Interview Preparation Guide
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INTERVIEW STRATEGIES
YOU’RE A WINNER ALREADY!
Congratulations on successfully securing an interview! Only the “cream of the crop” make it to
the interview. You have already done some things right, made an impression, and passed the
first largest hurdle. This workbook will help you to continue your winning streak. With
preparation and practice you will be on your way to securing a new position!
The interview process can often be daunting and unnerving, but don’t think of it as a test; think
of it as a conversation.
What does an interview do for the employer?

Allows employers to assess your suitability for the work that needs to be done day-today and over the long term.
Best Kept Secret
 Allows employers to assess your fit into the existing team.
Be prepared to talk
What does an interview do for you?
about your
interests, skills and
 Allows you to communicate relevant information about the
personality and
match between you and the opportunity.
how they may be
an asset for the
 Helps you determine if you still want the job.
new role.
Research shows that employers often decide if they want to hire you in the first two minutes of
an interview. Do not let that scare you. There is a secret to making a good first impression.
Once you’ve mastered it, you will be well on your way to the job of your dreams.
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THE SECRET
PREPARATION
The secret to a successful interview is preparation. This section will help you to create a “pool
of information” that will help you during the interview.
Though you have secured an interview, you must first realize that the employers as short-listed
other applicants and is under pressure to find a match; a candidate who will fit the position,
company and environment smoothly and quickly. Your job is to help the interviewers choose
you. Your approach must be proactive, to show the employers that you are the best match for
the position. Often interviewers are not experienced, so the more prepared and professional
you are, the easier you make it for them to feel confident that you are the best candidate!
KNOW YOUR TARGET
Best Kept Secret
Your first job is to research the organization and position.
This enables you to ask and answer professional, job related
questions. When answering questions, it helps you to draw
from past experiences and training that are most relevant to
the position/employers.
Employers like candidates
who know what they want
from a job. When
researching, envision how
your skills can be an asset.
What do I want to know?
to the organization. What
makes
youproper
unique?
 The
name of the company, branch locations, service areas, history etc.
Information about services, products the organization provides
 Major competitors, planned expansions or reductions, past performances, changes
 Working environment, policy, staffing, management
 Any information about this particular position, new replacement, purpose
 What other people think of the organization (i.e. blogs)
Where do I get information?
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Internet, Annual Reports, Company newsletters/website, blogs
Library, Human Resources Development Canada, Newspapers, Trade Journals
An informal tour of the potential new employer site
Personnel and/or Public Relations Office
Present and/or past employees (find more than one)
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KNOW YOURSELF
Preparing your resume was the first step to self assessment. Now comes a review of your own
experiences and skills, especially transferable skills, which may relate to this position and
organization. You increase your confidence when you know what you can contribute to the
organization. The exercise below will help you to retrieve information from your personal
archives into your current memory so you can use it during the interview.
Use the table below to help identify your skills, qualifications, interests and abilities. Under the
heading “self reflection”, write your answers to the question. Then in the next column, write
down some examples from your previous employment, studies, or volunteer opportunities that
best demonstrate that quality or skill (if applicable). If you find there is not enough room,
answer these questions on a separate piece of paper.
Self Assessment
Questions
What skills do I have
that will be of value
to this position? (i.e.
computer skills,
project management
etc.)
What knowledge
have I gained through
past employment
experiences?
What personality
traits make me a
good candidate for
this position? (i.e.
organized, creative)
What are my areas of
interests?
Self Reflection
Examples from Past Experiences
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What are my
qualifications? (i.e.
education,
certificates, years
experience)
What are my
strengths?
What are my
weaknesses?
What
accomplishments am
I most proud of? (i.e.
school, past
employment)
Where do I see
myself in 5 years?
Tip: Remember though, you are in control and you choose the weaknesses or shortcomings
you wish to share with the potential employer. A statement like the following is honest, states a
weakness and shows how I have overcome any negative impact, so it leaves a positive
impression on my interviewer. “I find routine statistical reports a chore, so I schedule them into
my “Daytimer” each month to insure I complete them on time.”
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PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
The best way to reduce anxiety is to practice, practice, practice! Ask someone who is close to
you (i.e. family, friend etc.) to hold a mock interview where they are the interviewer. Give them
a list of questions, especially the hard ones. The more comfortable you are answering these
questions, the more confident you will be in the actual interview.
If you get a question that you can’t answer, give it some thought before saying you don’t know.
Then follow-up by saying the question is something which you would like to give more thought
or learn more about. Employers will respect you more if you are honest and open about your
limitations.
Traditionally, interviews were conducted with one interviewer. These days there is often a
panel of two to four people conducting the interview. You will find that the panel may take turn
asking questions and they may all may take notes. This practice is not meant to intimidate you.
It is used to reduce biases/unfair processes and to help select the best candidate. That is why it
is even more important to prepare and practice!
Tip: Sample Interview Questions can be found at the end of this guide.
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AT THE INTERVIEW
Empathy for the interviewer is a good perspective for you now. By imagining yourself on the
interview team, you can develop a better understanding of the process, and predict many of
the questions the interviewers are likely to ask. This will allow you to consider and prepare
beforehand while you are calm and collected, for many of the topics to be discussed.
The employer needs to:
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Gather information about you to help predict your future performance.
Favourably impress candidates so they will want to do this job with this company.
You need to:
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Help the interviewer get to know you or make the best selection by relating your
experience, training, and skills to their needs.
Use the interview questions as a vehicle to empty your pool of information.
Present relevant information in a positive manner so the employer can predict your
suitability and future performance. (Bring a copy of your cover letter, resume and
references)
Get a good sense of the vacancy and the company to make sure the position is what you
expected or want to do or be a part of.
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THE THREE STAGES OF AN INTERVIEW
Stage 1: First
Impression
Stage 2: The
Interview
Stage 3: Ask
Questions
•1- 3 minutes
•This is your opportunity to make a good first impression (i.e.
dressing appropriately can impact someone's impression of
you)
•Body language/non verbals are important (i.e. smile, make eye
contact, and give a firm handshake)
•Beware of behaviour that may be interpreted negatively (i.e.
crossed legs or arms)
•15-60 minutes
•The interviewer will ask questions- format will vary with the
style of the interviewer, the type of position and the character
of the company
•Use your pool of information to give examples that are most
relevant to the question
•5- 10 minutes
•This is your opportunity to show what you've learned in your
research
•Questions can also show personal/career reflection and interests
•This time can be used to add pertinent inormation about you or
your background that was not covered in the interview
FIRST IMPRESSION
Make a good impression by dressing in a way that is appropriate for the company. Make sure
you look neat, clean and well groomed for your interview. Your best bet is to dress for an
interview as if you already had the job. Remember, looking professional means looking
respectable. While many offices allow their employees to dress casually on a day-to-day basis,
your interview is a time to make a professional first impression with your appearance. There
will be plenty of casual Fridays to take advantage of after you’re hired.
Checking the company’s website for pictures of the employees can give you an idea of the
overall level of dress. While a suit is nearly always appropriate in a corporate setting,
sometimes it does not make sense for the organization. Whatever you choose to wear, it
should be clean, ironed, coordinated and appropriate.
On some occasions, an employer will call you back for a second interview. Think positively and
plan ahead – make sure you have a few professional outfits.
• conservative colours
(i.e. navy, grey, black,
tan)
• pant suit or skirted suit
• avoid dress unless
accompanied with a
jacket
• skirt length should
never be above knee
• low-heeled shoes
• minimal make-up (i.e..
lipstick and nail polish
conservative tones)
• pantyhose should be
flawless (no runs) and
conservative in colour
Men
• clean and polished
dress shoes
• well-groomed
hairstyle
• cleaned and
trimmed fingernails
• no cologne or
perfume
• no visible body
piercing
• well-brushed teeth
and fresh breath
• no gum, candy or
other objects in
mouth
• no body odour
Women
Men and Women
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• conservative colours
(i.e. navy, grey,
black, tan)
• white long sleeved
dress shirt
• conservative silk tie
• neatly trimmed
facial hair
• if informal setting:
conservative sports
coat, no plaid, dress
slacks, white long
sleeve button down
shirt
• no sneakers
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS: WHAT TO EXPECT
At the interview, the employer will assess your skills and experience as they relate to the
qualifications of the job that you applied for. The job-specific qualifications are outlined in the
job posting and typically cover areas of education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and
competencies.
Four Types of Interview Questions
1. General Questions are asked to get to know you and to reveal your personal and
professional goals and experiences.
2. Knowledge Questions deal with technical or basic knowledge required to do the job.
3. Situational Questions describe hypothetical situations and candidates are asked what
they would do. The interviewer then uses a scoring guide to evaluate and score the
candidate’s answers. The best way to frame your answers to situational questions is to
respond as you would a behavior-based question. (See below)
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4. Behaviour-Based Questions ask the candidate to describe what he or she did in
situations in the past. The interviewer asks about your past behaviour or performance
in employment, volunteer or school situations. They are looking for concrete examples
of where you used a certain skill. The research behind these types of questions finds
that past behaviour is the most accurate predictor of future behaviour.
Tips: Sample questions can be found on p.9. Technical questions are specific to each job and
therefore are not listed. Refer to http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview/interviewquestions/jobs.aspx for examples.
PREPARING FOR BEHAVIOR-BASED QUESTIONS
STAR Method: Situation, Task, Action, Result
• Describe the situation that you were in.
Situation
• Discuss the task(s) that you did.
Task
• Explain the actions you took to complete the task.
Action
• Illustrate the results of doing the task and what you learned.
Result
NOTE: In answering these questions in this way, be sure to think about the type of skills that
would be used if you got the job (e.g. situations that highlight collaboration vs. situations that
highlight independent thinking). Always try to relate your answers to how you will benefit the
employer if hired.
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EXAMPLE:
Q. Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer.
A. When I worked at a busy convenience store, I often had to deal with challenging
customers, especially late at night. One time when I was working a customer wanted to
purchase a product and they were not of legal age (Situation).
I had to explain to the customer our store policy on not selling to minors (Task).
I showed her the sign that was displayed, explained the legal implications to both the
store and myself if I were to sell her the product while keeping a positive attitude
(Action).
The customer left the store with an understanding that she would not be able to
purchase the product after buying another item (Result).
From this experience I learned the importance of being assertive in a friendly manner to
respect the customer while upholding store policy (Learning and benefit to employer
implied).
Summary of how to prepare for behaviour-based questions
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Start by analyzing the job requirements. What skills are required to do the work well?
You will find the answer in the job posting.

Think of several situations in which you have used the skills the job requires (e.g.
leadership skills, problem-solving skills, communication skills).
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Develop at least three short, but detailed and specific, stories about how you handled
situations similar to those you might encounter on the job. Use the STAR formula. Each
story should have a beginning, middle and an end.
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Be prepared to provide examples of times when things didn’t turn out as you planned.
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Take time to think about your answers. You can’t anticipate all of the possible questions
so be prepared to think on your feet.

Be honest.
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SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
General Questions
1. What are your long & short range career goals and objectives? When & why did you
establish these goals? How are you preparing yourself to achieve them?
2. What specific goals, other than those related to your occupation, have you established
for yourself for the next ten years?
3. What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
4. What do you really want to do in life?
5. Tell me about yourself.
6. What are the most important rewards you expect in your career?
7. Why did you choose this career?
8. Which is more important to you, the money or the type of job?
9. What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
10. In recent performance evaluations, what areas were identified as our greatest
opportunity for improvement?
11. How would you describe yourself?
12. How do you think a friend/co-worker who knows you well would describe you?
13. What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
14. Why should I hire you?
15. What qualifications do you have that make you think that you will be successful in this
area?
16. How do you determine or evaluate success?
17. What do you think it takes to be successful in a company like ours?
18. In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our company?
19. What qualities should a successful manager possess?
20. Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and subordinates.
21. What 2 or 3 accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
22. If you were hiring a person for this position, what qualities would you look for?
23. What school or university subjects did you like best? Why? Like least? Why?
24. If you could do so, how would you plan your academic study differently? Why?
25. Do you have any plans for continued study?
26. What new skills do you feel you will need to learn to enhance your success in this
position?
27. How will you acquire these?
28. What have you learned from participation in extra-curricular or volunteer activities?
29. In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
30. How do you work under pressure?
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31. How would you describe the ideal job for you?
Situational Questions
32. What would you do if the work of a subordinate or team member was not up to
expectations?
33. A co-worker tells you in confidence that she plans to call in sick while actually taking a
week's vacation. What would you do and why?
34. Describe how you would handle the situation if you met resistance when introducing a
new idea or policy to a team or work group.
35. What would you do if the priorities on a project you were working on changed
suddenly? How would you handle it if you believed strongly in a recommendation you
made in a meeting, but most of your co-workers shot it down?
36. In a training session, you find that the trainer has a thick accent, and you can't
understand what's being said. What would you do?
37. List the steps that you would take to make an important decision on the job.
38. What would you do if you realized at deadline time that a report you wrote for your
boss or professor was not up to par?
39. How would you deal with a colleague at work with whom you seem to be unable to
build a successful working relationship?
40. You disagree with the way your supervisor says to handle a problem. What would you
do?
Behaviour-Based Questions
41. Can you give me an example of a time when your ability to focus and remain committed
over an extended period of time helped you to achieve an important goal?
42. Describe a situation where you had to resolve a conflict at work/class/in extracurricular
activities. What was the outcome? What did you learn from this situation?
43. Can you give an example of a time when, because of your active involvement in a group
or association, you received compliments, awards or other forms of positive feedback?
How did you handle the situation?
44. Can you give me an example of when you did more than your job/ assignment required?
45. Tell me about your biggest achievement to date.
46. Have you ever been in an uncertain situation? How did you react? What did you do?
47. Describe a time when you experienced time demands. What techniques did you use to
cope?
48. Tell me about a team project you worked on. What worked well? What were the
challenges, and how were they handled?
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49. Tell me about a time when you did not agree with a decision the group was making.
What did you do?
50. Describe a situation when you helped a fellow student/co-worker. What did you do?
51. Tell me about a time when you have had difficulty communicating with someone. How
did you handle it?
52. Have you ever initiated anything? What did you do and what was the result?
Inappropriate Questions
53. Do you have any religious restrictions that would prevent you from working on
weekends?
54. That is an interesting accent, what country are you from?
55. Are you married?
56. Have you ever been arrested?
RESPONDING TO INAPPROPRIATE QUESTIONS
What is an inappropriate question? Any question that asks about the topics below is
inappropriate and should not be asked during an interview.
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Age
Race
National origin
Birthplace
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Colour
Gender
Marital, parental, family status
Disabilities
Often interviewers are poorly trained and therefore do not know what questions cannot be
asked. Learning to approach these questions in a polite and diplomatic way can affect the
likelihood of being offered the job. Before proceeding with your response, make sure you fully
understand the question- this will help frame your answer with professionalism and tact.
Options:
1) Before answering, try to figure out what exactly they are looking for (the question behind the
question) and then address that issue directly. For example, if an interviewer asks “Do you have
any children?” they are most likely trying to figure out if you have any other responsibilities that
may affect your time at work. Therefore, you can respond “There is nothing that will affect my
obligations at work.”
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2) Avoid confrontation and politely ask for clarification on how the question relates to your job.
This will give them an opportunity to explain themselves. Example, “I would be happy to answer
your question for you. However, I’m not sure how it relates to the work I’ll be doing.”
Remember, you have control over the information that is given to the employer. If the question
is incredibly offensive, you may want to reconsider your future with that company. Trust your
gut!
ASKING GOOD QUESTIONS
Usually at the end of an interview, you’ll be asked if you have any questions. If you don’t ask
something, it can be taken as a sign of lack of preparation or interest. Prepare some questions
before the interview.
Why your questions are important:
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They reflect your motivation, interests, priorities, etc.
They are your opportunity to set the agenda
They help you determine if this job is right for you
They are related to the job you are applying. Ask about
job duties, the Department, departmental goals, and
growth opportunities.
Samples of Good Questions:
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Did you know that after you
leave an interview, the
employer will sometimes ask
the receptionist for their
opinion of you? This is one
way the employer can see
how you are outside of an
interview setting. Always be
friendly, respectful and
mindful of your behavior.
What is the most difficult part of the job?
How would you describe the working environment?
What would a typical day in this job be like?
How would you describe the management style of the
area?
What changes would you like to see made over the coming year by the person who
takes this job?
What would be the developmental opportunities in this department?
When should I expect to hear back from you?
Samples of Question NOT to Ask in an Interview
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Best Kept Secret
How many sick days can I claim as a new employee?
Do I have to dress up in the office?
Will I have long distance privileges on my telephone?
How much will I be paid?
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Tip: Better not to ask about salary until after you are offered the job.
The end of the interview is also a good time to emphasize how interested you are in taking the
process to the next step and why you think you’d be the perfect candidate for the job. You can
reinforce this sentiment by asking your interviewer for his or her business card so that you can
be in touch with him or her.
Upon leaving, make sure to shake the person’s hand again and make sincere eye contact. And,
of course, don’t forget to thank him or her.
FOLLOW-UP
Best Kept Secret
There’s always room
for improvement. In
case you did not
receive a job offer, do
not hesitate to call the
employers for
feedback. This
opportunity will help
you better prepare for
your next interview.
Your interview isn’t over when you walk out the door. As soon
as you get home, write a short thank-you note to your
interviewer. Tell him or her that you appreciated the time he or
she spent with you and the chance to learn more about the job
and the organization. Traditionally, a thank-you note refers to a
neatly handwritten card mailed to the organization’s address,
but today it is equally acceptable to send a thank-you email to
your interviewer. If you promised to send something additional
(i.e. writing samples, references or another copy of your
resume) make sure to enclose it. Keep your note short and
restate your understanding of the next step.
You’d be surprised how many
candidates never offer this simple courtesy. Send a thankyou note and you’ll stand out in the crowd.
Good luck on your next interview!