Screening Interviews allow employers to gain basic information about your skills, knowledge, experience, and career goals. It allows you to learn more about the specific company or organization.
Traditional Interviews use broad-based questions such as, "why do you want to work for this company," and "tell me about your strengths and weaknesses." Employers are looking for the answer to three questions: does the job-seeker have the skills and abilities to perform the job; does the job-seeker possess the enthusiasm and work ethic; and will the job-seeker be a team player and fit into the organization?
Telephone Interviews. Due to time and monetary constraints, employers may use telephone interviews to screen candidates and reduce the number of in-person interviews. Telephone interviews may occur without advance notice. Be prepared by having your résumé, cover letter, and company information in front of you.
Video Conferencing Interviews. Wear solids and not stripes or plaids to avoid problematic imaging. Choose full-face (straight) camera angles instead of angled views for best reception. Keep in mind there can be times when there is a lag between audio and video. Smile and maintain eye contact as in a face-to- face interview.
Job Fair Interviews are designed to create connections between employers and job seekers. When attending a job fair, be ready to explain why you are interested in the organization. Remember to bring plenty of copies of your résumé.
Panel Interviews. A panel interview is when two or more employers conduct the interview. When interviewing before a panel, be sure to address each recruiter individually.
Behavioural Interviews are becoming more common. Often within a traditional interview, there may be several behavioural interview questions. The behavioural job interview is based on the theory that past performance is the best indicator of future behavior, and uses questions that probe specific past behaviors, such as: "tell me about a time where you confronted an unexpected problem," "tell me about an experience when you failed to achieve a goal," and "give me a specific example of a time when you managed several projects at once." There are no right or wrong answers to behavioural interview questions, but there are better and worse answers. Job-seekers need to prepare for these interviews by recalling scenarios that fit the various types of behavioural interviewing questions. If you have little related work experience focus on class projects, group situations, hobbies and volunteer work. Job-seekers should frame their answers based on a four-part outline: (1) describe the situation, (2) discuss the actions you took, (3) relate the outcomes, and (4) specify what you learned from it.
Case Interviews present you with a typical set of "facts" that you might encounter in a real-life work situation.
For information on behavioural interviews and sample questions, check out our Interviewing for Success Tip Sheet or Links section.