15.6 – Work with Clients to Prepare for Employment Interviews

Purpose & Context

Career Development Professionals (CDPs) prepare clients for employment interviews to increase the client’s confidence, ability to articulate their value proposition, and ability to respond to behavioural and situational interview questions.CDPs inform clients that interviewers are not legally allowed to asks questions about country of origin and citizenship status (unless there is a legal requirement for citizenship for the particular job), religion, faith or creed, age, gender or sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, family status, marital status, or mental and physical disabilities. All employment questions must be relevant to the work that needs to be performed to ensure the hiring decision is non-discriminatory.CDPs perform mock interviews in person, online, or by phone, and coach clients to help them gain confidence and mitigate any concerns that employers may have.

Effective Performance

Competent career development professionals must be able to:

P1. Describe purpose and format of different employment interviews, such as:
- Networking meeting
- Screening interview
- Hiring interview
- Group interview
P2. Explain how to perform research prior to the interview, e.g. industry, company, job
P3. Explain types of questions asked during interviews, for example:
- Situational questions, e.g. “If –, then –?”
- Behavioural questions, e.g. “Tell me about a time when you…?”
- Illegal questions, e.g. “How old are you? Are you married? Do you have any children?”
- Open-ended questions, e.g. “Tell me about yourself.”
- Closed-ended questions, e.g. “Have you ever used a computer?”
P4. Formulate interview strategy:
- Present answer format, e.g. situation, tasks, action, results (STAR)
- Provide samples of responses
- Recommend answers relevant to the requirements of the job posting
- Review formulated answers
- Address client’s concerns, e.g. perceived barriers
P5. Describe how to present for an interview, e.g. attire, personal hygiene
P6. Conduct mock interview:
- Prepare interview questions based on job posting, résumé and cover letter
- Help client prepare responses, e.g. how to handle inappropriate or illegal questions
- Practice interview skills with client:
  - Record audio and video
  - Replay and assess videos with client
- Practice client’s delivery, e.g. tone, flow, level of comfort
P7. Prepare clients to negotiate compensation, for example:
- Conduct research to:
  - Identify appropriate compensation for the position, company, and industry
  - Identify the client’s own compensation requirements
- Consider aspects of compensation, e.g. salary, perquisites, benefits
- Prepare to phrase expected salary, if asked:
  - State expectation based on market rate, salary range, or grade level
- Request offer in writing
- Negotiate a mutually acceptable compromise
P8. Discuss performance after interview:
- Identify what went well and areas of improvements
- Select follow-up strategies, e.g. letter, phone call

Knowledge & Understanding

Competent career development professionals must know and understand:

K1. Competency-based selection interview best practices
K2. Human rights issues that often present in interviews, e.g. illegal questions
K3. Canadian human rights legislation and relevant human rights codes, e.g. human rights in the workplace

Contextual Variables

Competent career development professionals must be able to perform this competency in the following range of contexts:

Clients may present with significant barriers or issues, which can require unique interview strategies.

Clients must be trained and educated on human rights legislation and be prepared to identify any question that could potentially lead to discrimination, harassment and barriers to advancement and be prepared to respond effectively e.g. questions that contravene human rights legislation

Glossary & Key References

Terms

Industry-specific terms contained in the standard defined here, where applicable.

Value Proposition: is a message that a client can use to consistently communicate his or her promise of value to potential employers. Note this term originated as a marketing strategy to sell products to buyers. In career development, the client is considered “the product” and the employer “the buyer”.

Candidate: a person who is selected or nominated for screening, e.g. job, contract, credit

Information Sources and Resources for Consideration

Graham, Sharon. The Canadian Interview Strategist Study Guide. 5th edition. Career Professionals of Canada, Milton, Ontario, 2020.

Context Rating Scales

Criticality

Q: What is the consequence of a professional being unable to perform this skill according to the standard?

Minimal risk: SOMEWHAT CRITICAL

Frequency

Q: How frequent and under what conditions is this skill performed?

Occasionally, e.g. generally several times in a month

Level of Difficulty

Q: Under routine circumstances, how would you rate the level of difficulty in performing this skill?

Moderate difficulty or complexity

Time Required to Gain Proficiency

Q: What is the average length of time or number of repeated events that are minimally necessary for an individual to become proficient in performing the skill to the standard?

A competent career development professional requires a minimum of one year of experience with at least 40 different clients, representing a broad range of individuals.

Autonomy

Practitioners typically perform this competency without supervision, and alone.

Automation

It is somewhat likely that this competency will automate.

Requisite Work Aids, Tools, Equipment or Materials

None