A successful job interview!
Silvia's experience during her first job interview in Canada
Hello, my name is Silvia and I want to tell you how I prepared myself to have a successful job interview in Canada. Here are the details.
My CV and portfolio
First I researched how to make a Canadian style resume or CV, during the process I got very interesting recommendations from Immiland Canada, so I decided to follow them and summarized it taking into account the most important and recent of my work experience. Once it was done, I contacted Immiland's team of consultants and handed it to the administrator Nicolas Urena, who did a careful review to make sure it met the parameters required by Canada and, once he found that everything was ok, he gave me the green light to start delivering it to places of employment of my competence.
It is important to mention that, since my academic profile is in graphic design, a field that involves the visual sense to a great extent, Nicolás suggested me to complement my CV with my portfolio of images on the Behance website, where I could upload my work and photographs using a QR code on the CV so that anyone interested could have easy and quick access to it.
A key to attracting the attention of my employers
I adapted my CV to the profile they were looking for, I did not always send the same CV, so I was flexible at the time of modifying it according to the requirements of the job I was finding on the Indeed job platform. To access the job board and get connected, the first thing I did was to look for the web portal www.Indeed.com Canada and register. Then I placed in the search engine the job of my interest, in my case as a graphic designer, I added the city of Montreal and began to see the options to finally apply.
The process was very easy, however, I recommend that you previously obtain the advice of an expert in the Canadian labor area to ensure that your CV meets the requirements of the country.
The most awaited day has arrived
My employers contacted me!
They told me that my CV had been selected for the next step and that I was available for a personal interview, so I sent them my response that same day in the evening and the next day I had a message back in my Indeed inbox. It was a wonderful thing because I was able to verify that indeed my information had reached the employer; actually, I had my doubts because I had never used this platform before.
The day of the appointment for the face-to-face interview
My interview was on Friday in the city of Montreal. I tried to arrive early, so I was on site 20 minutes early to calm down, as I had to walk the whole way.
Everything went too fast. Although my nerves were on edge, I told myself: "what I am going to talk about is not unknown to me, I have what they are looking for", and with that conviction I went into the office and presented myself with my printed CV and my portfolio ready to show on my Ipad, I also tested my level of English and highlighted my academic knowledge and work experience.
As a precaution, I had some questions prepared, but when the interview started, I realized that I didn't have to be so "square". I made sure to read about the company, its origin, its mission and current position, and that gave me the confidence to handle the conversation, I just had to let it flow.
I want to emphasize that the interviewers were very kind and I, for my part, was very transparent from the beginning and I stayed true to my expressions, my laugh and my way of speaking, that made my experience very special because it was my first in-person interview with employers. Besides, I felt completely satisfied because I confirmed that it is possible to find a job in Canada and that my knowledge, my talents and my work experience are valued and required in this country.
If you are about to have a job interview, always remember that it should be pleasant and that it is the first moment to give our best impression. So I did and now I am grateful for my new job in Canada!
I am very satisfied with the advice I received to prepare my CV properly and to show my best profile in my interview.
Thank you very much, immiland!
Silvia
Immiland Canada's recommendations for a good interview: what to say and what not to say
As legal consultants and recruiters, we always recommend making the interview a pleasant and cordial conversation rather than a question and answer questionnaire. Here are some tips that you should always put into practice to show your best version:
- Be clear about the immigration plan that will bring you to Canada.
- Never go into an interview without knowing who will be hiring you or having reviewed what the company is all about, so get to know the boss who will be interviewing you and be prepared to know what he or she specializes in.
- Ask questions to learn about the structure of the company.
- Demonstrate a good command of English, one that allows them to manage a fluent conversation with a specialized vocabulary in their area. You can look for keywords that involve your job position.
- If you did not understand a question, you can ask the interviewer to repeat it, the person will do so without any problem or will structure the question so that you understand it.
- Never let your interview turn into a monologue where only the interviewer speaks or the interviewer asks you questions and you answer, no! Conduct the interview in such a way that it becomes a pleasant conversation and the interviewer feels comfortable with you, you will surely leave a good impression and you will have more chances to be on the list of interesting employees for the company.
- Know that the interviewer also wants to know if you are interested in the position, sometimes out of embarrassment you do not ask anything, but it turns out that it is advisable to ask. For example, you can ask about the job, what your functions will be, the schedule, your opportunities for growth within the company, etc.
- Bring the topic of salary into the conversation, try to find out beforehand how much a person earns on the job for their experience, however, ask for the normal salary and how much they aspire to earn.
- If you are skilled in other functions that your interviewer doesn't know about or didn't ask you about, then communicate that, e.g., I am also a copywriter, writer, computer scientist, etc.
- In conclusion, ask everything you want to know about the company; also, when you get the desired job, show loyalty and appreciation for the opportunity of the job offer.
At Immiland we are always here to serve you. If you would like to make an appointment with our consultants, please click on the link below.
With love,
Immiland.
Note: This article does not constitute legal advice or legal opinion from an attorney. Rather, it is provided solely to inform readers about certain aspects related to the details of the law in legal matters.