It's a fact: Knowing how to answer the tough questions in a job interview in ways that are both honest and powerful can help impress the interviewer and land the job. While many candidates are aware of the power of proper preparation and showcasing their skills, many underestimate the importance of leaving a lasting, memorable impression of themselves. Skills and qualifications alone do not always make a candidate the obvious choice if their interview is not strong.
So how do you deliver a strong, solid interview? Centre for Skills Development has a workshop dedicated to learning just that.
"In our Interviews That Impress workshop, we not only discuss what to do during an interview, but before and after as well. There's also different types of interviews - over the phone, one-on-one, group interviews and panel - and different strategies should be used depending on which is being conducted," says Jocelyn Zangao, Employment Advisor, Centre for Skills.
These workshops go over common questions that arise in interviews and some examples of how to answer each. Together, those in the workshop discuss the pros and cons of each response.
"We want our clients to think through how they would approach the tougher questions," says Jocelyn. "Bringing forward their past experiences from interviews and what difficulties they faced are helpful to the group as we can work our way through how to answer them more effectively moving forward."
The workshop also goes over how a candidate should structure their answer, by using Situation-Action-Result Statements (SAR). "The way this works is that they answer the job interview question by using a real example of a situation they have been in; the action they took; and the ultimate result they got," says Jocelyn. "This three-point method helps a candidate to avoid rambling or giving too brief an answer. It assists them in offering a stronger and tighter response."
"Even those that consider themselves experts in interviews can learn from this workshop, as they can hear others' experiences," says Christine Young, Coordinator of Centre for Skills Clarkson and Milton Employment Services sites. "Job interviewing is about preparation, selling yourself and then evaluating your performance. Our staff can help with learning how to conduct company and industry specific research, performing mock interviews and even making suggestions on what to wear and navigating the route to your interview day of."
Register today for one of our Interviews that Impress workshops in July:
Clarkson
When: Tuesday, July 9
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Where: 2225 Erin Mills Parkway, Unit 1200, Lower Level, Mississauga
Click here to register for our next Interviews that Impress workshop in Clarkson
Burlington
When: Tuesday, July 16
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Where: 3350 South Service Road, Burlington
Click here to register for our next Interviews that Impress workshop in Burlington
Milton
When: Wednesday, July 17
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Where: 550 Ontario Street South, Suite 208, Milton
Click here to register for our next Interviews that Impress workshop in Milton