Common Interview Questions

There are a number of questions that interviewers like to use, how you answer them can determine whether you are successful or not. In this post we will cover ten of the most common of these questions. You should practice these and other questions often.

1. Tell me about yourself ? The most asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to the position you are interviewing for.
2. Why did you leave your last job? Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never speak ill of the organization, supervisor or coworkers. If you do you will be the one looking bad.
3. What is your greatest weakness? DO NOT EVADE THIS QUESTION Choose a weakness that can considered a strength such as I am too critical of myself. You should also provide the steps you have taken and/or are taking to fix this issue.
4. What do you know about this organization? This question is one reason to some research on the company before the interview. Find out where they have been and where they are going, do they have a favourite charity etc.
5. Why do you want to work for this organization? This may take some thought and should be based on your research on the company.
6. Have you ever been fired? If you haven’t, say no. If you have be honest. Be brief and avoid saying negative things about the people and  the organization
7. Why should we hire you? Point out how your assets meet what the company is looking for. Do not compare yourself to other candidates.
8. What is your greatest strength? Numerous answers are good. This is another opportunity to highlight your skills.
9. Tell me about a problem you had with a supervisor Biggest trap of all. This is a test to see if you speak ill of your boss. If you fall for it and tell about a problem with a boss, you may well blow the interview right there.Stay positive and develop a poor memory about any trouble with a supervisor.
10. Do you have any questions for me? Always have some questions ready. Such as:

• What are the responsibilities of the position?
• How would you describe the ideal candidate?
• When will a decision be made about this position?
• What is the next in the decision making process?
• How soon will I be hearing from you?
• May I get your business card?

Thank you Letter

It is important for you to email a thank you letter to the person who interviewed you within 24 hours of the interview which is why you ask for a business card. Sending a thank you letter accomplishes several things,all of them good.Besides being good manners it will

• Set you apart from those who don’t, keeping you fresh in the interviewers mind
• Show interest and professionalism
• Give you another opportunity to highlight your skills
• Give you a chance to provide information that you may have forgotten to mention or only thought of after the interview

Workshops

As well as offering existing workshops,we have been busy lately developing new workshops with a view to assisting with your return to work strategies.All our courses are offered at the Centre and are free of charge to former ArvinMeritor , Servisair and British Airways employees If you are interested in taking any of the workshops offered at your Action Centre please contact us (416) 255-2828 info@iamarvin.ca

Targeting Employers new!

In this workshop facilitated by Stephanie McKenzie you will be given the tools that you need to target employers that you are interested in. This course consists of two three hour sessions held over two days. Also available are individual sessions with Stephanie (While not required we prefer that you first attend the group sessions) Among the topics covered in the group sessions are:

• Resume review
• Points to consider in targeting employers
• Getting organized
• Planning your week
• Common web sites
• What works
• Changing your approach

The following three workshops will be facilitated by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB)

Pre-Employment Testing new!

It is common for employers to test potential employees in Math,Reading and Problem solving etc. This seminar explores strategies for dealing with employer testing.

Interview Skills

“An enjoyable and very useful workshop. I highly recommend it” -K. Kelly

Having good interviewing skills will help you to land that job you want. You need to stand out amongst all of the other interview candidates and present yourself as a confident and capable prospective employee. We would like to help you in honing your interview skills. We  have been running a workshop to provide you with information on how to have a successful interview.

Mock Interviews

This is a great tool for preparing yourself for a job interview. You will be interviewed by a professional job interviewer. A mock interview is not only good practice but will also help identify areas needing improvement.

Now Playing

The interview process can be intimidating to say the least,however you can lessen your worries with a little preparation. While we recommend that you sign up for one of the workshops offered here at your Action Centre, we have added these 4 videos dealing with the interview process to help you prepare for your job interview.

You can view these videos by going to our Videos page or click on the title of the video you wish to watch

The Interview:Typical Questions Covers some of the common questions asked in an interview and provides advice on how to answer them. Time 5:47

The Interview: Practice A discussion on the importance of practicing your answers to common questions Time 3:08

How To Ace A Job Interview Takes a humourous look at the interview process while still giving the viewer several useful tips on how to best manage the job interview. Time 3:25

Job Interview Boot Camp One of a series of informative videos. This one offers advice on how to perform your best in an interviewTime 3:46

The Employment Gap

Many of us have decided to take a break and/or are trying to wait for the job market to improve, or are looking for work with little or no success. No matter which group you belong to one thing you need to consider is that employers don’t like to see gaps in your employment history.

Even though employers know that times are tough for job seekers they still look closely at how you filled that time. While you may know that you are working hard at your job search, prospective employers have no way of knowing this. Given this it is important that you take steps to address this issue. How you may ask.

Here are a few suggestions

• Volunteer
  Not only does this help fill the gap and look good on a resume but is personally satisfying and helps your community
• Upgrade your skills
  Take computer training (available for free here at your Action Centre) for instance. Improve your English skills (ESL courses are available for free in your community). Get your foreign credentials recognized. These are only three examples of the many areas that you could improve your skills in.
• Go back to school
  More than 25% of your friends and former coworkers have chosen this option. While this option takes the most time it is a great option to get out of the lay off trap.

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