Working In Natural Gas Student Resource

Preparing

A job interview can be a stressful experience. Being prepared is the best strategy to present a confident, qualified attitude to the interviewer.

Dress Appropriately
First impressions count, and the goal is to make them positive. Present yourself as professional, reliable, and trustworthy.

Dress for the position you are interviewing for. If you are interviewing for a manual labour job outdoors, do not show up in a suit; instead, wear something clean, casual, and professional looking.

  • Jeans, a shirt with a collar (button-up or golf shirt) or plain T-shirt if you must, and shoes or work boots are recommended.

Practice, Practice, Practice
The average job interview takes about 40 to 60 minutes. That is how long you have to create a positive impression and show that you have what it takes to do the job.

Figuring out what you want to say ahead of time and practicing it, will not only help you look and feel more confident, it will also make you more successful at presenting yourself.

Table 1 lists some relatively common questions asked during job interviews. Use them to help prepare yourself.

Table 2 shows questions that can and cannot be asked on job applications or during job interviews. Review these questions to better prepare yourself.

  • Select a few and write down what your answer would be.
  • Practice answering the question in the mirror, or video tape yourself.
  • The more you practice, the easier the words will come in the real situation.

 

Table 1: Common Interview Questions
Questions About You Questions About Your Qualifications
How would you describe yourself?
Describe your work style.
Why should we hire you?
What is your greatest weakness?
What is your greatest strength?
What motivates you? What are you passionate about?
What makes you angry?
How do you handle stress and pressure?
What is your dream job?
What are your career plans?
Describe a safety incident that you were involved in and how you handled it.
Describe a situation where you received criticism from your boss and how you handled it.
What would you do if your boss asked you to do something you know is wrong?
What would you do if you saw a co-worker doing something illegal at work?
Describe a difficult work situation / project and how you overcame it.
Describe a time when you were given too much work to do and how you handled it.
Is there anything else we should know about you?		 Why do you think you are qualified for this job?
What experience do you have related to this job?
What part of this job would be the most challenging for you?
What do you think will help you succeed in this job?
Why are you interested in taking a lower level job?
Why are you interested in a non-management job?

Questions About the Job

Why do you want this job?
Why should we hire you?
What can you do for this company?
Are you willing to travel?
How long do you plan to stay in this job?
When can you start work?
Do you have any questions?
Questions about Money
What is your wage/salary expectation?
What were you paid at your last job?
Would you take a job for less money?

 

Table 2: Questions Interviews Can and Cannot Ask
Human Rights Legislation and Interview Questions
Human rights legislation means that there are certain types of questions that interviewers legally cannot ask you, although sometimes they do. These types of questions can make you uncomfortable if you are not prepared for them. So, it is a good idea to practice responding to them too, ahead of an interview.
Questions interviewers CANNOT ask Questions interviewers CAN ask
Age related questions such as:
• How old are you?
• When did you graduate?
• What is your date of birth?		 • Are you between the ages of 18 and 25?

You can choose how you answer this question, but you do not have to say your specific age.
Gender related questions such as:
• What is your sexual orientation?
• What are the names and relationship of those living with you?		 There are no acceptable questions in this area and most good interviewers simply will not ask them.
Nationality, citizenship, or culture related questions such as:
• Is English your first language?
• Where were you born?
• Are you a Canadian citizen?
• What race do you identify with?
• Where were your parents born?		 •Are you legally eligible to work in Canada?
• What languages can you read/speak/ write?
Marital or family status related questions such as:
• What is your marital status?
• Who do you live with?
• How many children you have?
• Your spouse’s income or salary level		 • Where do you see yourself in five years?
• What hours are you available to work?
• Do you have other responsibilities that may interfere with your ability to meet the requirements of the job- such as overtime or travel?
Personal questions such as:
• How tall are you?
• What is your weight?		 • Are you able to safely lift and carry items of a specific weight and size?
• Are you able to perform the essential functions of this job?
• Can you demonstrate how you would perform the following job-related functions?
For more information, go to Canada HR Centre

Interviewing Tips

  • Arrive 10-15 minutes early – Late is never acceptable. Even if your car did blow up on the way to the interview, your potential new employer does not care.
  • Be prepared – Have a copy of your resume and information about the job position with you. If the interviewer is struggling to find your resume, it is helpful if you can hand them a clean fresh copy to use. Also bring a note pad and pen so you can write down anything important that arises through the interview.
  • Be courteous – Thank the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you. Shake their hand, introduce yourself, SMILE and look them in the eye.
  • Relax – Interviews can be nerve wracking: remember to breathe and be yourself.

Learning Activity 5: Practice Interviewing

In this learning activity, you will participate in a mock job interview.

Instructions

  1. Work with a partner.
  2. Review the common interview questions listed in
  3. Select 2-3 questions from each section of and a few of the questions from .
  4. Brainstorm with your partner on how best to answer each question clearly and concisely.
  5. Take turns interviewing each other using the questions you have prepared answers for.
    1. Start from the beginning, just like you would in a real interview, with entering the interview area and greeting the interviewer by name.
    2. Avoid saying “um”, “ah”, “like”, “you know” as much as possible.
    3. Be sure to ask and answer one of the questions that interviewers are not supposed to ask so you can practice how to handle it gracefully.
  6. At the end of your interview (just as you would in a real interview) – remember to stand up, shake the interviewer’s/your partner’s hand and thank them for taking the time to meet with you.
  7. Once you have finished interviewing, provide each other with feedback.
    1. Did they look confident or afraid?
    2. Were they polite?
    3. Did they use appropriate language?
    4. Are they too shy or too aggressive?
    5. Did they provide examples when answering questions?

This is all important feedback that can help in a real interview. As with anything – practice makes perfect!