Yuwei 202 tutorial 7

1. COMM 202
tutorial 7: employment interviews

2. agenda
• employment interview
• interview Q&A
• my take
• action items

3. where are we at?
Week 12 Week 14
• tutorial: interview
questions
• interview stream
optional
• lecture: when you’ve
got the job!
• interviews (April 3, 4,
6)
Week 13
• informational
interview assignment
(April 14th @
11:59PM)

4. employment interview
• when: April 3rd, 4th, 6th
• what to bring:
o resume
o cover letter
o job description
o padfolio
o pen
o research notes

5. employment interview
• the interview:
o check in with “reception” in Birmingham
o BE EARLY! – ideally about 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 March 27th to 29th (March
30th if your submission on COOL was late). You can choose between a
consultant or TA/coach
o interview will consist of behavioural questions

6. employment interview
• dress to impress & dress for success

7. interview Q&A

8. Q1: tell me about yourself
• most common question to be asked during an interview
• can be asked in different ways
• PRACTICE!

9. Q1: 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

10. Q1: 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?

11. Q1: 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

12. Q1: tell me about yourself
• my formula
+ +
“Adaptability”
immigrating to
Canada & watching
my parents build a
new home
musical theatre and
navigating work
experiences in
university
who I choose to
surround myself with

13. Q1: tell me about yourself
• rubric

14. Q1: tell me about yourself
• activity: grab a partner and swap “tell me about yourself stories”
• 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

15. Q2: 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

16. Q2: what are your strengths
• rubric

17. Q3: what are your weaknesses
do not flip
WEAKNESSES
into
STRENGTHS!

18. Q3: what are your weaknesses
do not flip
WEAKNESSES
into
STRENGTHS!

19. Q3: 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!

20. Q3: what are your weaknesses
✘ “I’m such a perfectionist”
✘ “Too detail-oriented”
✘ “Over-achiever”
✘ “I work too hard sometimes”

21. Q3: what are your weaknesses
• rubric

22. Q4: tell me about a time when…
S T A R
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?
what was the
accomplishment and
the impact?
+ LINK back to job and why the story is relevant

23. Q5: wild card question
o industry / job specific or… a surprise!
o way for the interviewer to gauge your interest and knowledge of the
position and industry
o test your ability to communicate clearly
o shows the interviewer how you think

24. Q5: wild card question

25. Q5: wild card questions
• rubric

26. Q5: wild card questions
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?

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. tips
answer the
questions
asked
listen to
the
questions
use your
skills
matrix

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

32. my thoughts

33. action items
• interview stream is optional
• employment interviews are on Apr. 3rd, 4th, 6th
• informational interview is due on
April 14th @ 11:59PM on turnitin
• next week is lecture
Puppy of the week!