What proves that your application has reached employers? A job interview means that your CV has impressed your recruiters and made them curious to meet you. This impression will have to be confirmed through an interview stage. But what kind of questions should you expect from your recruiters? It is not about having a sixth sense or reading in others’ heads; professional interview questions follow some classic investigations to learn how you can deal with situations and employ your skills and expertise.

Canadian Common Interview Questions:

Every job interview is a different occasion to select the right candidate. For job seekers, an interview is one of the stressful stages that any small mistake can prevent you from getting the job you want. Here are 7 Mistakes to Avoid During a Job Interview in Canada. One solution to control stressful occasions and avoid these mistakes is to prepare the common interview questions that employers use in every interview. Here is a list of the frequently asked questions by recruiters. Before your job interview:

• Make the necessary changes and put your own touch on the answers.
• Do not answer robotically and don’t give the impression of learning the prepared answers by heart.
• Try to be as natural as possible.

1. Tell me about yourself

"Tell me about yourself" or "can you introduce yourself?" This is one of the primary and classic questions that recruiters use to open the job interview. The goal is to introduce yourself professionally. In this situation, recruiters want to see how you describe yourself and how you behave. So, take the opportunity to describe your skills, talents, and your intention to get the job. For example, you can introduce yourself as follows:

My name is Tomas, and I am a Paralegal. I have been working in law firms for three years and online as a legal transcriptionist for 6 months. I have applied for this paralegal position through an online website called Fratres. I sent my CV and my cover letter two weeks ago. I didn’t expect to be invited here. I am interested in this position as it varies from my previous experience in terms of schedule and legal procedures.

Adding to this example, your answer should clearly explain your professional situation and the reasons that made you engaged in the job you have applied for. A lot of candidates make the mistake of talking too much in answering this question. Be concise and limit yourself to a response of 3 to 4 minutes.

2. What do you know about our company/ industry?

Recruiters are not waiting for you to list their company's history from when it was established and how. They are asking this question to see whether you know the general functioning of this company/ organization: its targets/ services/ field of operations etc. They are not also expecting you to name all the managers or tell them if you know any of them. This question is not about your links or network with anyone. It’s about your understanding of the missions, the services and products offered. So, try to structure your answer in a way that reflects your interest and appreciation for the sector, company, or organization.

3. Why do you want to work with us?

This question can also be asked as; why this job? The recruiter wants to know the reasons for your application and your real motivations. Your answer depends on your aims and goals to join the company. Is anything in the job that interests you? The missions of the job itself or its location and schedule? Show your interest in the job and what motivated you to apply. , make it clear that you want this particular job and no other position by giving specific reasons such as it’s your childhood dream to get this position. It is one of your achievements to get this particular job. In short, try to show how enthusiastic you are about the job, as recruiters are always looking for: a competent and enthusiastic candidate.

4. What can you bring to the company/ sector?

It also means, "why do you think you are the ideal candidate?" or "why should we hire you?"

The recruiter seeks to see how you would evaluate yourself as a candidate. Try to structure an answer showing that you meet the necessary requirements for the job. It would be best if you also showed that you have well read the job description and understood the requirements, and your experience and skills match the expected profile.

5. What are your major strengths?

This question is not an occasion for self-flattering. It is a way to describe your superpowers to employers; you can say; I can work under stress. I can manage time. I have excellent organizational skills, and you can mention the skills and abilities matching the position.

6. What are your major weaknesses?

This question is not about what you don't like about yourself. It is rather about self-criticism and how you can work to improve yourself. In any case, avoid mentioning a disadvantage that does not match the job, like being too shy for a front-office position. Here are; Actions for Improving Weaknesses

7. Why should we hire you after a career break?

If you are an applicant with a hole in a CV, you should expect this question. It would be best if you justified your absence from the professional field. Avoid the personal reasons that made you split from your previous jobs, such as childbirth, relocation, a family problem. Focus on the retaking projects you have worked on, training courses you have taken, or academic trips you have taken during your professional gap.

8. Why do you want to change your current job?

In this question, recruiters want to know the reasons which led you to look for another job and at the same time why you are applying for this position in particular. For example, you can answer like the following: I am changing my current job because I am looking for better opportunities to develop my skills, to have new responsibilities, to get closer to a particular city, and achieve a personal life balance.

Remember to avoid criticism about your old job, your colleagues, the type of management, or the workload.

9. Tell me about any accomplishment you are proud of?

It’s time to talk about your success story! The accomplishment in question should be professional such as being selected for a specific mission and thrived at overcoming the target of your previous company’s sales in a short time. All the achievements are possible. If you don’t have any work experience, you can talk about personal achievements, such as winning chess game competitions. Take a look at; 7 Best Jobs for Freshers in Canada

10. What is your biggest failure?

This question is the opposite of the previous one. The aim here is to what extent can you admit failure and talk about professional regrets? It is not a question of denigrating yourself. Your biggest failure can be buying a self-help book that didn’t help you a lot or being scammed online. It can be any negative experience. But the essential thing in your answer: you should convey the idea that you have learned from previous mistakes and become more aware of the consequences.

11. What is your professional plan?

This question allows recruiters to know if you have any future projects or plans or not. Although it’s not recommended to give all your secrets in one go, you should answer diplomatically. Like saying: my professional plan is to settle in ( name the city) and to get this current job. I will work on better integrating myself within the team and contribute positively to the field.

12. What would you do in case of being accepted?

This question is about how you would deal with approval. Of course, you will show happiness, motivation, and appreciation.

13. What would you do in case of being rejected?

By asking this question, recruiters want to see how you calculate the chances of being accepted and respond to the refusal. In this case, you can answer as follows: I would wish to get approval. But, in case of rejection, I will try to come back again with more developed motives to get selected next time.

14. Do you oppose to  any of our work policies:

This question is to evaluate your commitment to the rules and how do you see the working policies. You can structure a positive answer in which you show your agreement with the rules.

15. What are your salary expectations?

This is a tricky question in which recruiters want to see your financial expectations from the job. The perfect answer is not about giving any specific number. It is rather about showing recruiters that you trust in the company’s evaluation of your efforts and that you are sure that you will get a deserving salary.

These were the 15 common interview questions in Canada. Although these questions are general and not specific to any job, there are big chances to get some of them in your future interview.