Employment Interviews

1. COMM 202
TUTORIAL #8
w/ Michelle Sieklucki
T05 & T11

2. AGENDA

3. Agenda
• Course Timeline
• Resume & CL Debrief
• Employment Interview
• Interview Q&A
• My Take
• Action Items

4. Course Timeline
Week 12 Week 14
• tutorial:
interview
questions
• interview
stream due
(Nov. 25th @
11:59PM)
• lecture:
when you’ve
got the job!
• interviews
(Nov. 28th to
Dec 1st)
Week 13
• informationa
l interview
assignment
(Dec. 9th @
11:59PM)

6. RESUME & CL ASSIGNMENT

8. Employment Interview
• When: November 28th, 29th, December 1st
• What to bring:
o resume
o cover letter
o job description
o padfolio
o pen
o research notes

9. What to Expect
The Interview:
o check in with “reception” in Birmingham
o BE EARLY! – ideally about 7-10 minutes, if you’re not
there when the interviewer arrives, you will receive
an automatic zero
o interview is approximately 20 minutes long with one
COMM 202 team member/coach or external consultant
(allot 30 minutes total).
o you can sign up for timeslots for interviews starting
Nov 22nd at 12:01 am until Nov 24th midnight. You can
choose between a consultant or TA/coach
o Interview will consist of behavioural questions

10. Dress for Success
Business Formal
http://cpd.degroote.mcmaster.ca/student-services/mba-dress-code/business-formal-attire/

11. INTERVIEW Q&A

13. Question 1
Tell me about yourself
• most common question to be asked during an
interview
• can be asked in different ways
• Like??
• PRACTICE!

14. Question 1
Tell me about yourself
• keep it under 2 minutes
• brand yourself – give them something to remember you
by
• sound natural – not like you’re reading off a script!
• speak to your skills and accomplishments
• show passion
• provide a well-rounded picture

15. Question 1
Tell me about yourself
• telling YOUR story
Find a common theme in your experiences
the goal: tell them a story that no one else can
replicate and impress them in the first 2 minutes
The
Beginning
The
Spark
Growing
Interest
Your
Future
Why you
are here?

16. Question 1
Tell me about yourself
• telling YOUR story
introduction
realization that this is the right career for
you
your formula and how it has helped lead you to
this role
where you see yourself
how this position ties into it all
growing
interest
the spark
your future
the beginning
why you are
here

17. Question 1
Tell me about yourself
My Formula
+ +
The foundation –
People are most
important
Dance
Education –
Studying towards
understanding
others
HR & Psych
Work Experience
– I like to help
people succeed
202 & YVR

18. Question 1
Tell me about yourself
Rubric

19. ACTIVITY

20. Activity
activity: grab a partner and swap “tell me
about yourself stories”
• 2 minutes to brainstorm
• 2.5 minutes story telling
• 1 minute feedback
goal: convey the elements of the story in
a logical way and experiment with finding
your formula

21. Question 2
What are your strengths?
• way for the interviewer to tell if you know
yourself and that you know you have what it takes
to do the job
• can also be asked in different ways! prepare
multiple strengths
• there is no right answer – just good answers and
bad answers

22. Question 2
What are your strengths?
Rubric

23. Question 3
What are your weaknesses?
do not flip
WEAKNESSES
into
STRENGTHS!

24. Question 3
What are your weaknesses?
• way for the interviewer to see if you are able to
identify weaknesses and have a plan in place to
improve them
• talk about weaknesses that would not impair you
from doing the job you are applying for well.
again, prepare multiple!

25. Question 3
What are your weaknesses?
✘ “I’m such a perfectionist”
✘ “Too detail-oriented”
✘ “Over-achiever”
✘ “I work too hard sometimes”

26. Question 3
What are your weaknesses?
Rubric

27. Question 4
Tell me about a time when...
SITUATION ACTIONTASK RESULT
what position and
where were you?
what was the
challenge you
faced?
what did YOU do
and how did you
do it?
+ LINK back to job and why the story is relevant
S T A R

28. Question 4
Tell me about a time when…
Rubric

29. Question 5
Wild Card Question
• industry / job specific or… a surprise!
– way for the interviewer to gauge your interest
and knowledge of the position and industry
– test your ability to communicate clearly
– shows the interviewer how you think

30. Question
Wild Card Question

31. Wild Card Examples
FINANCE
WHAT ARE THE THREE WAYS TO VALUE A COMPANY?
PITCH ME A STOCK
SO MANY CURVEBALLS…
ACCOUNTING
WHY DO YOU WANT TO PURSUE YOUR CPA?
WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK FOR X FIRM?
WALK ME THROUGH AN ACCOUNTS PAYABLE CYCLE?
MANAGEMENT CONSULTING
HOW MANY WORDS ARE ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES?
WHAT ARE YOUR 5 WEAKNESSES? … TELL ME ANOTHER … AND ANOTHER
CASES
MARKETING
HOW WOULD YOU INCREASE SALES OF X PRODUCT BY X%?
SELL ME THIS PEN
TLOG
WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO INCREASE OUR PRODUCTIVITY?
HOW MANY CHAIRS ARE IN SAUDER?
HUMAN RESOURCES
HOW SHOULD WE CHANGE OUR HIRING PROCESS?
HOW WOULD YOU FIRE ME IF YOU HAD TO DO IT RIGHT NOW?
RANDOM QUESTIONS OR
SCENARIOS
WOULD YOU RATHER GO SKY DIVING OR SCUBA DIVING AND WHY?
HOW WOULD YOU DIVIDE A CAKE INTO 8 EQUAL PIECES WITH ONLY 3 KNIFE CUTS? [ROLE PLAYING A DECISION MAKING SITUATION]
TELL ME ABOUT SOME NEWS YOU HAVE READ RECENTLY AND HOW IT RELATES TO THIS JOB?

32. Question
Wild Card Question
Rubric

33. Question 6
Do you have any questions?
• always have at least 2 questions!
o avoid asking questions you could find the
answer to on Google
o do not ask something that has already been
addressed in the interview
o always safe to get them talking about
themselves – maybe ask something directly
related to their job/industry

34. Closing the Interview
THANK them
reiterate your INTEREST
end with a HANDSHAKE
ask for their BUSINESS CARD
Ask if you can CALL to follow-up

35. Follow-up
• send an email or handwritten card
• reference the interview – something you want to emphasize
or something unsaid that you want them to know
• reiterate your interest in the position
• thank them for the opportunity again
• reference an answer they gave you to one of your end of
interview questions
• if you interviewed with multiple people make sure the
follow-up is personalized to each person

36. MY TIPS

37. Tips
answer the
questions
asked
listen to
the
questions
use your
skills
matrix

38. Tips
• guide the conversation to where you
are comfortable
• answer the darn question
• smile & nod
• differentiate yourself
• bring the energy into the room!

39. QUESTIONS?

41. ACTION ITEMS

42. Action Items
• interview stream is due on November
25th @ 11:59PM
• employment interviews are on Nov.
28th, 29th, Dec. 1st
• informational interview is due on
December 9th@ 11:59PM on turnitin
next week is lecture