1.
Interview Tips & Tricks
Jan 24th 2018
Presenter: Victoria Welsby – Adjunct Professor and Founder, BAM POW LIFE

2.
01
02
03
Learning Outcomes
Learn how to ace an interview
Come away with the ability to think like an
employer
How to avoid common interview mistakes

3.
What is the purpose
of the job interview?

4.
01
02
03What is a Job
Interview?
An opportunity to meet face to face or be
screened by phone or skype.
To discuss qualifications
To assess your ability, skills and FIT!
04To demonstrate your skills and personality
05To sell yourself – what the resume does
not tell them about you

5.
3 Main Questions
01 02 03Can you do the job? Will you like the job? Will you be liked?

6.
What types of
interviews are there?

7.
Types of Interviews
Face to Face Interview
• One person or group
• Behavioral and/or case
• Once or a few times
Presentations
• Job dependent
• Key personnel
Technical/Aptitude Testing
• Job required skills
• Psychological/personality
Telephone Interview
• Screening usually
• Conducted by HR
• Worth pursuing further?
Site Visits & Groups
Tours, meals and interacting
with other candidates and stake
holders

8.
The
Interview
Process

9.
How to be cool as a cucumber
Because being calm helps us perform better!
Remember the four R’s:
• Research
• Role play
• Relax
• Realise

10.
Preparation is key
The Interview Process
One important key to success is self-confidence.
An important key to self-confidence is
preparation.
- Arthur Ashe

11.
1. Plan ahead: Location – do a dry run on
bus or car ahead of time
2. Research company and position you
are pursuing. Assess your transferrable
skills and experience
3. Develop list of potential questions you
could be asked and responses Roleplay
the answers– practice makes perfect!
4. What to wear/what to bring with you
The Interview
Process
Preparation:

12.
The Interview Process
(Some) useful resources to research
employers and the interviewers:
- Company’s website
- David Lam Library Online Resources
- Glassdoor.com
- Social Media
Step 2: Getting Ready
Preparation: Employer’s Research
More resources:
- LinkedIn/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram
- Business media
- WorkBC
- Job postings
- Professors
- Your current network
- Alumni

13.
What is the biggest MISTAKE you can make in a job interview
(according to recruiters)?

14.
What is the biggest MISTAKE you can make in a job interview
(according to recruiters)?
Knowing little to nothing about the
company you are interviewing with
Knowing little to nothing about the
position you applied to and why you are
interested

15.
The job description
and requirements
The Interview Process
Preparation: Assess your skills and experience as it
relates to the job
Your job history,
experience and skills

16.
01
02
03Preparation:
Common Questions
Why do you want to work for us?
Why should we hire you?
Tell me about yourself
04What are your strengths/weaknesses?
05Behavioral questions
06Technical/Analytical questions
07Problem solving/stumper questions

17.
Mock Interviews with a
coach
Interview StreamPractice
Makes Perfect
Other Resources:
• Connect – Interview e-module
• www.talentegg.ca
• iphone/ipad Apps

18.
Practice Body Language

19.
The Interview
Process
Preparation
What should you wear?
- Business Formal
- Business Casual
- Casual

20.
The Interview
Process
You only have one
chance at a first
impression!

21.
Let’s practice our first
impression!

22.
01
02
School: Specialization
“Why (what skills made you think you
would succeed in this field?”
Work: General overview of positions
(industry)
“What are the key skills developed/used?”
03Extra-curricular:
“What are you involved in?”
“What are the key skills developed/used?”
The Interview
Process
Common Questions:
Tell Me About Yourself
04Fun: “What do you do to chill out?”
05“Why am I here today?”

23.
The Interview
Process
Strengths and
Weaknesses
They will most likely then start about your
strengths and weaknesses
Have examples of 2-3 strengths and examples from
your personal, school and work experience.
Have a weakness that is something you are working
on, or is unrelated to the job.

24.
Time to
brag!
Strengths
01 Example
02 How you have used your strength
03 Action
04 Result
Use real life experiences and if possible, quantify it.
”I am excellent at business development. I
created a new sales method that increased
customer referrals. Over the last 2 years
I have exceeded my sales target by over 25%.”

25.
We are all
human
Weaknesses
01 Example
02 Method of how you are improving
03 Lesson learned
04 Result
If your weakness is blatant, say it. (language)
What ways is this asked?
• Grades
• Tell me about a time you failed

26.
3 minutes – write
down a strength and a
weakness

27.
Behavioral
Questions

28.
• Provide examples of your past
performance told in a story format that
shows your skills in a positive way
• Story is non-fiction!
• Logical beginning, middle and end
• Easiest way to keep the interviewer
engaged and listening
Behavioral
Questions
Past performance
indicates future
success

29.
SSituation
TTask
AAction
RResults
Detail the background. Provide a context.
Where? When?
Describe the challenge and expectations.
What needed to be done? Why?
Elaborate your specific action.
What did you do? How? What tools did you use?
Explain the results: accomplishments,
recognition, savings, etc. Quantify.
How to
Answer
Behavioral
Questions?

30.
Example
Behavioral
Questions
01
02
Describe a situation in which you were able to use
persuasion to successfully convince someone to
see things your way
Describe an instance when you had start something
from scratch and what was the result
03 Give me a specific example of a time when your
eye for detail prevented or solved a problem
04 By providing examples, convince me that you can
adapt to a wide variety of people, situations and
environments
05 What was the most difficult decision you have
made in the past year and how did you make it?

31.
Technical/Analytical
Questions
Technical or analytical questions are used to dig into prior
work or school project experience that would assist the
company in identifying all the skills you can bring to the
position.
They are also asked to see how quickly you can think on your
feet.
Concrete examples are often sought.

32.
Problem
Solving
Questions
?
Here’s the secret: your
interviewer isn’t necessarily
looking for a right answer.
• How quickly you can think
on your feet
• How you’ll approach a
difficult situation
• Can you remain positive
and proactive and make
progress in the face of a
challenge

33.
Problem Solving Questions
?
• Relax, be yourself, and tackle it calmly.
• Talk to the interviewer through your
internal thought process, so he/she can
gain insight into the way you think and
analyze information.
How to
answer it?
How many tennis
balls can you fit into a
limousine?
Explain the Internet
to an 8-year old in
three sentences.
- Monitor Deloitte - Microsoft

34.
Questions to Ask Them
• Primary objectives
• Challenges
• How to succeed
The Role
• Short/long term goals
• Upcoming initiatives
• Work environment
The Company The Interviewer
• Their story with the
company
• Challenges faced in this
role
• How are they
connected with this
role?

35.
Phrasing a
Question
Fair
Are you planning to open an office in Toronto?
Good
What are your plans for opening an office in
Toronto?
Better
I read in the news about a possible opening for
an office in Toronto. I was wondering what
factors are under consideration for this decision.

36.
What you can get from asking questions
• Validating the values of the company/team/manager to make sure
they align with you
• Does this company/role offer what you want?
• Demonstrate your expertise in the industry by asking job
content/subject matter/trend related questions
• Any deal-breakers for you?
• Selling yourself as a candidate (closing them)

37.
Posing
Questions
Some Good Examples
**My favourites
• What is your favorite part of your job and
working with this company?
• What were the characteristics of the most
successful person in this position in the past?**
• When are you looking to short list/make an offer?
• If I am extended an offer, how soon would you
like me to start?
• What is your management style?
• Is there anything that makes you think I may not
be successful in this position?**
• Are there any skills you want this employee to
have that were not on the job description?

38.
Phrasing a
Question
Bad Examples
• How many days of sick leave will I have?
• What’s the company’s mission?
• How much is my monthly salary?
• Anything that would have been on the website.

39.
Closing the
Interview
• Thank them!
• What is the hiring process?
• Do you know their email?
• Ask for their card
• Are they meeting a lot of candidates?
• Get as much information as you can!
• Tell them you’re interested in the role and the
company
• Use their name
• Smile
• Thank them again!

40.
After the
Interview:
Send a Thank You
note or email

41.
Top 10
mistakes
to avoid

42.
Bringing coffee
with you

43.
Smoking
beforehand

44.
Checking your
phone while
you wait

45.
Being too
early

46.
Looking
shabby

47.
Negative
body
language

48.
Rambling

49.
Being rude

50.
Wearing too
much perfume
or cologne

51.
Being liberal
with lies

52.
Not following
up

53.
Q&A