Past Events

LOT Development Night - Interview Excellence


Heidi Van Roon is an LOT Mentor, Member of the Boards Provincial Budget and Finance Task Force, and Director of Business Development for Salesforce Outsource. On June 28. Heidi kindly provided LOT students with hands on training to prepare for future interviews as they begin preparation to enter the workforce. Here are a few highlights from the highly interactive and enjoyable session.

  • Build a master resume and create a common thread to target specific employment opportunities. This may be the long and expanded version that supports the future direction of your career.
  • When responding to a specific posting, edit this master resume to best support the qualifications that are being recruited. Highlight these qualifications in the top half of the first page to catch the reader's attention. The purpose of the resume is to get the interview.
  • Save your resume as a PDF and include your name and the position / or company you are applying for, making it easy to identify. Print this resume and bring it to the interview.
  • Prepare your opening remarks before the interview and do your homework. The more company and industry research you can do, the better. The more you can demonstrate that you can fulfill the requirements, the more likely the opportunity to set yourself apart.
  • Offer to show some of your research, let them know "I have 5 minutes worth of research and material to support my candidacy if you are interested in seeing it"
  • this 5 minute request often turns into a much longer interview and demonstrates how you might approach a given task or assignment. If the interviewers can see you in action, there is a better likelihood that they can envision you in the role, doing the work.
  • When answering interview questions it is helpful to follow a three part format:
    1. provide a situation,
    2. explain your solution, and
    3. report on the outcome from your past work, school, or volunteer experiences.
  • At the end of the interview ask what the next steps might look like and what might be a reasonable time frame for that process. Hold their business card look at the contact information and ask: "What is the best way to reach you?" Refer to the time frame that was offered up and say: "that timing works well for me, if I have not heard from you by then, I will drop a quick line and see if there might be any updates". "Thank you."
  • It is important to avoid a situation where you are simply told. "We will call you". This leaves the interview open ended and the candidate is not informed enough to follow through in the best time frame. This way you can follow up with confidence and determine your next step.
For more helpful interview tips please contact Heidi Van Roon at hvr_strategies@shaw.ca.