Interview Success

We all know interviews can be overwhelming and intimidating; here are a few tips to worry less about interviews and obtain employment. The day before the interview leave yourself enough time to look over the job posting, do research on the company, and take 5 minutes to reflect on each job you have had and experiences you could potentially use. Take advantage of Career Services and book a Mock Interview, which provides excellent practice by virtue of a simulated interview, or go on Interview Stream and answer interview questions and listen to your responses. This is a great way to refresh yourself on the job you’re applying to as well as previous experiences you have had. 

In addition I write down my top 3 strengths and weaknesses with a statement on how I am improving the 3 weaknesses. In my experience I have been asked to identify my strengths and weaknesses, therefore when the question arises I am able to quickly and confidently answer. I also like to write down the most important skills for the position because it reminds me which skills to highlight and discuss in more detail. By following these tips you can fight the nervousness of interviews and improve your chances of employment by being confident and communicating effectively. 

André St-George

Career Assistant

BBA Co-op

Acing the Unconventional Interview

You’ve applied to a job that interests you and have found out you’ve been invited to take part in a Skype interview. How should you prepare? How is it any different than a face-to-face interview? It is important you prepare for unconventional interviews (over Skype or the phone) just as much as you would a face-to-face interview. Here are a few strategies for success!

Phone Interviews

• Prepare. Since the employer won’t be sitting right in front of you it is ok to have a cheat sheet. Have a checklist of potential interview questions with some point form notes and practice your responses over the phone with a family member or friend.
• Location. Be sure to pick a quiet room with no background noise for your interview. Also, clear your workspace and lay out your resume and any additional documents you may want to refer to in an organized manner prior to your interview to avoid wasting time fumbling through papers when you should be answering questions.
• Etiquette. Just as in a face-to-face interview be sure to introduce yourself to each interviewer and thank them at the end. Don’t be shy to ask the interviewer for clarification or to repeat a question if you couldn’t catch what they said. Following the interview, you should send an email thanking them for the interview and reiterate your interest in the position. Having a 5 second delay in your responses to collect your thoughts is ok.

Skype Interviews

• Location. Just as with a phone interview, it is important you choose a quiet room with no background noise for your Skype interview. Don’t let the interviewer call into question your organizational skills with a cluttered background, ensure that your environment is as professional as your attire.
• Practice. Login to Interview Stream through CareerZone and practice your interview. Interview Stream allows you to record yourself answering questions and provides feedback and tips of non-verbal behavior and communication missteps. You can also send your recorded interview to us (career@brocku.ca) at the Career Centre for additional feedback.

With the right preparation you can ace these unconventional interviews. As always if you have any questions, want some feedback or advice please stop by the Career Centre Monday-Friday 9-4:30 or email us at career@brocku.ca.

Happy interviewing,

Mike Pratas

3^rd year Political Science Major

Senior Career Assistant 

Interview Prep

With summer jobs being posted and resumes being sent out, students are starting to think about how they will prepare for an interview. Interviews are an important step in the hiring process; they can make or break your chances of landing that job.

We have a lot of resources at the Career Resource Centre to help students prepare and be successful. Some of these include our Interview Handout, our Interview Techniques Binder, our Mock Interview service and print resources such as Interview Magic, Job Interview Phrase Book, and Knock’em Dead Job Interviews. As a student you can take full advantage of these resources by coming in to see us at the Career Resource Centre!

One of our newest and most exciting resources we have to offer to students looking for interview help is Interview Stream. Interview Stream is a web-based, video practice tool that records you while answering up to 10 questions. It allows you to practice verbal and non-verbal communication skills and evaluates you on how well you did. Interview Stream has over 7000 interview questions that you can choose from (or set it to random to be totally surprised!). As a student you can access Interview Stream through CareerZone by going to Student> Log In> Career Services> Online Resource Centre> Interviews> Interview Stream.

Preparing for a job interview will ease your nerves and make it easier to show them your best.  Know exactly what the position is and a little bit about the company and the services they offer. In addition to this, know yourself. Know what your goals are and know why you are applying for this position. Ensure you know the time, place, date, and dress code for your interview so you are prepared and well on time. We hope to see you at the Career Resource Centre if you have an upcoming interview! 

Alysha-Lynn Kooter, Senior Career Assistant, 3rd Year Intermediate/Senior Concurrent Education, Visual Art 

Happy 2015!

Everyone here at Career Services would just like to wish everyone a happy new year. The second semester has just started, and we are open for business again!

As a reminder, we are open Monday-Friday, 9am-4:30pm. Drop-in any time to use our services which include the following:
- Resume, cover letter, CV, letter of intent, portfolio, and LinkedIn profile reviews
- Job search (full-time and part-time, off-campus and on-campus), summer job search
- What can I do with my degree?
- I don't know what I want to do after I graduate!
- I don't know if I am in the right program!
- Going abroad (teaching, working, studying...)
- Post-grad options

- Interview preparation
- Self-Assessments

... and so much more. It is difficult to keep track of all of the services we provide!

You can also email us a career@brocku.ca if you cannot make it into the Career Resource Centre or are out of town, or you can talk to us on the chat between 9am-4:30pm on the Career Services webpage.

Stay tuned to our blog for a plethora of informative posts this year.

Anthony Mancuso
Senior Career Assistant
Honours Bachelor of Sport Management - Year 3

Follow Ups and Thank you Notes

 So you have done your research and found a job you think would be  a great fit for you. You carefully edited your resume and wrote a killer coverletter and were invited for an interview - which you aced! So... now what do you do?

The next step in the interview process is about following up with your interviewer.

When?
 It is important to thank the interviewer(s) within 24 hours of meeting.

What do I say?
Send separate notes to everyone involved in your interview to thank them for their time, the opportunity to be considered, and also lets you reaffirm your enthusiasm for the position. Don't be afraid to restate your  relevant skills, and why you would be a great fit for the position. Did you forget to mention something during the interview? You may add it in your follow up, just make sure it is concise. Restating your relevant skills could also be used to demonstrate your understanding of the company's needs and challenges.

Length?
 An effective thank you note is short, sweet, and to the point. Aim for around 6- 10 sentences. You don't want them to lose interest in your message.

How?
Thank you notes can be physical notes, or follow up e mails. Make sure you proofread your e mails before you send them. You don't want to  tarnish the great first impression you made with typos. Be sure of their names and how to correctly spell them.


Thank you notes and follow ups can boost your chance of getting a job. A survey by AccountTemps (2013) found that 76% of Canadian executives polled said that sending a thank you note demonstrates initiative and courtesy. The act of simply thanking someone for their time and the opportunity to be considered for the position can set you apart from other applicants.

If you would like more information, or you would like to see some sample follow ups, please feel free to stop by the Career Resource Centre and check out our Interview Techniques Binder, or chat with a Career Assistant. We are always happy to help you! Mon-Fri 9-4:30 

 

Becky White

Lead career Assistant

4th Year Tourism and Environment

Interview Preparation

Interviews are scary for most people but the key to interview success is being well-prepared. Practice tools such as Interview Stream are great because they allow you to see over 3,000 sample interview questions, record yourself answering the questions, and the watch yourself to see how you did! You can also email your recorded video to us at career@brocku.ca for constructive feedback. For log-in help and additional resources, check out the Interview section of our Online Resource Centre (through CareerZone). We also have an extensive Interview Techniques binder in the Resource Centre which has information on preparing for the interview, what to expect during the interview, how to make a great first impression, and what should always be done after the interview! Here are a few more general tips for preparing for an interview:

• Know yourself: You increase your confidence when you know what you can contribute to the organization and what you want from the job   
• Identify your assets and qualities by making a list of your…
• Skills and Competencies 
• Knowledge 
• Values and Needs 
• Beliefs 
• Interests 
• Personal Characteristics 
• Hint: personality and career assessments, such as Career Cruising and Type Focus, can help! Access them for free through CareerZone 

• Know the organization and the job. Some suggestions for getting to know the company are as follows:
  • Study the organization’s website
  • Have an idea of how the company operates and how it views its employees
  • Check out recent annual reports and news releases
  • Become familiar with the vision and goals of the company so that you can make valuable connections to it during the interview
  • Review the job posting or find a description of the position on the company website
  • Talk to someone you know in a similar position/field
•  Know your accomplishments: Interviewers want to know about your track record for achieving results – they often use your past performance to predict your future success. Keep this in mind during your interview and take opportunities to demonstrate your accomplishments.
  • Creating a career portfolio can be a creative and efficient way of demonstrating your accomplishments and experiences to potential employers 
  • Hint: Career Services offers portfolio review sessions on a walk-in basis and also has various portfolio samples to browse through

 Practice makes perfect so remember...

• The interviewer wants to know how your skills, knowledge and experience match the needs of the position and also how well you communicate. Practicing what you're going to say and how you’re going to say it will help you communicate clearly and confidently.
• It's best not to memorize questions and answers. Instead, develop key points that you want the interviewer to know about you, based on your preparation. You can practice using these key points to respond to a variety of questions.
• It's also important for you to ask relevant questions during the interview. Make a list of three things you want to know about the position or the organization. Make sure you wouldn't be expected to know the answers to these questions from your research. It’s a good idea NOT to ask questions about salary, vacation or other benefits until after you receive a job offer. Our Resource Centre has various print resources that can help you come up with some great questions to ask!

 Here are some additional pointers:

• Get ready: Make sure your interview attire is neat, tidy and appropriate for the type of position and employer you are interviewing with. Bring a nice portfolio with copies of your resume. Include a pen and paper for note taking.

• Be on time: On time means five to ten minutes early. If need be, take some time to drive to the interview location ahead of time so you know exactly where you are going and how long it will take to get there.

• Stay calm: During the job interview try to relax and stay as calm as possible. Take a moment to regroup. Listen to the entire question before you answer and pay attention - you will be embarrassed if you forget the question!

• Show what you know: Try to relate what you know about the company when answering questions.  When discussing your career accomplishments, match them to what the company is looking for.

• *The follow-up: After the interview, be sure to follow-up with a thank you note that emphasizes two or three reasons why you’re the ideal candidate for the position.

• In the event that you are not chosen for the position, don’t be afraid to contact the interviewer to ask for some feedback on how you can improve your interview skills for next time!

 Best of luck!

Jami Coughler, Senior Career Assistant
4th Year Public Health [Honours]; BA: Sociology [Honours] '11

Interview Anxiety: How We Can Help

Anxious about an upcoming job interview? There are a number of ways that Career Services can help your feel prepared and confident before you meet your potential employer for the first time!

Available in the Career Centre:

If you stop by our drop in centre you will find a number of interview related books including:

Don't stress out! Fear of interviews is treatable
with the right level of preparation and confidence!

• 101 Dynamic Questions to Ask at Your Job Interview
  - by Richard Fein
• The Job Interview Phrase Book
  - by Nancy Schuman
• Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Art of Being Interviewed
  - by H. Anthony Medley
• Get The Interview Every Time
  - by Brenda Greene
• Interview Magic
  - by Susan Britton Whitcomb

Also available in our centre is our newly updated Interview Techniques binder which includes sections on Interview Preparation, The Interview, After the Interview, and Specific Types of Interviews. Interesting topics covered include proper attire, portfolio resources, follow up/thank you emails, and the four types of interview questions.

These print resources are available to all students and alumni to view within the Career Services office and the Learning Commons. 

InterviewStream:  

Worried if you have any distracting habits such as playing with your hair or talking with your hands during a job interview? This innovative online tool allows you to practice your interviews with the assistance of a webcam and pre-recorded interview questions.  Having the ability to view a video of yourself getting interviewed will bring any pesky gestures and bad habits to your attention! With over 7000 questions to choose from, students are given the opportunity to tailor the type of interview questions asked to them based on the type of job they are applying to. And the best part is - you can do this in the comfort of your own home!

You can choose to keep your practice interview videos private or share them with friends and family for any additional suggestions. If you would like the opinion of one of our trained Senior Career Assistants you can email the video of your practice interview to our email at career@brocku.ca and we would be more then happy to provide you with feedback.

And luckily for future grad students, InterviewStream isn't limited to job interviews. If you are a current student applying for graduate school (including Medical School!) then InterviewStream is a great place for you to practice for academic interviews as well! 

This free service is available for both Brock University students and alumni with valid login information. InterviewStream, as well as additional assistance regarding interview preparation, can be found on our website at the following link: www.brocku.ca/career-services/students-alumni/interview-preparation/practice-interview

 

If you have any questions or concerns about the interview process feel free to stop by the resource centre and we will be more then happy to help you out! 

Ashley Paolozzi

Lead Career Assistant
4th Year History of Art and Visual Culture (Honours)

Services for First Year Students

Thank you to everyone that came out to the Brock University open house on Sunday!

For all of you future first year Badgers here is a list of the services available through Career Services that may be of interest to you during your first year at Brock!

• Resume and cover letter reviews and templates
• Information regarding on-campus and off-campus job postings and volunteer opportunities
• Degree Exploration Guides for each program with information on potential career options available after you have completed your degree
• Assistance with interview preparation
• Information on joining the Mentorship Plus and Med Plus programs
• Online career Assessment tools 
• And much much more!

Career Services is a drop in service located in the Learning Commons in the library. We are open from 9:00-4:30 from Monday to Friday during the Fall/Winter school term. If you would like to come and visit us this summer before you begin your first year we are open Monday to Friday from 9:00-4:00.

We hope to see you soon!

- Ashley, Sr. Career Assistant

No Fear Phone Interviews!

In an age where the job market isn't the greatest and opportunities to travel for work are vast, more often than ever employers are interviewing candidates via other means than face to face interaction! In this blog I will provide you some tips on how to survive the PHONE INTERVIEW!

1. Use a landline. No matter how much planning you do to ensure you're in a good service zone, you can't control dropped calls. The last thing you want is to hang up on the interviewer - they may not call you back!

2. Write EVERYTHING down! This goes for what you're going to say to the employer, and for what the employer says to you! While it's bad interview eitiquette to bring a list of your skills and experience with you to the interview after you've prepared it, one of the benefits to interviewing over the phone is that the employer can't see that! So take advantage - while preparing your answers for common interview questions, write it all down and keep it in front of you, right beside a list of your skills, strengths, weaknesses and a copy of your resume for reference! And as I said, make good notes about information the employer gives you over the phone. Keep pens and paper handy!

3. Speak sloooowly. It's always a good idea to practice speaking slowly and clearly for any interview but especially on the phone. It's one thing when an employer can see you in person because they can at least read your lips but on the phone they are completely reliant on their ability to comprehend you via listening and it's important to do everything you can to ensure you're getting the pertinent information across! That means no gum or food, by the way! Just because they can't see you does not mean they can't hear your chewing in their ear... *shivers*...

4. Be as professional as you would irl (in real life... n00b). So I know we've been touching on the benefits to being physically invisible to the interviewer, but just remember that body language translates into verbal language often! Sit up straight, smile, get dressed up! Whatever it is you have to do to project that professional image!

Finally check out Interview Stream, a neat resource that films you engaging in a mock interview! Great for practice for any sort of interview, but especially for things like the phone or skype! You can also send your video in to our office for feedback! Check it out by visiting CareerZone and clicking on Resources. You can also book a mock interview with krenaud@brocku.ca!

These are just a few tips but if you wanted some further information or further help on interview prep feel free to drop by to see us at the Career Resource Centre just inside the Learning Commons from 9-4:30pm Monday - Friday!

Good luck,

Brittany
Sr. Career Assistant

Shop for Jobs 2012!

It's that time of year again - time to pay your tuition, time to start thinking about how you're going to make money this year and therefore time to start preparing your career documents to apply... if you haven't already started, that is!

There are a bunch of new listings popping up on our Career Zone, for both on and off campus positions, but you can ALSO check out our annual Shop for Jobs event, which is happening again in just one month! The event is occurring on September 11th from 12-6pm at the Pen Centre. You have exactly 33 days; plenty of time  to get your resume in gear and practice those interview skills!

You can check out our online workshops for resume writing, cover letter writing, and interview skills all on our Career Zone website, under "Workshops" from your dashboard. You can also check the Career Services website for more information on resume writing, interview skills and also for using resources like Interview Stream!

Interview Stream is a really useful program where students can create a free account, and film themselves being "mock interviewed". All you do is login, choose some questions you'd like to be asked, and the program sets up a computerized interviewer who will ask you these questions while you're being filmed. Why is this helpful? Because it forces you to recognize your potentially bad habits that pop up in interviews and elsewhere. You can watch the video back to see if you touch your hair or face a lot, whether you're fidgeting, or maybe to see that you use words like "ummm" or "like" too much! It's always good to self-check and Interview Stream is a really useful way to do that. You can also send in your video to our full-time staff at Career Services where it can be looked over and sent back to you providing further feedback. You might also choose to book a real mock interview with our department before you head to the event by emailing khammond@brocku.ca, or even check out some of the Interview resources we have in the Career Resource Centre!

You can also bring your resume and cover letter into the centre and a Career Assistant would be happy to look it over for you! It's a drop in service so you don't have to make an appointment! Come in anytime between 9 and 4pm until August 24th, and then between 9 and 4:30pm starting in September!

Remember: choose the employers you'd like to meet with at the event and tailor your resume to each specific one. Don't just print off 10 copies of the same resume - it's better to apply to less positions and tailor each document to the specific companies than to hand out a bunch and be general. This is because employers want to know that a) you took the time to decide where you'd like to work and why and also b)  what you think qualifies you for their specific position. We can help you with all of this stuff right here in the centre :)


For some other tips and tricks, and a list of the participating employers, check out Jack's Facebook Page to view the event and also check out the Prezi!

Good luck and see you soon!

Brittany

Book Review: No Canadian Experience, Eh?

It's tough enough for Canadians to get hired with relevant experience in their field, let alone for those who do not. These people end up stretching out their achievement statements in order to prove how their skills qualify them; it can be a difficult process. Now imagine the difficulty for a person who might have little to no experience, or even some excellent and relateable experience, but not in the country which they're applying. This is a common occurrence for International Students and Immigrants, people who come to Canada seeking better education or work, but without Canadian experience they can end up feeling lost.

Brock University is full of International students who choose to stay in Canada following their studies to pursue something in their field here. What some of them are realizing is that their lack of Canadian experience is getting in the way of their career goals and job search. Or is it..?

In the second edition of "No Canadian Experience, Eh?" Daisy Wright covers literally everything a Canadian newcomer will need to know about how to immerse themselves in the culture of our career search, and even provides some helpful tips about Canadian culture as a whole (the term "eh?" is defined on page xiii, haha).  From attaining the accurate legal documents and creating a resume, to putting the references sheet together, sample thank-you letters and even success stories, this book has it all!


Wright identifies key areas where an immigrant to Canada might have difficulty transitioning, especially when it comes to job search. She provides specific suggestions for how to deal with resume writing, filling in gaps and structuring all experiences, as well as how to market yourself and prepare for the interview.  At the end of each section there is even a quiz to complete, helping the reader guage how well they are understanding the material in order to ensure confidence as they move forward in their Canadian career search!

Another great aspect about this book is something we're very big on at Career Services - goal setting and self assessments! She begins the book by having the reader get to know themselves, and understand how to set achieveable goals for their job search. She reminds the reader that it could be a lengthy process, but knowing yourself and making SMART Goals are imperative first steps to help make the process go smoother, if not faster!

My favourite part of the book is Chapter 9: Navigating the Job Search Maze. This chapter includes various sections on success tips, real life examples of job search mistakes, the hiring manager's perspective in the process, and even suggestions for preparing yourself for a job layoff. As an immigrant to Canada herself, Wright has a good understanding of what information is important to relay to Canadian newcomers in order to facilitate job search success and confidence, with no surprises!

Here are a few testimonials about how beneficial this book is, if I haven't yet convinced you:

"this book is an outstanding resource tool and thoroughly prepares our newcomers to take a pro-active and fresh look at addressing some fo the employment barriers that they will face"
Dauna Jones-Simmonds - Manager, Diversity Programs and Initiatives, TD Banks

"a must read for new immigrants. I wish I had this book before coming to Canada"
 T. Small, Legal Assistant

"This book is outstanding. It provides many valuable resources to people who plan to immigrate to Canada, and it allows newcomers to take a fresh look at the challenges they could face in immigrating, but also offers advice on how to overcome those challenges"
D.r Cheng, former University Professor in Taiwan

I'd also say that after reviewing this book, I find that the tips that Wright provides are beneficial for every job seeker in the Canadian market as her tips are universal to the fundaments of Canadian job search success.

 So those of you reading this blog who feel like you could benefit from some guidance on how to structure your resume and job search without any Canadian experience, never fear - drop by the Career Resource Centre in the Learning Commons and have a look through! You won't be disappointed :)

Brittany