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Coaching Your Mentee for Job Interviews

This guide will help mentors support their mentees as they prepare for job interviews in Canada. Each section covers a key part of the interview process, with suggestions on how you can guide your mentee through common challenges.

1. Building a Common Understanding

Start by discussing the differences between job interviews in Canada and in your mentee’s home country. Ask them about their past interview experiences and any challenges they faced.

  • Share your own experiences with job interviews in Canada.
  • Highlight what will be familiar and what may be different for your mentee, such as common pre-screening practices and types of interview questions.

2. Understanding the Interview Process

Pre-screening

  • Personality or Motivation Assessments: Explain the purpose of these assessments. Encourage your mentee to be authentic rather than trying to guess what the employer wants.
  • Email Questionnaires: Offer to proofread responses and advise your mentee on how much detail to include.
  • Phone Interviews: Practice mock phone interviews to help them build confidence, as phone interviews can be challenging without non-verbal cues.

3. Best Practice 1: Prepare for Success

Preparation is key to a successful interview. Guide your mentee through researching the company and crafting thoughtful questions to ask during the interview.

  • Encourage them to review their notes on the organization and position.
  • Discuss salary expectations and when to bring up this topic if asked.
  • Practice mock interviews, focusing on questions specific to the role and company.

4. Best Practice 2: Create a Powerful Story

Teach your mentee to use the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to create concise, impactful stories that highlight their skills and achievements.

  • Encourage them to prepare 5-7 stories related to core skills needed for the job.
  • Review their stories together to ensure clarity and relevance.

5. Best Practice 3: Body Language

Body language expectations can vary widely across cultures. Help your mentee understand typical Canadian body language cues for interviews, such as eye contact, handshakes, and posture.

  • Discuss how body language in Canada may differ from what they’re used to.
  • Practice common gestures and non-verbal cues to help them feel more comfortable.

6. Best Practice 4: Reflect on Interview Experiences

Reflection is key to improving interview skills. After each interview, encourage your mentee to think about what went well and what could be improved.

  • Ask questions like: “What did you think went well?” and “What was challenging?”
  • Help them identify areas for growth, such as responses to difficult questions.

7. Best Practice 5: Send Appreciation

Encourage your mentee to send a thank-you note after the interview. This can leave a positive impression and keeps communication open for future opportunities.

  • Discuss what to include in a thank-you note.
  • Encourage them to thank each interviewer individually if they met with a panel.