How to Prepare for an Interview

Tips for Success

• Self-Assess: Highlight the experiences you listed on your application and skills that you

developed. Match these to the needs of the position.

• Research: Find out as much as you can about the position and the organization.
• Know Yourself: Understand how your background and interests connect to the position.
• Communicate: Prepare to communicate specific examples to demonstrate your

competencies for this position

• Arrive Early: Be sure to know where you are going, how long it takes to get there and
arrive 10-15 minutes early.

• Ask Questions: Ask questions that will help you decide if the position and organization is

suitable for you.

• Thank Your Interviewer: Consider a follow up thank you e-mail, if appropriate.

Interview Checklist

Before your interview, consider the following checklist:

• I have self-assessed my strengths

• I have researched the position

• I understand my connection to the position

• I have prepared responses to anticipated questions

• I have prepared a list of questions to ask
• In person interview - I know the location and time of the interview

• In person interview - I know the best route, transit schedule or best parking options to be

on time
• Virtual interview – I have reviewed the WebEx tips and have tested my laptop with
webcam enabled, or a smartphone or tablet

• Virtual interview – I have a quiet space

• In person & virtual – I have water on hand and my preparation notes to refer to
• I have visualized success!
 How to Prepare for an Interview

What Should You Wear to Your Interview

Business casual is an acceptable style of dress for most roles with the City, don’t overthink it!
Wear what makes you feel comfortable, and sets you up for success the day of your interview.

Behavioural Interview Questions

When interviewing for a position with the City of Vancouver, prepare to answer behavioural or
situational interview questions which ask you about your past experiences or particular scenarios.
The interviewers want to assess how you will perform in the future based on how you've
performed in the past. The best responses to these questions use the S.T.A.R. Method.

The STAR Method

The S.T.A.R. method is an interviewing technique that helps structure responses to behavioural
interview questions. This helps with interviewing skills and answering behavioural interview
questions by framing up your answers.

Situation Explain the situation

Task Explain your task or role

Action What action did you take?

Results What resulted from your actions?

Commonly Asked Interview Questions

• Why are you interested in this position?

• What is your understanding of this role?

• Describe your areas of strength in relation to the position.
 How to Prepare for an Interview

• Tell me about a project you were responsible for and how you kept it on track to

completion. What was the end result?

• What are your strongest interpersonal skills? Provide a couple of examples of how you’ve
used these skills.
• What is the most challenging assignment you’ve undertaken? What made it challenging?

What was the outcome?

• Describe a situation where you were overwhelmed and given another project. How did
you determine your priorities?

• Describe a situation where you were under pressure to make a decision without guidance

you would usually have sought from your supervisor.

• Tell me about a situation where you had to either adapt quickly or change abruptly. What

did you do? How did it affect you?

During the Interview

• We will provide an overview of the interview process before asking any questions,

including how many questions we will be asking. Please feel free to take your time to

think of a response and don’t hesitate to ask us any questions, we are happy to repeat

questions or skip one to come back to it later. Overall, we want to ensure you have the

space to share your knowledge and experience as it relates to the role.

• At the end of the interview we will allow time for you to ask any questions you may have
regarding the position, team and organization.
• Please be aware we only have the allotted time for your interview and need to stick to the

allotted time frame, please ensure your responses are detailed and concise.
 How to Prepare for an Interview

After the Interview

• Your recruiter will advise an approximate timeline of when you may hear back
• We will be in touch with an update on your application whether you are progressing or

not, for successful candidates we will reach out to advise next steps.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out should you have any questions!