This document provides information and guidance for students preparing for and participating in employment interviews as part of their COMM 202 course. Key details include: - Employment interviews will take place on April 3rd, 4th, and 6th and are worth 25% of the course grade. Students must sign up for time slots by specific deadlines. - Students should bring specific materials like their resume, cover letter, research notes, and dress professionally. Interviews will last 20 minutes and consist of behavioral questions. - Common interview questions are reviewed like "tell me about yourself" and students are given tips on how to structure strong answers. Sample grading rubrics are provided. - Additional guidance covers following up after interviews

1. COMM 202
TUTORIAL 8
T22 & T29

2. AGENDA
Employment Interview
Interview Q & A
My Personal Take
Action Items

3. TIMELINE
Week 12 Week 13
• Informational Interview
(20%):
due Apr 14th at 11:59pm
via Turnitin
• Final Tutorial:
interview
questions
• Employment
Interview
*Sign-up*:
Mar 27-29th (if
you applied to
COOL on time)
and Mar 30th (if
you applied to
COOL late)
• Final Lecture: when
you’ve got the job!
• Employment
Interviews (25%):
happening Apr 3rd,
4th, 6th
• Optional:
interview stream
available until Apr 7th
@ 11:59pm
Week 14

4. EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW
When: Apr 3rd, 4th, 6th
25%
WHAT TO BRING (Mandatory):
• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Job Description
• Padfolio
• Pen
• Research Notes

5. THE INTERVIEW:
• Check in with “reception” in Birmingham (it is the student’s responsibility to find the
check-in desk)
• BE EARLY! – ideally by about 10 minutes: if you’re not there by your scheduled interview
time, you will receive an automatic 0 (you must also bring your resume, cover letter and
job posting printed in order to be able to do the interview)
• Interview is approximately 20 minutes long with one COMM 202 team member/coach or
external consultant (allot 30 minutes total)
• You can sign up for timeslots for interviews starting:
• Mon Mar 27th at 8:30am until Wed Mar 29th for those who applied to the COOL job
posting on time (you will get an email with instructions)
• Those who applied to the COOL job posting late can only sign up on Thurs
Mar 30th
• Do NOT miss the deadline to signup on time!
• Interview will consist of behavioural questions
25%
When: Apr 3rd, 4th, 6th
EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW

6. Dress to IMPRESS &
Dress for SUCCESS

7. INTERVIEW Q&A

8. QUESTION #1
Tell me about yourself
 Most common question that you will be asked during
an interview
 Can be asked in a different way
 PRACTICE!

9. QUESTION #1
Tell me about yourself
 Keep it 2 minutes or less
 Brand yourself – give them something to remember
you by
 Sound natural, not like you’re reading off a script!
 Speak to your skills and accomplishments
 Show passion
 Provide a well-rounded picture

10. TELLING YOURSTORY!
THE GOAL: Tell them a story that no one else can replicate and
impress them in the first 2 minutes
The
Beginning
The Spark
Growing
Interest
Your
Future
Why you
are here?
A Common Theme

11. Introduction
Realization that this is the right career for you
Your formula and how it has helped lead you
to this role
Where you see yourself
How this position ties into it all
Growing
Interest
The Spark
Your Future
The Beginning
Why You Are
Here
TELLING YOURSTORY!

13. MY FORMULA?
Social
Entrepreneur-
ship
Education Internships JK
Courage
Compassion
Visionary
Collaborative Learning
Highly Analytical
Finance & Cases
Client Exposure
Financial Statements
Comfort with Ambiguity
Leadership

14. YOUR STORY
Grading Rubric: Tell Me About Yourself
I would consider
you a strong
candidate. (3pts.)
I would like to
interview you
again. (2pts.)
I would not consider
you a top candidate.
(1pts.)
I would not hire
you. (0 pts.)
TELL ME
ABOUT
YOURSELF
The student provides
a relevant “story”
highlighting their
passions,
accomplishments,
goals and fit to the
organization in a
concise manner
(2mins or less)
The student provides
a story” highlighting
some but not all
aspects in column
one or answer was
longer than 2
minutes
Student provided a
“story” that is not concise
and is more than 2
minutes
Student fails to
answer the question
or answer is not
coherent and is
longer than 2
minutes

15. ACTIVITY: Grab a partner and swap “Tell me
about yourself” stories
2.5 minutes story telling; 1 minute feedback
Goal: Convey the elements of the story in a logical way
and experiment with finding your formula
YOUR STORY

16. QUESTION #2
What are your strengths?
 A way for the interviewer to tell if you know yourself
and that you know you have what it takes to do the job
 Can also be asked in different ways! Prepare multiple
strengths.
 There is no right answer – just good answers and bad
answers

17. YOUR STRENGTHS
Grading Rubric: Strengths
I would consider you
a strong candidate.
(3pts.)
I would like to
interview you again.
(2pts.)
I would not consider you
a top candidate. (1pts.)
I would not hire
you. (0 pts.)
STRENGTHS Student is able to choose
strengths relevant to the
position, gives a strong
examples and
communicates concisely
Student is able to choose
strengths relevant to the
position gives a strong
example of execution but
may lack link to the
position
Student’s strengths may be
irrelevant to the position
and/or lacks proof of
execution or link to the job
opportunity
Student fails to provide
strengths and strengths
are totally irrelevant to
the position

18. QUESTION #3
What are your weaknesses?
Do not flip
WEAKNESSES
into
STRENGTHS!

19. QUESTION #3
What are your weaknesses?
 A way for the interviewer to see if you are able to
identify weaknesses and have a plan in place to
improve them
 Talk about weaknesses that would not impair you
from doing the job you are applying for well. Again,
prepare multiple!

20. QUESTION #3
What are your weaknesses?
✘ “I’m such a perfectionist”
✘ “Too detail-oriented”
✘ “Over-achiever”
✘ “I work too hard sometimes”

21. YOUR WEAKNESSES
Grading Rubric: Weaknesses
I would consider you a
strong candidate.
(3pts.)
I would like to
interview you again.
(2pts.)
I would not consider you a
top candidate. (1pts.)
I would not hire you.
(0 pts.)
WEAK-
NESSES
Student is able to choose
a developmental area not
key to the function of the
position and share how
they overcame the
situation, the lesson
learned and
action plan moving
forward while
demonstrating self-
reflection and resilience
Student is able to choose
a developmental area not
key to the function of the
position and share how
they overcame the
situation however is not
able to articulate the
Lesson learned or
action plan moving
forward and/or student
chooses cliché answers
Student either chooses a skill
essential to the position or was
not able to clearly convey the
lesson and/or their action plan
for moving forward; student
was unable to provide a
weakness
Student fails to provide a
clear answer and isn’t
able to demonstrate any
weaknesses clearly

22. #4 TELL ME ABOUT A TIME WHEN…
S T A R
SITUATION ACTIONTASK RESULT
What position
and where
were you?
What was the
challenge you
faced?
What did YOU
do and how
did you do it?
What was the
accomplishment
and the impact?
+ LINK back to job and why the story is relevant

23. WILD CARD QUESTION

24. WILD CARD QUESTION
INDUSTRY/JOB SPECIFIC OR… A SURPRISE!
 A way for the interviewer to gauge your interest and
knowledge of the position and industry
 Test your ability to communicate clearly
 Shows the interviewer how you think
 TESTS BUSINESS ACUMEN: news, trends, etc.

25. WILD CARD QUESTION
Grading Rubric: STUMPER!
I would consider you a
strong candidate.
(3pts.)
I would like to
interview you again.
(2pts.)
I would not consider you a
top candidate. (1pts.)
I would not hire you.
(0 pts.)
CREATIVE
STUMPER
QUESTIONS
Student “aces” every
opportunity to
differentiate themselves
during the interview: e.g.,
they offer a credible,
logically organized, and
concise answer for every
question.
Student “handles” some
opportunities to
differentiate themselves
during the interview: e.g.,
they offer credible and/or
logically organized and/or
concise answers for many
questions.
They “miss” too many
opportunities to differentiate
themselves during interview:
e.g., they offer widely varying
answers in terms of credibility
and/or logical organization
and/or conciseness.
Student fails to provide a
clear answer or doesn’t
attempt to answer

26. QUESTIONS WE’VE BEEN ASKED
FINANCE
WHAT ARE THE THREE WAYS TO VALUE A COMPANY?
PITCH ME A STOCK
SO MANY CURVEBALLS…
ACCOUNTING
WHY DO YOU WANT TO PURSUE YOUR CPA?
WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK FOR X FIRM?
WALK ME THROUGH AN ACCOUNTS PAYABLE CYCLE?
MANAGEMENT
CONSULTING
HOW MANY WORDS ARE ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES?
WHAT ARE YOUR 5 WEAKNESSES? … TELL ME ANOTHER … AND ANOTHER
CASES
MARKETING
HOW WOULD YOU INCREASE SALES OF X PRODUCT BY X%?
SELL ME THIS PEN
TLOG
WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO INCREASE OUR PRODUCTIVITY?
HOW MANY CHAIRS ARE IN SAUDER?
HUMAN RESOURCES
HOW SHOULD WE CHANGE OUR HIRING PROCESS?
HOW WOULD YOU FIRE ME IF YOU HAD TO DO IT RIGHT NOW?
RANDOM QUESTIONS OR
SCENARIOS
WOULD YOU RATHER GO SKY DIVING OR SCUBA DIVING AND WHY?
HOW WOULD YOU DIVIDE A CAKE INTO 8 EQUAL PIECES WITH ONLY 3 KNIFE
CUTS? [ROLE PLAYING A DECISION MAKING SITUATION]
TELL ME ABOUT SOME NEWS YOU HAVE READ RECENTLY AND HOW IT RELATES
TO THIS JOB?

27. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
Always have at least 2 questions!
 Avoid asking questions you could find the answer to on Google
 An example of a good question: “What specific traits and qualities
do you look for in a successful candidate?”  Listen to what they
say and link it back to you if it applies!
 Do not ask something that has already been addressed in the
interview
 Always safe to get them talking about themselves – maybe ask
something directly related to their job/industry or some career
advice.

28. CLOSING THE INTERVIEW
THANK them
Reiterate your INTEREST
End with a HANDSHAKE
Ask for their BUSINESS CARD
Ask if you can CALL to follow-up
Use their NAME

29. FOLLOW UP!
 Send an email or handwritten card
 Reference the interview – something you want to emphasize or
something unsaid that you want them to know
 Reiterate your interest in the position
 Thank them for the opportunity again
 Reference an answer they gave you to one of your end of interview
questions
 If you interviewed with multiple people make sure the follow-up is
personalized to each person

30. Use Your
Skills Matrix
Listen to
the
Questions
Answer the
Questions
Asked
TIPS
& Smile 

31. TIPS
& Smile 
• Guide the conversation to where you are comfortable
• Answer the darn question!
• Smile and nod 
• Differentiate yourself
• Bring the energy into the room

32. PRACTICE
YOUR ANSWERS

33. WORDS OF WISDOM

34. ACTION ITEMS
 OPTIONAL Interview Stream available until Apr 7th at 11:59pm
(simply if you want to practice, not for marks)
 Employment Interviews on Apr 3rd, 4th, 6th (check email inbox
and course blog for instructions on how to signup this week)
 Informational Interview due Apr 14th at 11:59pm on Turnitin
 Check my previous tutorial’s slides and the course blog for
instructions and assignment criteria
 Next Week is … (final) LECTURE:
*only happening on the Tuesday and Wednesday – check
Lecture video online if you can’t make it in person*