what makes YOU different from others interviewing for the same job..

this is related to school obviously, you spending so much time, money and effort to learn all this knowledge and become a better person.
No you're not! you want a good paying job, and a financially-stable life. thats why you're in uni.

my "finding a job and... story" (you can skip the following paragraph if you want)
ive just finished first year in commerce at U of T and i tried to get a summer job (online at like monster, workopolis and other sites) and i end up coming out with interviews for like sales jobs and other undesirable jobs b/c of lack of experience. Made me kind of depressed and worried about my future after uni (not getting a job and osap on my back kind of thing)...
So that is why ive planned to make a backup plan while studying at U of T in the next few years (trying to start and take the CGA examinations, help me get better summer jobs, better pay and feel more confident=> so then hopefully can pass the UFE exam to become a certified CA)..

enough about my life (sorry i babbled!).

So what are YOU doing that's going to help you in the future to get a job, a good one?
so you got hired for a good job (whether it be co-op or summer, or part-time), what is it that you think that you did/have/say that made them choose you?

-i noticed at those interviews i was super nervous, so what can i do to calm myself down?? (i think i probably know the answer though, is to prepare super well for the interview so you know what to say to those hard questions, so you won't be nervous anymore)

p.s. obvisouly the first step is having the ability to write attractive cover letter and resume, or won't even have the opportunity to get an interview and prove yourself.

One thing that you don't think about for interviews is get interviews, no such thing as a good or bad interview, just keep doing them. My first interview I sounded like something had crawled in my throat and died. Just keep doing them and before you know it, you're comfortable and who cares if you blew 5-8 interviews at this stage in your life. It's the future that counts

The most important thing you can do is get out there and meet people in the fields you want to work in. Volunteer if you have to but start as early as you can to build up a list of people who know you and what makes you different in your chosen field....

I believe that about 80 to 90 percent of jobs are found and filled through networking. I used to like to hire people I knew and I have never had a problem finding work in less than 2 weeks through a person who knew someone who knew someone...

If they know about you or vice versa your interviews are going to be a lot easier.....

Originally Posted by deeplove

this is related to school obviously, you spending so much time, money and effort to learn all this knowledge and become a better person.
No you're not! you want a good paying job, and a financially-stable life. thats why you're in uni.

my "finding a job and... story" (you can skip the following paragraph if you want)
ive just finished first year in commerce at U of T and i tried to get a summer job (online at like monster, workopolis and other sites) and i end up coming out with interviews for like sales jobs and other undesirable jobs b/c of lack of experience. Made me kind of depressed and worried about my future after uni (not getting a job and osap on my back kind of thing)...
So that is why ive planned to make a backup plan while studying at U of T in the next few years (trying to start and take the CGA examinations, help me get better summer jobs, better pay and feel more confident=> so then hopefully can pass the UFE exam to become a certified CA)..

enough about my life (sorry i babbled!).

So what are YOU doing that's going to help you in the future to get a job, a good one?
so you got hired for a good job (whether it be co-op or summer, or part-time), what is it that you think that you did/have/say that made them choose you?

-i noticed at those interviews i was super nervous, so what can i do to calm myself down?? (i think i probably know the answer though, is to prepare super well for the interview so you know what to say to those hard questions, so you won't be nervous anymore)

p.s. obvisouly the first step is having the ability to write attractive cover letter and resume, or won't even have the opportunity to get an interview and prove yourself.

ok..the MOST IMPORTANT thing is that you should have chosen UTSC Co-op Management instead of Commerce. lol. Although we have no life (school -> work -> school -> work...), we have good summer jobs :P

Ummm...interviews...I personally don't feel nervous when interviewing probably because I had more than 20 + interviews in my life since my first job in Grade 10...practice makes you better. Also, try to practice your public speaking skills whenever possible, whether it is asking / answering questions at a lecture or deliver a speech in front of an audience..... try picking up girls help A LOT too, believe it or not. lol.

It is all about effective communication when it comes down to it. And verbal communication is something you can't really learn about, i think one can only improve the skill in that area by actually doing it.

Just my 2 cents. Also, I think you need some working hours at an Accounting firm to be eligible to write the UFE....I could be wrong, my gf is a CA student also so I can follow up with her.

Interview tips:

1. Don't bother preparing answers. They can tell. Take a management course on interviewing and see what kind of stuff they look for. trust me, they can tell when you are lieing.
2. tell the truth. Most interviews incorporate situational questions along with "what you know questions".
3. if u dont have a glass of water (i never ask for one), u can squeeze with your teeth your tougue, kind of like biting it a little. but basically u can squeeze saliva out of the tip of your toungue to wet your mouth when u are dry and cannot produce saliva. This happens when you are nervous, your mouth might get dry, OR when you are talking so much, ur mouth gets dry. try it, it works wonders. especially in an interview.
4. good cover letter, good resume. thats a given. I went through screening for a replacement for me at my last job. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff that goes on a resume and cover letter. god. google.ca is your friend. And they were interviewing for an IT position, and couldn't take the time to search for "how to write a cover letter....properly!" LOL

Hope this helps man
GL!
Experience always helps. Also, network as much as possible. Go to meet people, etc etc. Confrences always help because big people within whathever industry u are in ALWAYS go to them. In my case, I am in the IT industry. So whenever a cisco, or microsoft, or whatever confrence is in my city, I try to attend. You meet and mingle with other people, put your name in the back of their heads. They might remember later.

When I get nervous, I forget where I am trying to go with the interview.

I'm pretty good at writing cover letters, and cater them very specifically to the jobs I'm applying for. I bring an extra copy of the cover letter along, with KEY POINTS HIGHLIGHTED. That way, I dont forget my skills that I want to 'market' during the interview.

I think that eye contact and smiling goes a long way too.

Originally Posted by deeplove

this is related to school obviously, you spending so much time, money and effort to learn all this knowledge and become a better person.
No you're not! you want a good paying job, and a financially-stable life. thats why you're in uni.

my "finding a job and... story" (you can skip the following paragraph if you want)
ive just finished first year in commerce at U of T and i tried to get a summer job (online at like monster, workopolis and other sites) and i end up coming out with interviews for like sales jobs and other undesirable jobs b/c of lack of experience. Made me kind of depressed and worried about my future after uni (not getting a job and osap on my back kind of thing)...
So that is why ive planned to make a backup plan while studying at U of T in the next few years (trying to start and take the CGA examinations, help me get better summer jobs, better pay and feel more confident=> so then hopefully can pass the UFE exam to become a certified CA)..

enough about my life (sorry i babbled!).

So what are YOU doing that's going to help you in the future to get a job, a good one?
so you got hired for a good job (whether it be co-op or summer, or part-time), what is it that you think that you did/have/say that made them choose you?

-i noticed at those interviews i was super nervous, so what can i do to calm myself down?? (i think i probably know the answer though, is to prepare super well for the interview so you know what to say to those hard questions, so you won't be nervous anymore)

p.s. obvisouly the first step is having the ability to write attractive cover letter and resume, or won't even have the opportunity to get an interview and prove yourself.

If you're doing a CA, don't worry about money/loans now. You can pay off 2x your loan and still have enough money to live comfortably your first year as a CA.

Well, I haven't had a LOT of interviews, really only 3 (professional anyways). But I came out with 2 jobs out of those 3. I've been interviewed by the Dept. of National Defense, General Motors and BC Transmission Corp (high voltage engineering).

I wouldn't personally say I did them all well, in fact I look back and thought I did pretty bad but I ended up getting 2 of them. Personally, preparing is good but don't over prepare. The key is sort of tricking yourself into thinking you've tried to prepare and really it's all up to how you perform. It instills a bit of confidence.

Convince yourself you can do the job and that all you have to do is communicate that to them. Be honest but not too honest. Tell them stuff that is either neutral or in your favour. HOWEVER if they ask you a technical question and you don't know the answer simply say... well, I don't know. Don't try and ******** and if you're going to guess make sure it's clear you're guessing. I got one of these horribly wrong and simply said, oh okay well there you go.

Most imporantly, I feel... be yourself and add a personal twist to the interview. Interview them as much as they are interviewing you. Maybe add a tidbit of your own life to it and make it so they have an idea who you are, not just what you know.

In the end, you will be working with them. They are people too and even if you're qualified if they sense any sort of conflict or dishonesty, they will just disrgard you. Good example is probably how much I like my last job. I said the reason I liked it so much was because of the people I worked with. They made it enjoyable.

Anyway hope that helps. I'm not loaded with experience but those are my experiences.

Truemana has some excellent points.

I'd like to add that whenever you go into an interview, don't think of it as an interrogation. Think of it like you're going out to coffee with a couple of friends. Visualize this before you go in. Maybe even practice sitting down with a couple buddies and emulating the "setting" so you get used to it. If you can appear confident, relaxed, and friendly, then you got it in the bag!

Of course theres a bit more to it, but for all sakes and purposes, they probably wouldn't hire someone who is 10x more qualified if that person was awkward/uncomfortable to be around. Joke around with them, make em laugh. They'll come out of the interview feeling good and you WILL stand out. Show em some personality. Don't be the walking dead.

And the guy who suggested picking up girls to practice... perfect.

My first co-op job with DND, apparently during the technical interview, my marks were identical to another applicant (when marks were added up, my marks with like identical within 1 or 2 marks out of 100).

What sealed the deal was when the interviewer asked me to tell a joke at the end. Out of 4 people interviewed, 2 couldn't or wouldn't tell a joke. The other guy had some blonde joke but I whipped out the cinderblock/rose pedal. The interviewers went back to work and told it to everyone, and even all the way to the end of the co-op term they were asking me to tell it.

Another thing to add on to what I said before. Don't be afraid to take slight control of the interview. I was asked to tell them about a time where I really liked a supervisor or school instructor and why. I offered both. Just helps with adding a personal aspect.

I can speak english.

I'm in engineering science ;-)

I also agree that there's no such thing as a bad interview. You learn from each one, and you sort of see what works and what doesn't. Although everything varies with each interviewer.

- Don't lie during the interview. I admit i've made up a few things early on (not regarding my qualifications, but regarding 'situations where xxx happened and what did you do, etc). They can tell.
- I feel that preparation for the standard questions are important. Especially the standard ones (good/bad traits, have you been in a conflict situation, where do you see yourself in 1/5/10 years, etc). Because these questions can be difficult to answer on the spot (especially the good/bad traits question) having an answer already can make the interview go easier. If you nail all the standard questions, the interview will still go well if you didn't do so well on the non-standard/specialized questions. Example: lets say each standard question is worth 1 point, and non-standard questions are worth 2. If you nail 10/10 on the standard ones and botch half of the non-standard ones (5/10) you're still at 15/20.
- Research the company, what services they offer, what their products are, who they sell to, who their competitors are, etc. Things that show that you understand what the company does. I think an interviewer can tell who's done research and who hasn't. I would even go as far to calling their customer service line to ask questions you don't know (I haven't tried this before, but I think in the future, I would try this out).
- Be confident. If you don't have faith that you can do the job, then why would the interviewer think otherwise?
- I also agree with the others, saying that the interview should be an exchange of information session. So you should try to ask questions as well; questions that show you're thinking of things beyond $ and desperation .
- There also isn't one correct answer. Everything is subjective, just be prepared to justify your answer.
- I also agree that witty comments are appropriate. No need to be a stiff and only spit out answers to questions.

The above list is what I think are most important for an interview. It's based on my personal experience and may not work for everyone. It took me 10+ interviews, but I finallly found a job in my field.

Edit: One last thing to add. Don't forget to get/ask for a business card. In case you want to send a follow-up email or call. It would kind of suck if you don't have their email or address them by the wrong name.

I'll toss in a few tidbits here from and interviewer's perspective.

1) Don't dismiss anything you have done. Fact is, the people who are interviewing you know exactly what you went through since they did the same/similar thing. Engineers know what it means to have a small part-time job while doing a full course load etc.

2) On the same note, don't exaggerate too much since same applies. E.g. interviewed a girl who specifically stated she did well in a particular course. I happened to have taken the same course when I was in school. Asked specific questions and she couldn't answer. Ended up saying "well, I got a high mark but didn't remember the material." What's the point then? Would have been better not to highlight anything.

3)Communicate! I'm not certain how other companies work but I'm not going to ask the old school questions. I want stories - give me details! I'm not looking for the answer, I'm looking to see how you respond. If you can't clearly explain something that you did (and know), how can you explain something complicated?

4)Technical skills are secondary. This may seem strange but fact is, if it's a junior position, and you have a BASC,BENG,Bwhatever, I'm going to assume you have the prerequisite skills. You may have some work experience in something, and that's beneficial, but if you are there for the interview, I think you are smart enough to do the job. So really, I'm looking to see how well you fit.

5)Answer the question! Had an interview where, when I asked the person how much he expects, his response was "well, I have no experience and I'm not sure what the range is, so really, anything is okay." First off, tells me the person doens't know his value, doesn't know the range for the position and didn't research any of that. I'd rather someone say 20K more than we're offering, as long as they give an answer and a reason.
This also goes for people who have a tough time answering "difficult" questions like "why did you not work during the summer" or why did you repeat XYZ course. Fact is, we all likely did badly, or screwed up somehow. I want to see how you answer something you'd rather not, under pressure.

6)Ask questions. If you have no questions for me, you don't care about the job. That's the bottom line. This is somewhere you are spending 10hrs a day, for the next few yrs. I'd want to know a whole bunch of stuff. It's okay to ask technical details (how big is the group, what are the medical benefits etc) but it's a bonus if you ask about things like company leagues, group meetings etc. Shows you also care about the work community as a whole.

7) Dress appropriately. Brush you teeth/hair etc. Look presentable. It may not get you the job, but it will lose you the job if you don't look your best.

8) Show a plan. Once a guy came in and only wanted to work part-time since he wanted to maintain and grow his furniture business. ???
If I say we don't have a legal dept. don't talk about getting your LLB. If I say we don't have foreign offices, don't say you want to work internationally. If I specifically mention we pay 100% tuition, damm well lie and say you want your Masters.

9) Be employable. This is applicable to my company but lots more are doing it. We are required to do background checks for security clearance. I'll tell you during the interview. If you don't say something then, and a red flag comes up, au revoir. If you are on a student visa and don't mention it, and it comes up later, adios. (Both have happened).

10) Don't dismiss HR. I know it's tough as technical people to have to talk to HR, when the odds are the person has no clue what's required and what isn't. But trust me, HR sits with us for a very long time discussing the candidates during the first round interviews. They don't even bother going into technical details (other than the small points we ask for specifically). What they do discuss is personality and "fit". And trust me, it comes accross when you have contempt for the HR person and they let us know.

Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by Truemana

My first co-op job with DND, apparently during the technical interview, my marks were identical to another applicant (when marks were added up, my marks with like identical within 1 or 2 marks out of 100).

What sealed the deal was when the interviewer asked me to tell a joke at the end. Out of 4 people interviewed, 2 couldn't or wouldn't tell a joke. The other guy had some blonde joke but I whipped out the cinderblock/rose pedal. The interviewers went back to work and told it to everyone, and even all the way to the end of the co-op term they were asking me to tell it.

Another thing to add on to what I said before. Don't be afraid to take slight control of the interview. I was asked to tell them about a time where I really liked a supervisor or school instructor and why. I offered both. Just helps with adding a personal aspect.

Ummm, so what's your joke?