Interview Tips

Interview Preparation

  • Preparation for a job interview is vital. Preparing for an interview will help you appear confident and capable.
     
  • If the interview is arranged over the phone, ask what type of interview is planned so that you can better prepare yourself. If you are required to deliver a presentation, be sure you understand what will be expected of you.
     
  • Assess your strengths and determine how you can relate them to the company’s needs goals.
     
  • Review your experience and accomplishments, both paid and unpaid, as they relate to the position.   You will be asked to recall specific past experiences from all aspects of your life including work, school, your time on a sports team, or volunteer activities.
     
  • Prepare a list of what you do, your strengths, and a summary of your career history (focus on job skills and accomplishments that relate to the position for which you are being interviewed for).
     
  • Research the company and the position.  Information about the Crown is available on its website. Review the job description in detail to determine the qualities that are valuable to the position.
     
  • Prepare a list of questions that you can ask about the position.  A few well-thought out questions will show that you are interested in the organization and in the position.
     
  • Rehearse your responses both verbally and visually.
     
  • Bring extra copies of your résumé to take to the interview.
     
  • Prepare a list of recent supervisory references to leave with the interviewer.
     
  • Make sure you know where the interview is taking place. Check ahead of time for parking availability, bus schedules, or anything else that could cause you to be late.
     
  • Be on time for your interview, dress appropriately, and avoid wearing perfumes and colognes (as many people have allergies).

 

During the Interview

Begin with a firm handshake- First impressions are difficult to break, so display a confident and friendly attitude from the first moment the interviewer appears.

Maintain eye contact- When being interviewed by more than one person, maintain eye contact with the person who asks you a question.

Keep answers short and to the point – Avoid providing multiple responses to a question.  When asked a question, answer the question directly, add specific detail or an example, and then end your answer. If the interviewer would like more information, he or she will ask for it.

Sell yourself - Do not hesitate to describe your skills and your achievements. Talk about your past experiences to illustrate your points.

Demonstrate a positive attitude- Avoid making negative comments about previous employers or about the occupation. When asked about your liabilities, present one or two points sincerely and in such a way as they can be viewed as areas of potential strength.

Know the contents of your résumé- The interviewer will refer to your résumé and will have prepared some questions based on the experiences and education that you have described. Know the contents of your résumé well so that you can summarize points, provide chronological accounts, and answer questions that are asked.

Ask questions and next steps– At the end of the interview there will likely be an opportunity to ask questions.  This is a good opportunity to get information you need to make a decision if you are offered the job, so take advantage of it.

 

 Behavioural Interviewing

  • Behavioural interviewing is based on the concept that past performance is the best indicator of future performance. Instead of asking you theoretical questions, such as, “How would you handle a conflict with a co-worker?” the interviewer will ask you to recall specific, real situations and describe what happened.
  • In order to be successful in this type of interview, you must be able to describe how the situation arose, what you did, how other people around you reacted, and what the outcome of the situation was.

 

Some things to keep in mind in this type of interview are:                                                                

  •  Refer to a real experience when answering a question.
  • It is okay to describe a situation where you were not successful, as long as you can identify what went wrong, and what you learned from the experience.

The experiences you describe do not necessarily have to be from your current or previous jobs. You can use situations from school, university or volunteer work if they fit the question you have been asked.