What to Expect During an Interview

What to expect during an interview?  That’s a good question.  Every interview that you attend is going to have a different look and feel to it. Each board member will approach you and the process a bit differently. Some are very formal and structured, as you would expect for interviews in the Federal Government or in very large organizations. Some might be a bit more casual, where a very small business is looking to add another employee. Regardless of the type of interview you are attending, you have to be ready for anything.

If this is a career change, you may be an experienced “interviewee”. If you are new in the workforce, this may be a brand new experience for you. Either way, you can never be sure how the interview will proceed.

What can you expect at the Interview?

• Introductions
  • The Board will probably introduce themselves, perhaps tell you a bit about the organization or the job, and they may ask you to tell them a bit about you. This will give you a chance to get a feel for the interviewers, and give you an opportunity to get yourself a bit grounded and relaxed. Don’t forget. You are going to be nervous, and that’s ok. Everyone is nervous during an interview. Use this time to take a few deep breaths and relax a bit. But not too much!! Don’t become too casual.
• Personal Attributes
  • You may find the Board wants you to talk about your own personal attributes, or qualities that you can bring to the table, i.e. “Are you comfortable working in a team environment?”  “Can you work independently with minimal supervision?”  “Do you get along well with others?”  You should be prepared to talk about yourself. Make sure you know what the job is about, and be prepared to talk about the attributes that you have that are meaningful to this particular job.
• Conventional / Traditional Questions
  • Whether it is a formal, structured interview or a more casual interview, you might be asked a series of conventional questions, i.e.  “What attributes do you possess that will make you a good candidate for this position?”  These questions can be difficult to prepare for simply because you don’t know what they will ask.  But there are a number of common ones for which you can prepare.  Use the job poster and your invitation to the interview as your guide to knowing the types of questions they will ask.
• Behaviour Based Questions
  • Behaviour based interviews  are very common in Federal Government job processes, police and fire processes, and any other job where they will be assessing specific competencies, or qualities, that they have identified as being important for the successful candidate to possess.  Questions will be asked where you must give them a specific example of past experience.  For instance, you might be asked a question like: “Tell me about a time when you  had a difficult problem to solve.”  This question speaks to the competency “Problem Solving”.  Your job will be to relay a story from your past experience that can demonstrate that you have good problem solving skills.
• Scenario Based Questions
  • Some interviewers will use scenario based questions to assess your abilities, i.e. “You arrive for work to discover …. How will you handle this situation?”  These can be difficult to prepare for because you can’t anticipate what the scenario will be.  You can only anticipate the competency that will be assessed.  But you can still practice so you get the feel for how to approach this type of question.  Come up with your own scenarios and deliver a response that outlines what you would do if faced with that situation.
• Do you have any questions for us?
  • Many Interview Boards will ask if you have any questions for them. Don’t be afraid to ask some clarifying questions about the job or the company.  Use this opportunity to demonstrate that have taken the time to research them and learn more about them, and that you are very interested in getting this job.

What is the most important thing to remember? Expect anything. Every hiring board and interview will be different. It’s up to you to prepare yourself for the unexpected and to be ready. This is your chance to sell yourself. You want to be the one that the board remembers when it comes time to choose the successful applicant.

And don’t be afraid to ask for help preparing before you ever get to the interview. Look for someone experienced in conducting interviews, or a Certified Professional Career Coach who has experience in a wide range of interview techniques.

Do you know someone who is faced with this challenge? Feel free to share this post by using the share links at the top of this page. Also, if you’d like more interview tips, feel free to check out the interview resource page.