Mastering Interview Techniques: Key Takeaways from the Career Seminar interview Recap
The Career Seminar Series returns by offering more insights into the world of professional development. In our recent event, LSCDS highlighted the strategies to set yourself apart from the crowd during an interview process. Led by Hannah Stevenson, a seasoned career educator from the University of Toronto's Career Exploration and Education Centre, the seminar took place virtually on March 12th, drawing an impressive turnout of 45 attendees. Stay connected with LSCDS on social media and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on upcoming events!
Selling Yourself as the Ideal Candidate: A Summary of the Career Seminar on Interview Preparation. In the most general sense, an interview requires the candidate to communicate relevant experiences that demonstrate their ability and motivation to flourish in the role. Hannah emphasized that an interview is a two-way street - not only is the employer evaluating you, but you also have the opportunity to assess if the role is the best fit for your career goals. Use this conversation to determine if the job aligns with your interest, offers a healthy working environment, and can provide you with a suitable challenge for your development. To help you navigate the process with confidence, Hannah broke it down into three stages: preparation, the process itself, and the follow-up.
Interviews are a medium for storytelling about your journey and plans for future growth. Before conducting any interview, it is crucial to build a compelling narrative that showcases your unique journey: create a thorough description of your previous roles and be sure not to leave out any details! Once you have noted down your professional and academic journey, review the scope of your skillset and curate the information to create a personalized version of your journey to better fit the job description. Your main pursuit is to convince the interviewer to see you in the part of the company. To help you craft your story, Hannah mentioned a helpful exercise for interviewees: try imagining the most ideal candidate for the position and identify points within your skills and experience that closely emulate this imaginary candidate. When delivering your answer, a good interview story should have a clear structure (beginning, middle, and end), action (description of your role), and meaning (why it is relevant to the question).
Leverage available information wisely to ensure success in interviews. Hannah emphasized the importance of leveraging available information wisely to ensure success in this crucial stage of the job search process. Conduct meticulous research to understand the job description and interviewer's expectations. Tailor your language and story to suit your audience, adapting to whether you're speaking with scientists or laypeople. Align your responses with the language and context of the job advertisement. Be aware of the type of interview being conducted and prepare accordingly. Familiarize yourself with the organization, department, and its core values, and utilize LinkedIn for networking to gain insight into potential career paths associated with the role.
Apply your research to anticipate and identify possible interview questions. Every interview typically includes two fundamental questions: "Tell me about yourself" and "Do you have any questions for us?" Mastering your response to the opening question is crucial, as it sets the tone and pace for the entire interview. Additionally, Hannah stressed the importance of coming prepared with 2-3 questions for the panel to probe if the company and role fit with your career aspirations. Another commonly occurring question Hannah addressed was about conflict resolution skills, demonstrating your ability to deal with conflict directly. For those who may be less experienced in predicting interview questions, Hannah suggested a backward approach: create a T-chart outlining your top skills, and how they are showcased through your experiences, and then list potential questions that align with these narratives.
Ending the interview on a high note. Before asking the panel your questions, you are given the perfect opportunity to add or clarify details of an earlier response. Hannah also suggests concluding with a 30-second ending pitch where you reiterate the most important aspects of your story. Following the interview, you should also express your full sincerity by sending a follow-up! It is always good practice to send a thank you email within 24 hours after the interview.
Mastering the art of responding to interview questions is a skill, remember to implement all your preparations into practice! Practice with peers and utilize resources like the Career Exploration and Education centre's online interview strategy guide. Book mock interview appointments through CLNx for further assistance. Consider using Big Interview, a powerful virtual tool for interview practice recommended by Hannah. If you are struggling with finding positive attributes within your studies, this website is an excellent resource for identifying transferable PhD skills.
Hannah ended the interactive seminar with a lively Q&A session. One attendee asked how they could answer a technical question in a scenario where they are unfamiliar with the skill. She suggested answering by sharing an experience where you have had to learn a similar skill, highlighting your proficiency in learning a novel skill independently and swiftly. Overall, Hannah successfully breaks down the intimidating process of an interview, providing tips and tricks for attendees to build their confidence for future interviews. If you are interested in engaging with the panel of experts invited to the LSCDS Career Seminars, be sure to attend our future events! Learn more about upcoming seminars on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
