CPCINTERVIEWGUIDE CPCINTERVI WGUIDE C I T R IE G I P N E V E U D

1. Introduction

2. PreparingfortheInterview

3. DressingforSuccess

4. TypesofInterviews st a. 1 RoundScreening nd b. 2 RoundSelection c. TelephoneInterviews d. BehaviouralBasedInterviews(BBI) e. CaseInterviews

5. Questionsyoumightaskataninterview

6. FollowUpTips

7. SampleQuestions a. CommonInterviewQuestions b. BehaviouralBasedInterview Questions c. CaseInterviewQuestions

8. Resources

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1.Introduction
Oneofthemostimportantthingstorememberaboutanyjobinterviewisthatitsmainobjectiveisto allowforanexchangeofinformationbetweenbothparties(applicantandcompany),sothata determinationcanbemadeastohowwelltheapplicantfitstheposition/company and/orviceversa. Astheapplicant,youwanttoimpressupontheemployerhowyourbackground(i.e.,education, previousemployment/volunteerpositions,extracurricularandhobbies)matchestherequirementsof thepositiontheyarerecruitingfor.Yourrsumwillhavegiventhemsomeindicationofhowwell youmatch,butduringtheinterviewyouareexpectedtoexpandonthisandbeabletodemonstrate strongcommunicationskills.Yourcommunicationskills(oral,writtenandnonverbal)willbe evaluatedcloselyandareexpectedtobewellpracticed.Otherskillscriticaltotheposition/company will alsobeevaluated,somakesureyouhavedoneresearchonthepositionandtheneedsofthe organization. Intheremainingsectionsofthisguideyouwillfindinformationtohelpyouprepareforthe interview,dressforsuccess,familiarizeyourselfwithvariousinterviewformats,prepareyourselfto askquestionsattheinterviewandtoconductproperfollowups.Thefinaltwosectionsconsistof samplequestionsandaresourcelisting.

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2.PreparingfortheInterview
Do:trytogetallpertinentdataduringphonecall
Namesandtitlesofthoseinterviewingyouandtheirrelationshiptothepositionyouare applyingfor Location,time,typeanddurationofinterview Phonenumberandnameofpersontocontactifaproblemarisesandyoumustrescheduleor belatefortheinterview

Do:yourresearchontheposition,companyandindustry
Reviewallcompany/positiondatabecomefamiliarwiththeindustryandthecompanys majorcompetitors Keepcopiesofthejobpostings/descriptionsyouhaveappliedtoforreference/preparation

Do:knowthecultureofthecompany
Maynotbeobviousoverthephone,butalwaysagoodideatostartformalandthen acclimatizeyourselftotheculture BewareofCasualFridaysyndromewhereyouinterviewinfullbusinessattirebutthe companyrepresentativesaredresseddownduetospecialcircumstances Knowinganinsidercanreallyhelpherebutasaminimum,trytoreadcompanyliterature and/orcheckwiththeCPC

Do:packproperly
Nobackpacksorbulkypursesyourimageshouldbethatofaprofessionalandnotastudent Yourbriefcaseorportfolioshouldinclude: o Paper(spiralpad)andpen/pencil o Copyofjobdescription,rsum,coverletter,listofreferences o Address,directions,telephonenumberandnameofcontact o Nameofperson/peopleyouwillbemeeting o Businesscards o Changeforparkingmeter,breathmints,tissues o Shoesinabag(weatherdependent)

Do:followbusinessetiquette
Yourhandshakeshouldbefirm,withtwoorthreepumpsandnoancillarymovements (e.g.,shoulder/armgrasping,twohandcupping) Intheinitialmeeting,lettheintervieweroffertheirhandfirstaftertheinterview,offeryour handfirsttoshowyouarethankfulthattheytookthetimetomeetwithyou Lettheinterviewerleadyoutoyourseat remember,youaretheirguest Noslouchinginchairsitwiththebaseofyourbacktouchingthebackofthechair Turnoffanypagers/cellphonesneverbethecauseforinterruptionduringtheinterview Behaveprofessionallywith everyoneyouencounteruntilyouareofferedtheposition, everytimeyoumeetsomeonefromthecompanyyouareessentiallybeinginterviewed Askforbusinesscardssothatyouhavetheproperspellingandtitleofeachpersonwhohas interviewedyou

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Do:rememberthatcommunicationiskey
Speaktoexpressandnottoimpressusinglingo/terminologythatyouarenottotallysureof cancomebacktohurtyoulater Avoidusingslangbeprofessional Monitorandadjustyourintonation/volume/pitch Nonverbalcommunicationmaybeevaluatedascriticallyaswhatyousay sorememberto keepapositiveattitude Keepgoodeyecontact,butdontstare Bemindfulofhandmovementsitsokayforeffect,butdontcomeacrossassomeonetrying toconductasymphony

Do:trytoschedulestrategically
Alwaysbeascooperativewiththeinterviewersscheduleaspossible Knowyourself trytoschedulewhenyourenergylevelisnormallyhigh(areyouamorning person,orisafternoonbetterforyou?) Worsttimingsareconsideredtobe9:00a.m.(youarelikelytobethefirstinterviewand therewillbenobenchmark),1:00p.m.(timewhenpeopleliketocatchupontheirschedule), 4:30/5:00p.m.(lateintheday,theinterviewermaybefatiguedorlookingforwardto wrappinguptheirday) Idealtimingismidmorningormidafternoon

Do:arrive15minutesearly
Announceyourselftoreceptionist Ifyouareunfamiliarwiththearea,performadryruntheday(s)before(youcanuse MapQuestfordirections),notinghowlongittookyoutogetthere,whethersecurity measuresneedtobeconsidered,andtimethebuildingisopen Getagoodnightssleepbeforetheinterview

Do:bringalistofrefereesandkeepintouchwithyourreferees
Incasetheyhavechangedjobs Toremindthemofyourperformance Tokeepthemupdatedonyourcareer Togagewhethertheyremainagoodreferee

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3.DressingforSuccess
Do:dressappropriately
ChecktheCareersectionofthecompanyswebsitetoseeiftheyshowpicturesofstaffand takenoteofhowtheyaredressedthissectionmayevensuggestaguidelinefordressing Tryusingyournetworktolocateaninsiderandasktheiradvice Whenallelsefails,youcancallandaskHRdirectly Itsalwayseasierforsomeonetopictureyoudresseddownthendressedup,soalwaysdress asprofessionallyaspossible

Do:wearappropriatebusinessattire
Formales: o Blueandgraysuitsarefineandshouldbeacompletesuit(i.e.,pantsmatchthe jacket)blackistooformal o Solidcoloursarepreferred,butthinpinstripeisfine o Shirtsshouldbepressedandbeofalightcolour,preferableblueneverhavefloral, stronglystripedordarkshirts o Yourtieshouldcomplimentyoursuitandnotdrawattention o Stickwithblack,wellpolishedshoes o Yourbeltshouldmatchthecolourofyourshoes o Socksshouldmatchthecolourofyoursuitorcanbeslightlydarkerneverwear whitesocks o Check,andrecheckyourinterviewoutfit(i.e.,clothingandbriefcaseitems)the nightbeforemakesureitsstillfitsappropriatelyandisclean o Bewellgroomed(cleanhair,wellshaved,cleanfingernails,etc)andlimitthe cologne Forfemales: o Blue,black,grayorbeigesuitsarefineandshouldbeacompletesuit(i.e.,skirt/pants matchthejacket) o Blousesshouldbepressedandbeofalightcolour,preferablewhite,offwhiteor bluesubtlepatternsarefine o Shoesshouldbeabasicpumpwithalowheelcanbeblack,darkblue,orbrown o Shoescanbebroughtinaseparateshoebag(i.e.,notin aplasticgrocerybag)when weatheriseitherrainyorsnowy o Hairshouldbeclean,wellgroomed,andstyledinaclassicmanner o Conservativelyappliedmakeupandlittleornoperfumeshouldbeworn

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4a.

TypesofInterviews:1stRoundScreening

Firstroundinterviewsaretypicallyclassifiedasscreeninginterviews,asthecompanywillbe lookingtoscreenoutpotentialcandidates.Oftenacompanywillinterview5+candidateswiththe hopesofbeingabletoreducethisnumbertooneortwo.Theseinterviewsareusuallybetween20to 30minuteslongandwillbeconductedbyamemberofthecompanysHumanResource(HR) Departmentinthecaseofsmallercompanies,someonewhoworksinadifferentdepartmentmay fillthisrole. Thetypesofquestionsaskedfallintooneoffourcategories: Data/factfinding:thesearequestionsthatareusuallybasedonthecontentofthecandidates resume.Forexample:IseethatyouarepursuingaBachelorofCommerce,specializingin Accounting.Tellmewhy? Technical (e.g.financial,case,taskbased):thesequestionswillhelptheinterviewermeasure howwellyouareabletoaddressthemoretechnicalaspectsofthepotentialposition.For example:WhatdoyoufeelarethereasonswhytheCanadiandollarisbehavingthewayit is?orExplaintomehowanetworkserveroperatesandwhatissuesshouldacompany considerwhenlookingtoacquireanewone? Hypothetical:thesequestionsaskacandidatetoimaginethemselvesinasituationand requireyoutoconveyhowyoufeelyouwouldexhibitaspecificskill(s).Forexample:How doyoufeelyouwouldactwhenchallengedbyacustomerwhomyouknowiswrong? Behaviouralbasedquestion:thesequestionsaskacandidatetosharewiththeinterviewer anexamplefromwhentheywereinasituationrequiringthemtoexhibitaspecificskill(s). Forexample:Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouhadtodealwithadifficultcustomer?What happened?Howdidthesituationturnout? Somecommonquestionsyoumayfindyourselffacinginafirstroundinterviewinclude: Tellmeaboutyourself? Howdo/wouldyourfriendsdescribeyou? Whydoyouwanttoworkhere?WhyshouldIhireyou? Whatdoyouknowaboutourcompany?Position? Doyouhavetheskillstoworkinthisposition/company? Whatisyourgreateststrength?Weakness? Whydidyouchoosetostudy___? Describeyourleadership/communication/coordinating/etcstyle? Wheredoyouseeyourselfin___years? Tellmeaboutatime/Giveanexampleof___? Whatareyoursalaryexpectationsforthisposition? Doyouhaveanyquestions?Aboutthecompany?Position?Process? Moresamplequestionscanbefoundinthesection7.SampleQuestions.

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4b.TypesofInterviews:2ndRound Selection
Secondroundinterviewsaretypicallyclassifiedasselectioninterviews,asthecompanywillbe lookingtoselectthebestcandidatefromagroupoftwoormore.Interviewingforselectionpurposes cantakeplaceovermultipleroundswithsomecompaniesrequiringthesuccessfulcandidatetogo throughfiveormoreroundsofinterviewing.Thequestionsaskedarealsogenerallycategorizedinto thesamefourcategoriesasfirstroundinterviewsdata/factfinding,technical,hypotheticaland/or behaviouralbasedquestion butthetimingoftheinterviewistypicallylongerandcanbespread outofmultipledays. Anotherdifferencebetweenfirstandsecondroundinterviewsisthattheenvironmentinwhichthey areconductedmaynotbethesamethatis,wherefirstroundinterviewsareusuallyheldbetween onecandidateandonecompanyrepresentative(usually,butnotalwayssomeonefromHR),second roundinterviewsmayinvolvemultiplecandidatesandmultiplecompanyrepresentatives.Beloware descriptionsofcommonsecondroundinterviewsettings:

PanelInterviewsLeadInterviewStyle: TwoormoreinterviewerswithaManagerlikely havingmostdecisionpower(theywillbe responsibleformanagingthesuccessfulhire) Oneleadinterviewer,othersobservingbutmight askafewquestions Includeeveryoneinyourresponse(i.e.,makeeye contactwithall) Startanswerwithpersonwhoposedquestion,scan othersduringresponseandcompleteanswerwith originalinterviewer

HR

Manager(s)

You Peer

PanelInterviewsDrillDownInterviewstyle
HR

Manager(s)

Onepersonleadsoffwithageneralquestionand therestaddquestionsthatdrilldownonthetopic Includeeveryoneinyourresponse,anddonotbe afraidtoreiterate/expandonpreviousanswers

Peer

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PanelInterviewsIndependentQuestionsstyle

HR

Manager(s) You Peer

Eachinterviewerasksquestionspertainingtotheir domain/responsibility TrynottobecomecompetitivewiththePeer youarenottryingtotakeawaytheirjob,butto potentiallyworkwiththem

PanelInterviewsGoodCop,BadCopstyle

Interviewer

You

Interviewer

Atesttoseehowyoucanrespondtoabad situation(morecommonforconsultingandsales positions) Youhavetofindaprofessionalandengagingway tobecomfortablewithbothinterviewers Needtofindbalancebetweenthetwointerviewers

SerialInterviews
HR You Manager(s) Peer

Moretimeconsumingthenpanelasyouwillspendtimeseparatelywithoneormore interviewers Potentialproblemoffindingananswerasyougoalongthatis,youmayfindaquestion repeatedthatyoupreviouslywereunabletoanswer.Iftheanswerhasonlynowcometo mind,shareit,butlettheinterviewerknowthatyouwerepreviouslyaskedandtheanswer hasonlyoccurredtoyounow. Youranswer(s)cangrowandchangebutshouldfollowthesamegeneraltheme/scope. Mightbeadrilldownapproachwhereinterviewersaskeachothertoprobeyouononeof youranswersgiven. Attheend,interviewerswillcomparenotes.

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GroupInterviews Worstsituationtobeinasyouhavetobeawareof theinterviewersandtheotherperson Acknowledgetheotherpersonspresence/answers Neverjudgetheotherpersonortheiranswers Iftheothercandidatesanswerisdeadon,saysoI totallyagreethendrilldown Ifaskedtogiveanopinionontheotherpersons answer,dontcompete/judgeuselinkingphrases andgiveyourownanswer

HR

Other Manager(s)

You

Peer

Diagnostic/SkillTests Thistypeofinterviewchallengesyoutocompletea task/test Task/testmayormaynotbedirectlyrelatedtothe dutiesofthepositionappliedto Mayalsoincludepsychologicalorpsychometric testing

You

CaseInterview Thecaseisusuallyhypotheticalorsetinthepast Endresultsusuallylessimportantthentheprocess takeninansweringcase Identifyproblems,stateassumptions,showlogical reasoning Canbeagroupexercise(youwillbewatchedtosee whatroleyougravitateto) Havingafollowupplanorplanofactionfor implementationcansetyouapart

You

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CompanyorDepartmentTours

Alwaysaninterviewkeepupsameinterview principlesthroughout Dontcommentnegativelytoanyoneaboutthe interviewprocesswhileonsite Alwaysshowyouareateamplayerandthatyouare excitedtolearnmoreabouttheinsandoutsofthe companysoperations SocialSituations Keepyourguardup youarestillbeinginterviewed Avoidorderinganyfoodthatneedstobeconsumed withyourhandsonlyorisdifficulttoeat(e.g., spaghetti,ribs,oysters,etc.) Foodselection pickitemsthatfallwithinthe averagepricerangeofthemenu Avoidorderingalcohol/wine,butcanfollowsuitif interviewerdoesso Sinceyouaretheirinvitedguest,lettheinterviewer pickupthebill

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4c.TypesofInterviews:TelephoneInterviews
Manycompaniesusethetelephoneasameanstoconductjobinterviews.Thiscouldbebecause applicantsliveinanareasomedistancefromthecompanyslocationorbecauseofthehighvolume ofinterviewstoconduct.Thiscouldalsobebecausethepositionwillentailthesuccessfulapplicant tospendsometimeonthephoneduringthecourseofsuccessfullyfulfillingthedutiesofthe position.Regardlessofwhyacompanyconductsatelephoneinterview,afewtipsforapplicants include: Rescheduleifneedbeandscheduleforwhenyoucanbewithoutdistractions:oneofthe dangersoflistingyourcellphonenumberonyourrsumisreceivingacallfroman employerwantingtoconductatelephoneinterviewwithyouwhileyouarehavingcoffee withfriends(orsomeothersituation).Ifyouareinasituationwheredistractionsmaystop youfromgivingtheinterviewer100%ofyourattention,asktorescheduletoamore convenienttime(youofcoursecanexplainthatyouareunabletointerviewduetothese extremecircumstances).Youshouldbeflexibleandallowtheinterviewertorecommenda date/time. Idealsetting: wouldbeaplacewhereyoucansitinaclosedroom,atadeskwiththe followingitemsyourrsum,coverletter,jobpostingandcompanyinformation.All televisionsandradiosshouldbemuted/turnedoff.Duringtheinterview,doshouldnoteator chewgum,butyoumaywantaglass/bottleofwaterhandyincaseyouneedit.Avoidusing cellphonesand/orspeakerphonesanddonotanswerothercallsthatmaycomeintotheline. Beininterviewmode:dressforsuccess!Wearintervieworbusinesscasualclothing. Althoughyoumaybeinthecomfortofyourownhome,youmayfindithardtotakeyourself seriouswhilewearingyourfavoritebunnyheadslippers. Dontgetcaughtreadingananswer:althoughatelephoneinterviewallowsyoutohave supplementalmaterialathand(e.g.,websiteofthecompanyuponyourscreen,listof possibleanswertopotentialquestions,etc.),dontgetcaughtsoundinglikeyouranswers havebeenpreparedbeforehand. Nobodylanguage,sovoice/toneveryimportant:althoughtheinterviewerwillnotbeable toseeyournonverbalcommunication,theymaystillbeabletosenseit.Smilewhile answeringanddonotforgettomonitorandvaryyourvolume/tone. Followup:makesuretoaskwhatthenextstepsareintheinterviewprocessandtryto scheduleafacetofacemeeting.

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4d.TypesofInterviews:BehaviouralBasedInterviews(BBI)
Behaviouralbasedinterviews(BBI)aretypicallyconductedinthesecondroundprocessandwill haveapredominanceofbehaviouralbasedquestions.BBIareconductedinordertoanalyzea candidatespotentialabilitiesbyexaminingskillsthathavebeenusedinpastperformanceand uncoverpatternsoftheiraccomplishments.Ifpastperformanceofacandidateisthebestpredictorof theirfuturebehaviour,thenBBIwillprovidecompanieswithaneffectivewaytomeasure competencies. Sometipsonbehaviouralbasedinterviewsandquestionsincludethefollowing: Typicalleadinstobehaviouralbasedquestionsinclude:Tellmeaboutatime, Describeforme,or Givemeanexample Eachquestionwillusuallytargetonespecificbehaviour/competencyimportanttothe position/company.Itisvitalthatthecandidaterecognizesthisandensuresthattheiranswer demonstratesexperiencewiththisbehaviour/competencyandnotadifferentone. Thebestanswershighlightspecificexamplesfromthecandidatespastandtieintothe behaviour/competency.AcommonapproachtoansweringbehaviouralbasedquestionsI: o P (problem):thisiswherethecandidatewilldescribethesituation/contextthatthey willbeusingtoanswerthequestion o A(action):thisiswherethecandidatespeaksabouttheirroleandthestepstheytook, emphasizingtheirexperiencewiththebehaviour/competencybeingaskedabout o R(results):finally,thecandidateneedstoconcludetheiranswerbydescribingthe outcome/consequencesoftheiractionaswellassharingwhattheylearnedfromthe experienceandperhapswhattheywouldnotdofacedwithasimilarproblem o Anexample:Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouinitiatedaprojectorideathatsaved yourcompanymoney? Ananswertothisquestionmightinclude: P WhileIwasworkingatCompanyX,Inoticedthatalotofmoneywasspenton theprintingofexampapers.Therewere5versionsoftheexamandfortycandidatesa daywouldwritetheexam,andthenfortymorewouldwritethesameexamthe followingday,andsoon. AItoccurredtomethatthecompanycouldsavemoneybyprintingonlyafew mastercopiesofeachexamandhavingthemlaminated.Thislaminationwould increasethecostpercopy,butwouldalloweachexamtobereused,astheywould onlyhavetobewipeddownafterthetestwastaken.Onmyown,Icontactedseveral printingcompaniesandwasabletonegotiateapricealmostequaltotheprintingof nonlaminatedexams.Ithenbroughtmyideaandworktotheheadofthedepartment thatadministeredtheexamandtheywereveryimpressedbythethoroughapproachI hadtaken. RIntheend,byimplementingthisidea,CompanyXwasabletosave approximately$35,000peryearinprintingcostsandIwasaskedtoassistmorein specialprojectswithintheorganization.

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 Somebehaviouralbasedquestionswillchallengecandidatestospeakaboutnegative experiences.Anexamplewouldinclude:Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouwerelatehanding inareport/paper?Althoughcandidatesmayinitiallyfeeltheyshouldsaythatthesituation hasneveroccurredtothem,itisnotnecessarilythebestanswer,asitdoesnotprovidemuch substancetotheinterview.Instead,usingoneofthefollowingthreeapproacheswillprovide theinterviewerwithmoresubstanceandcanturnthenegativeintoapositive: o Talkaboutsituationswherethenegativeoutcomehadonlyminorimpact.Ifyoucan choosebetweendiscussingthelatepaperthatlostyourwholegroupalettergrade versustheonethataprofessorwaswillingtoacceptwithnopenalty,choosethe latter. o Talkabouthowyouwereabletopullsomethingpositiveoutofthesituation.Perhaps youwereabletomeetwithyourprofessoranddeveloparapport. o Talkaboutwhatyoulearnedfromthesituationandidentifyhowyouwill/didhandle itdifferentlythenexttimeasimilarsituationarises/arose. Acommonsituationcandidatesfindthemselvesinisnothavingaspecificexampletouse whenansweringabehaviouralbasedquestion.InsteadofjustsayingImsorry,thathas neverhappenedtome,itwouldbebetterto: o Ifthequestionisrelatedtoaspecificcontext(e.g.,work),askifyoucanusea differentone(e.g.,academic).Forexample,aquestionaskingyoutotalkabout leadingateamatworkcouldbeansweredbygivinganexampleofhowyouleada teamatschool.Justmakesuretoasktheinterviewerspermissiontochangethe contextofthequestion. o Askifyoucaninsteadtalkaboutwhatyouwoulddo.Essentially,withthe interviewerspermission,youwouldbeturningthequestionintoahypothetical. o Askifyoucaninsteadtalkaboutwhatyouhaveobservedothersdoinginthe same/similarsituation.Ifallowedtogothisroute,makesuretodiscusswhatyou learnedfromobservingandhowyouwould/wouldntapplywhatwaslearned. Someofthemorecommonbehaviours/competenciesaBBIwillexploreinclude: o Showingleadership o Demonstratinginitiative/innovativeness o Workingaspartofateam o Motivatingothersorwhatmotivatesyou o Givingbadnewstosomeone o Havingtonegotiate o Increasingcompanysales/profitsordecreasingcosts o Makingagood/poordecision o Adaptingtoachangingenvironment o Handlingcriticism o Meeting/missingadeadline Samplequestionsbrokendownbybehaviour/competencycanbefoundinthesection 7.SampleQuestions

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4e.TypesofInterviews:CaseInterviews
Acommoninterviewstyleusedforconsultingandbusinessdevelopmentpositions,orotherjobs wheretheapplicantwillspendagreatdealoftheirtimeinteractingwiththecompaniesclientsor suppliers,istheCaseInterview.Inthissituation,applicantsareaskedtorespondtooneormorecase questions.Companiesliketousethesequestionstoseejusthowenergeticanddriventheapplicant is,andfeelthatitisagoodwaytosimulatehow theapplicantwillperforminthedaytoday functionsofthejob.Theseinterviewsaresometimesconductedwithtwoormoreapplicantsatthe sametime,andinthiscasewillalsoallowthecompanytoseewhatroletheapplicant(s)willtake. Thereare threetypesofcasequestionsmostoftenused: Brainteasers:arepuzzlesorriddlesthattestyourlogic,creativityandabilitytobreak downthequestion.Thereusuallyisnotacorrectanswer,buttherecanbebetter approachestoansweringthequestion.Youcantakenotes,drawdiagramsandshouldtry tobreaktheproblemdownintomanageableparts.Dontbeafraidtoaskclarifying questions,anddontbediscouragediftheanswerisnothelpful.Anexamplewouldbe: Alienshavetakenyouaboardtheirship.Youwillbeaskedtomakeastatement.Ifthe statementistrueyouwillbeblastedintoatoms.Ifitisfalseyouwillbeejectedinto space.Onestatementcangetyououtalive.Whatisit? Guesstimates:askyoutoperformquickcalculationsusingintuitionandlogical reasoning.Theapproachyoutakewilloftenbeevaluatedmorecriticallythenyourfinal answer.Youmayormaynotbeallowedtoaskquestionsandyoushouldbepreparedto writedownyourcalculations(bringpen/pencilandpaper).Candidatesshoulduse roundednumberssoastosimplifythemath.Makeandstateyourassumptionstothe intervieweranddonotlettheirresponse(usuallynonverbal)throwyouoff.Anexample wouldbe:HowmuchmoneyismadeeachyearatlemonadestandsacrossCanada? Businesscases:areeitherwrittenororalcasesaskingyoutosolveabusinessrelated problem.Theyareusuallyeitherhypotheticalorsetinthepastandcandidatesmayor maynotbeallowedtoaskclarifyingquestions(makesuretolistentoanyanswersand incorporatethemintosolution).Candidatesshouldexplaintheframeworktheyplanon usingtosolvetheproblem(e.g.,SWOTanalysis,PortersFiveForces,Cost/Benefit Analysis,etc.)andshouldmakerecommendationsintheirconclusion.Candidatesmay beaskedtogiveaformalpresentation,withorwithouttheassistanceofaudio/video aides.Anexamplewouldbe:Yourclientwantstoknowiftheyshouldexpandtheir restaurantbusinesstotheUnitedStates.Whatwouldyouadvisethemtodo? Somepitfallstoavoidwhenansweringcasequestionsinclude: Notlisteningtothequestion Ignoring/losingtrackoffacts/data Askingthesamequestionmultipletimes Askingunrelatedquestions Answeringwithoutaplan

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Othertipson howtoprepareforCaseInterviewsinclude: Bringsuchitemsaspaper,graphpaper,pens,pencils,andcalculatorwithyoutothe interview.Youmayormaynotbeallowedtousethem,butitisalwaysbettertohave themjustincase. Familiarizeyourselfwithkey/commondemographicsforguesstimatesandbusinesscases (visithttp://www.statcan.ca/menuen.htm beforeyourinterview.Someexamples include: o Populationof Canadaapproximately32million Quebecapproximately7.5million Montreal approximately1.5millionontheislandand3.5millioninthe metroarea USA approximately300million o Rateofinflation around2.4% o Unemploymentaround6.4% o Householdsizeapproximately2.6 Youmay wanttorefreshyourselfonkeybusinessconcepts/frameworkssuchasPorters FiveForces,SWOTanalysis,Cost/BenefitAnalysis,FourPs,ProductLifeCycle,etc. Pickupabookofbrainteasersorvisitsuchwebsitesaswww.brainbashers.com, www.braingle.com,orwww.brainconnection.com Practiceyourpresentation/speakingskills

Samplequestionscanbefoundinthesection7.SampleQuestions

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5.Questionsyoumightaskataninterview
ThequestionmostinterviewerswillasklastisDoyouhaveanyquestions?(althoughtheymay keepyouonyourtoesandaskitatthebeginningoftheintervieworsometimeelse).Theproper responsetothisquestioninafirstroundinterviewisalmostnever:No,allofmyquestionshave beenanswered.Therearethreeareasyoumaywishtoaskquestionsaboutwithyourinterviewer. Thefirstwouldpertaintoquestionsyouwereaskedyoumightwanttoclarifyastowhysomething wasaskedortoseeifyouaddadditionalinformation. Thesecondwouldbetoaskquestionspreparedinadvanceaboutthecompany,position,competitors and/orindustry.Theanswertothesequestionsshouldassistyouindecidingonwhetherornotyou wanttoconsidertheposition/companyandshouldnotbeeasilyansweredbyjustlookingatthe companyswebsite. Finally,youshouldaskaboutthefollowupprocessandastowhenyoumayexpecttohearabout additionalinterviewsorthejoboffer. Somecommonquestionsyoumaywanttoconsideraskinginclude: Describeatypicalday. Whatareyoulookingforinthepersonwhowillfillthisjob? Whatareasneedtheimmediateattentionofthepersonyouhire? Whatskillsaremostvaluableinthisjob? WhatactivitiescouldIengageinnowthatmighthelpmeonthejobifI'mhired? Whatareyourplansfornewproductsorservices? Howwouldyoudefineyourorganization'smanagementphilosophy? WhatkindoftrainingwouldIreceive? Howdothedutieschangeoncethetrainingprogramhasbeencompleted? Whatistheretentionrateforpeoplewhohavebeeninthistrainingprogramafteroneyear? Aftertwoyears? Howisoneevaluatedbothformallyandinformally? Willagraduatedegreeberequiredinordertoenhancemypromotionalopportunitiesafter severalyears?

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6.FollowUpTips
Aftertheinterview,candidatesshouldbepreparedtofollowacourseofactionthatincludes: Sendingathankyouletter:toeachofthepersonsinterviewedwith.Besidesexpressing yoursincerethanksinhavingbeengiventheopportunitytomeetwiththem,youshould makesuretoreiterateyourqualificationsandcontinuedinterestintheposition. Prepareyourreferences:ifyoufeelthatthereisachancethecompanywillbecallingthem, contacteach ofyourrefereesandletthemknowabouttheinterviewyouhavejusthad.You wanttoprepareyourrefereessothattheycangiveyouthebestreferencepossible. Followthroughwithanynextsteps:iftheinterviewerhasaskedyoutodocompleteatask (e.g.,submitacopyofyourtranscriptorportfolio),makesuretodoit!Aswell,ifyouhave promisedtodosomething(e.g.,callthembackinthefollowingweektoseewheretheyarein therecruitingprocess),makesureitisdoneinthetimeframepromised. Keeptrackofallcontactsmade:createafileonallcompaniesinterviewedwith. Reflect:thinkbackontheinterview(s)andtrytoanalyzequestionsthatgaveyouahardtime andwhy.Ifyouweremissingexamplestoprovideinbehaviouralbasedquestions,tryto thinkofonesforfuturereference. Continuetojobsearch:untilyouhaveacceptedajoboffer,itisinyourbestinterestto continueapplyingtopositionsyoufeelqualifiedforandattendinganyinterviewsyouare offered.

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7.SampleQuestions
COMMONINTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Questionsaboutyou:
o Tellmeaboutyourself? o Howdo/wouldyourfriendsdescribeyou? o Whatisthemostinterestingthingyou'vedoneinthepastthreeyears? o Whatdoyouwantmetoknowaboutyouthatisn'tonyourrsum? o Tellmeaboutaninterestingarticleyourecentlyreadinthenewspaper. o Whatsthelastnonschoolrelatedbookyouread?Whatdidyoulearnfromthisbook? o Whatkindsoftasksandresponsibilitiesmotivateyouthemost? o WhyshouldIhireyouandnotthenextcandidatewhowalksinthedoor? o Doyouprefertoworkwithothersoronyourown? o Whatisyourgreateststrength?Weakness?

Questionsaboutyourqualifications:
o Whydoyouwanttoworkhere?WhyshouldIhireyou? o Doyouhavetheskillstoworkinthisposition/company? o Whatspecificskillshaveyouacquiredorusedinpreviousjobsthatrelatedtothis position? o Tellmeaboutwhatyoulearnedfromyourpreviousjobsandinternships. o Whatdidyoulike/dislikeaboutyourlastjob? o Whatisyourbiggestaccomplishment? o Describeyourleadership/communication/coordinating/etcstyle?

Questionsaboutyoureducation:
o Whydidyouchoosetostudy___? o Describethecoursethathashadthegreatestimpactonyourthinking. o Whatcoursesdidyouenjoythemost?Least? o Tellmeaboutyourextracurricularactivitiesduringschool.Whatdoyoubelieveyou havegainedfromtheseexperiences?

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Questionsaboutyourunderstandingofthejob/company:
o Whatdoyouknowaboutourcompany?Position? o Whydidyouapplytoourorganization? o Whatinterests/impressesyouaboutthisorganization? o Whatcriteriaareyouusingtoevaluatetheorganizationforwhichyouhopetowork? o Whatcanyoutellusaboutourcompany? o Whatdoyouthinkofourorganizationalstructure? o Whoelseareyouinterviewingwith?Whatdoyouthinkofthoseorganizations? o Areyouseekingemploymentinacompanyofacertainsize?Why? o Doyouhaveageographicpreference?

Otherquestions:
o Whatareyoursalaryexpectationsforthisposition? o Wheredoyouseeyourselfin___years?

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BEHAVIOURALBASEDINTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Assertiveness:
o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouwereabletoexpressyouropinionsmaturelyinspiteof disagreementsorobjections. o Givemeanexampleofatimewhenyouhadtobeassertiveingivingdirectionstoothers. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyousuccessfullyexpressedyourideas/opinionsinatactfuland carefulway. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouwerewillingtodisagreewithanotherpersoninorderto buildapositiveoutcome. o Describeatimewhenyouhadtosellanideatoourboss,authorityfigure,ortechnical expert.

Communication:
o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouhadtopresentaproposal/ideatoapersoninauthority andwereabletodothissuccessfully. o Tellmeaboutasituationwhereyouhadtobepersuasiveandsellyourideatosomeone else. o Tellmeaboutyourmostsuccessfulexperiencewhenmakeaspeechorpresentationtoa group. o Tellmeaboutanexperienceofyoursthatillustratesyourabilitytoinfluenceanother personverbally. o Tellmeaboutaspecifictimewhenyourskillinlisteninghelpedyoutocommunicate better. o Tellmeaboutthewritingexperiencesyouhavehadthatyouthinkwillcontributetoyour abilitytodothisjobwell.

CreativityandInnovation:
o Tellmeaboutasituationinwhichyouwereabletofindanewandbetterwayofdoing somethingsignificant. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouwerecreativeinsolvingaproblem. o Describeatimewhenyouwereabletocomeupwithnewideasthatwerekeytothe successofsomeactivityorproject. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouhadtobringoutthecreativityinothers. o Givemeanexampleofatimewhenyoucameupwithauniqueandnovelsolutiontoa commonproblem.

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CustomerService:
o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouhadtodealwithaniratecustomer. o Tellmeaboutoneortwocustomerservicerelatedprogramsthatyou'vedonethatyou're particularlyproudof. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyoumadealasting,positiveimpressiononacustomer.

DecisionMaking:
o Describeformeatimewhenyouhadtomakeanimportantdecisionwithlimitedfacts. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouwereforcedtomakeanunpopulardecision. o Describeformeatimewhenyouhadtoadapttoadifficultsituation.Whatdidyoudo? o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyoumadeabaddecision o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouresistedthetemptationtojumptoconclusionsand thoroughlyobtainedallfactsassociatedwithaproblembeforecomingtoasolution. o Givemeanexampleofhowyoureachedapracticalbusinessdecisionbyanorganized reviewofthefactsandweighingofoptions.

Delegation:
o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyoudelegatedaprojecteffectively. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyoudidapoorjob ofdelegating. o Describeformeatimewhenyouhadtodelegatetoapersonwithafullworkload,and howyouwentaboutdoingit.

Energizing:
o Givemeanexampleofatimewhenyourpositiveattitudecausedotherstobemotivated orenergized. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyourabilitytorewardandencourageotherscreatedpositive motivation. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyousuccessfullyusedcompetitionasameansofencouraging otherstoworkhard. o Describeatimewhenyouwereabletouserecognitiontocreatepositiveenergyin anotherperson.

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GoalSetting:
o Tellmeaboutthemostimportanttimeinyourworkhistorywhenyousuccessfully prioritizedyourgoals. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyoutooktheinitiativetosetgoalsandobjectiveseventhough youwerenotpromptedordirectedbyotherstodoso. o Givemeanexampleofatimewhenyouusedasystematicprocesstodefineyour objectives.Whattypeofsystemdidyouuse?Whatpayoffdidyougetfromusingthe process?

InitiativeandFollowthrough:
o Givemeanexampleofasituationwhereyouhadtoovercomemajorobstaclestoachieve yourobjectives. o Tellmeaboutagoalthatyousetthattookalongtimetoachieveorthatyouarestill workingtowards. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouwon(orlost)animportantcontract. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouusedyourpoliticalsavvytopushaprogramthroughthat youreallybelievedin. o Tellmeaboutasituationthatyouhadsignificantimpactonbecauseofyourfollow through.

Integrity:
o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouwereabletochangeinordertomeettheneedsofothers. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyoufeltitnecessarytocompromiseyourownimmediate interestsinordertobesociallyflexibleandtolerantofanotherpersonsneeds. o Evenmoredifficultthandealingwithadifficultpersonisbeingofservicetoadifficult person.Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouhavebeensuccessfulwiththistypeofsituationat work. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouwereaskedtocompromiseyourintegrity. o Describeatimewhenyouhadtobendtherulesinordertobesuccessfuloraccomplisha goal.

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Leadership:
o Describeaworksituationwhereyourabilitytosetapositiveexampleservedasamodel toothers. o Givemeanexampleofthegreatestsuccessyoueverhadintheuseofdelegation. o Describeformeatimewhenyoumayhavebeendisappointedinyourbehavior. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouhadtodisciplineorfireacolleague. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyou'vehadtodevelopleadersunderyou. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyoumadeanunpopulardecision.Diditprovetobethe correctone?

OrganizationandPlanning:
o Givemeanexampleofanytimemanagementtechniquesyouhavelearnedandappliedat work. o Tellmewhatyouhavedonewithsuchtoolsasflow charts,productionschedule,filing systems,oranyothertoolstohelpyouimplementaplan. o Tellmeabouthowyouusedrealisticschedulesandtimetablestogenerateaplanleading toaspecificgoal.

PrioritySetting:
o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouhadtobalancecompetingprioritiesanddidso successfully. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouhadtopickoutthemostimportantthingsinsomeactivity andmakesurethosegotdone. o Tellmeaboutatimethatyouprioritizedtheelementsofacomplicatedproject. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyougotboggeddowninthedetailsofaproject.

TeamBuilding:
o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouhadyourbiggestsuccessinbuildingateamspirit. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyoucontributedtoaworkinggroupsabilitytodirectitselfby buildinggroupstandardsforperformance. o Describeatimewhenyouusedthetechniqueofcollectingsuggestionstobuildteam commitment. o Givemeanexampleofatimewhenyouconfrontedanegativeattitudesuccessfullywith theresultofbuildingteamworkandmorale.

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ThinkingandProblemSolving:
o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouhadtoanalyzefactsquickly,definekeyissues,and respondimmediatelyordevelopaplanthatproducedgoodresults. o Describeformeasituationwhereyoumayhavemissedanobvioussolutiontoa problem. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouanticipatedpotentialproblemsanddeveloped preventativemeasures. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouusedyouranalyticalskillstoidentifypotentialproblems atwork o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyousurmountedamajorobstacle.

WorkingEffectivelywithOthers:
o Givemeanexamplethatwouldshowthatyou'vebeenabletodevelopandmaintain productiverelationswithothers,thoughthereweredifferingpointsofview. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouwereabletomotivateotherstogetthedesiredresults. o Tellmeaboutadifficultsituationwithacoworker,andhowyouhandledit. o Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouplayedanintegralroleingettingateam(orworkgroup) backontrack.

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CASEINTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Brainteasers:
o Whyaremanholecoversround? o Youhavea5gallonjuganda3gallonjug.Youmustobtainexactly4gallonsofwater. Howwillyoudoit? o Withoutwritinganythingorusinganycalculatingdevice,tellmeiftherearemore2sor 8stobefoundinallofthenumbersfrom1to50,000. o AlittlegirlisinAlberta,&hermotherisinOntario.Thelittlegirlisinanaccident,& hastoberushedtoanearbyhospital.Thelittlegirlisthedaughterofthenursewho assistsher.Howisthispossible?

Guesstimates:
o HowmanytennisballsfitintoaMetrocar? o HowmanyconveniencestoresarethereontheIslandofMontreal? o HowmanypeopletravelbackandforthfromMontrealtoTorontoeachday? o HowmanypapercupsdoesTimHortonsuseeachyear?

BusinessCases:
o Youvejustinventedaprocessthatallowspeopletobecomeinvisible,isthereamarket forthisproduct? o Yourclient,amaplesyrupproducer,wantstobeginexportingtheirproductintoEurope. Howwouldyouadvisethem? o DonaldTrumpisconsideringbuyingtheMontrealcasino.Whatshouldheconsiderwhen evaluatingthisdeal?Howmuchshouldhebewillingtospend? o ShouldtheCocaColaCompanyacquireCoucheTard?

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8.Resources

SomewebsiteswithgoodinformationonInterviewinginclude: www.vault.com www.campusaccess.com www.wetfeet.com http://interview.monster.com http://www.quintcareers.com http://ww2.cs.fsu.edu/~shilding/interview.htm www.casequestions.com www.bain.com http://www.bcg.com/careers/interview_prep/interview_tips.html http://www.casequestions.com/

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