Research

Knowledge is power. Do some in-depth research on the company you have applied to. This will help you to get an idea of the kind of questions the interviewer may ask. For this, you can look up not just the company website, but also third-party sites. Check the companys recent news, products and services, size, etc.

Analysis

A job posting usually details the required qualifications and skills, past experience, and work responsibilities. You should spend some time looking through this description to understand what the employer is looking for. This will also help you to prepare competently for the questions.

Know Your Strengths

The first question you must ask yourself is what exactly is it that you want to convey. Keep your focus firmly on your strengths and skills. This will help you to feel positive and confident, especially if you are a Nervous Nellie.

Pitch

A short introductory speech is known as an elevator pitch. If you have a great, natural sounding one, it will help you enormously in impressing the interviewer.

Start with presenting your full name and then provide a short but clear overview of your education and past work experience. You can add your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and mention your sterling achievements. Bring it to an end with a Call-to-Action (CTA) by asking a question that your interviewer can respond to.

Organize your work

For truly standing out among the crowd, you must create a portfolio of your work. This will help you to display your knowledge and skills in a compelling manner.

General Preparation

In most cases nowadays, the very first step is a phone interview. The recruiter asks some general questions regarding experience and skills. Once that is done, either an in-person or a video interview is lined up with the hiring manager along with a few team members to ascertain your suitability for the posting.

Try not to have rote answers to general questions. You should ideally have some key points to convey, which you should do in a natural style while answering.

Answering questions

Here are a few tips.

• Monosyllabic answers are a no-no. Dont go long-winded, just answer in brief.
• Take your time in thinking about your answer. Obviously dont take ages. Just pause and formulate the answer in your mind before you open your mouth.
• If you dont know something, admit it. Theres no shame in it. However, do remember that saying it too often will make the interview die a slow death.
• If the conversation seems to be lagging, try and keep it moving.
• Do not mumble. Speak up while answering so that the interviewer doesnt have to strain to hear you properly.
  

   

Questions to ask

Towards the end of the interview, the interviewer may ask if you have any questions to ask. With the research youve already done, you may already have a couple youd like answered. If not, prepare a few so that the interviewer is able to gauge your interest in the posting and the company itself.

Know Thyself!

As your resume is your ‘job face to the world, always be very clear about every single point mentioned in it. You may be asked to explain or elaborate a certain point and any fumbling or obfuscation will not be received well.

Outfit

As they say – First impression is the last impression. Take care to wear a well-fitted, neat, and clean outfit for the interview. It goes without saying that you must wear business formals. Keep the jewelry to a minimum.

One thing – most Canadian workplaces have a scent-free policy in place to protect people with allergies. So, avoid wearing perfume or cologne.

Time matters

Be punctual if you have an in-person interview. Ideally, you should reach the place around 15 minutes prior to the meeting. This will help set a great impression as regards your keenness and punctuality. Also, remember to carry along a few extra copies of your resume.

Breathe!

Look, any interview is stress-inducing. To ace it, take a few deep breaths before you go in. This will help you to relax and answer all the questions, however tough, coherently during the meeting.

If you are looking to find work in Canada, we are committed to helping you land that dream job. Just come to us with your worries and let us take them all off your shoulders. Contact us today!