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Interview Preparations

Interview Preparation

Successful interviewing requires self-confidence, in-depth knowledge of the field, a good understanding of the questions and the ability to describe succinctly and effectively how your work experience relates to the job you are applying for. Developing strong interview skills is a lot of work and requires hours of preparation. Candidates need to have a solid grasp of what employers are really looking for. 

Mentoring is an invaluable opportunity for the two of you to practise mock interviews. This is often a very important aspect of the mentoring relationship. It allows the mentee to develop a solid grasp of what employers expect in an interview and to learn to showcase the relevance of his or her experience to the Canadian context.

You should not have to cover the “basics” of interview preparation during your mentoring relationship. These should have been addressed through the employment preparation and job search training support mentees receive prior to being referred to the mentoring program.  Instead, focus on building the mentee’s confidence and fine-tuning their interview skills for both informational interviews and actual job interviews. 

Together you can
  • decide on the best way to approach strengthening the mentee’s interview skills and create opportunities to practise.
  • talk about how to handle suggestions for improvement.
  • brainstorm difficult or important interview questions.
  • discuss interview strategies, “right” and “wrong” ways of answering typical interview questions.
  • decide how many mock interviews you have time for.
  • practise mock interviews face-to-face and over the phone.
  • discuss and analyze actual job interviews the mentee may have during the mentoring relationship.

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