more alert and perform better. Focus on your strengths and the work you did to prepare.
- Be mindful of your body language: Make eye contact, show good posture, demonstrate engagement in the conversation and ensure your facial expressions are positive and approachable. Subtly mirroring the interviewer’s body language can help build a rapport.
- Listen actively: Make sure that you understand the questions. Do not cut off the interviewer when they are speaking.
Following up after the interview
Send a brief thank you email or message within one to two days after the interview. This is an opportunity to reiterate your interest in the position and express your appreciation to the interviewer.
