Registered

How to interview

Applying for the right job or career path

Making your interview successful

Preparation is key to your success. You must prepare yourself about the employing organization and you must ready yourself for the interview itself. The interview process starts at preparation and terminates upon follow-up of interview. There are several key responsibilities in between. For instance, maintain an open line of communication and call if you are running late. But, let's start with the process right at the beginning.

PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW

In preparing yourself, bear in mind that the employing organization is as much a prospect to you as you are to the organization; you should consider that you are both on an equal footing and view the interview process as a mutual exchange.

First, research the corporate website for all valuable and useful information. Griffin Sproston will provide you with the appropriate URLs or offer other relevant reading material. Understand the core businesses and where they are headed for the future. Learn some basics such as whether the organization is privately held or publicly traded; structured and formal, or unstructured and informal.

Second, prepare a list of self-styled questions: questions that don't come from a textbook but that are clearly of your own scripting. For example:

• What are the two most important qualities of the successful candidate? (this tells you more about the position and whether it's right for you)
• I need to take on more responsibility and 'step up the ladder.' Is this position going to offer me an opportunity to grow even further? (this tells the interviewer what you are essentially looking for)
• Will this position offer me peers or am I going to be completely on my own? (this tells you about the personal 'fit')

These questions need to come from your heart: you need to ask what you need to know and not all questions are suitable for all interviews. It's best to have given this some consideration before the interview so that you are prepared to ask the right questions smartly and ensure that you do get all the information you need to make a decision about the position opening and its personal fit for you.

Third, prepare a list of standard questions that make sense for all your prospect position openings that can be asked of any or all of the persons interviewing you.

• What are the departmental objectives?
• Generally, what kind of people are you looking for?
• What expectations do you have based on the current or last person in this position?
• Are there immediate requirements that are unusual?
• What's the best thing about working here?

Fourth, be prepared for stock questions from your interviewers, for example:

• Why are you currently looking for another position?
• What was it about your previous position that was beneficial and what was lacking?
• What are your goals over the next few years and where do you see yourself in five or ten years?

Griffin Sproston will work through your responses with you so that your comments are coherent and relevant to the position opening. Remember that any reference you supply must be someone with whom you have (a) already spoken to for permission to use their contact information and (b) determined will react in a positive manner if contacted. If you are completely new to interviewing, role play with your mother, role play with your father; get your neighbour to throw a bunch of questions at you!

THE INTERVIEW

Dress well. If this sounds silly, then you'll likely be fine. Nonetheless, let's go over the basics. 'Business casual' is very common in both offices and at corporate events; however, there are times when something more is required within the context of the job so it is beneficial to dress up a step from there. It may be that it's the only suit hanging in your closet but if you don't have one or something darn close to one, you'd best get one, even if it's just for the interview. A dress, skirt or pantsuit outfit will suffice for women and men should be comfortable in a tie - a full 2-piece suit is not necessary, unless you are directed otherwise by Griffin Sproston. It is always wise to keep personal flairs (e.g., jewellery, accessories) to a generally accepted minimum. If you are not sure what this means for you, ask Griffin Sproston for an honest assessment of how you 'present' in the outfit of your choice for an interview.

Take a copy of your resume. It may be required. If your interviewer temporarily misplaces his or her copy, your copy will come in handy.

Arrive on time. Early is better. Call your contact directly if you are running late. Call Griffin Sproston as well.

Shake hands firmly and comfortably. If this is not something you do naturally, practice with family members and then your neighbour. (You might want to buy your neighbour a little 'thank you' gift after all the help you've received through this exercise! Family gift? Well, they should expect to help you through this.)

Make eye contact on a regular basis. If you find yourself looking away uncomfortably, you need to practice speaking in general. If you are unconsciously looking elsewhere, you'll need some help from a coach. Role playing will help you learn whether you are doing this.

Listen. Respond appropriately and demonstrate that you have been able to process the information and play it back. For instance, "I understand that you are looking for a short-term commitment to long hours; is it possible that this could go on indefinitely?"

Be enthusiastic. Even if, during the interview, you identify that this is NOT the position for you, stay positive because other opportunities may present themselves, either during the interview or in future.

Stay focused. When responding to questions that probe your life, keep focused on your work experiences and bear down on the positives. It's okay to bring out the negatives if you are presenting them in a constructive fashion. For instance, 'your current boss is ridiculously overbearing and doesn't give you a @@#?#$ minute for any free-form, creative thinking' could be expressed as: "While I work well under supervision, it is important that I have some opportunity for self-initiation and independence during my work week." Let's try another. 'The senior management team is a bunch of pizza-sucking, hollering balloon-heads straight out of high school with zero concept of employee skills development,' could be expressed as: "One of the features I am most attracted by in your organization is the opportunity to develop my skills and improve my knowledge within this industry. I also like your free-pizza Wednesdays!"

Talk, briefly, about your different jobs and how you have worked in those environments as well as how they either fit or did not fit with your personal lifestyle. It's okay to have been in a situation that wasn't ideal but the question that needs to be answered is: "Did you learn from it? and are you able to apply that to your next job or career move?" For instance, if your previous job was a poor lifestyle fit, are you now making the right move?

Above all, be honest. If a position isn't right for you, there's one out there that is.

Finish your interview with a positive statement about how you see yourself fitting into the position. Examples:

"It seems to me that the job is going to require an enormous amount of dedication for at least three months - until the steep learning curve is traversed - and this is something I am quite comfortable with."

Take an opportunity to review these following helpful pointers prior to each new assignment. Be 5 to 15 minutes early every day. If you are unsure about anything... location... hours... reporting officer... call Griffin Sproston. Be sure to know:

• the correct name and address of the company to which you are assigned
• the name of the person to whom you will report
• the start and end dates of your assignment
• the hours you will be required to work information about the company
• dress code

If you are unable to begin or complete your assignment or are running late or if you are encountering problems related to your assignment, please notify us immediately. You are always a Griffin Sproston employee, and we are your first point of contact.

 

We hope that our relationship with you will be a long and rewarding one. When in doubt about anything call Griffin Sproston! Our office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and your call outside of these hours will be recorded and responded to promptly.

Let us know when you learn new software and telephone systems - the more services you have to offer, the higher your pay rate.

• It's a good idea to dress conservatively and professionally unless otherwise informed.
• Always respect the confidentiality of client business. Keep your coffee and other breaks to the allotted times.
• Please be flexible - your job role may vary.
• Be prepared for overtime hours.

Time sheets are available at the Griffin Sproston office and must be used to record and transmit your daily/weekly hours on a weekly basis:

• Complete your time sheet with your daily hours added-up to a weekly total.Make sure you have added correctly.
• Please fax a signed copy at the end of the week to (416) 922-3061. If the time sheet is not received by 12:00 noon on the following Monday, the pay cheque will not be issued until the next pay period.
• As a temporary employee you are paid for the hours that you work. Lunch breaks, holidays, or other times off should not be included in your hourly totals unless you are specifically directed to do so.
• Pay cheques are prepared every Wednesday for the previous week worked and mailed to you Thursday unless you direct us otherwise via telephone or fax.
• Income tax, employment insurance and Canada pension plan premiums are routinely deducted from your pay.
• You receive 4% vacation pay on a weekly basis.
• Overtime rates (hourly rate plus 50%) are paid after 44 hours worked in the week, unless otherwise arranged.