Best Answers To Interview Questions In Canada (+Sample Questions)

If you’re looking for a job in Canada, you’ll likely be facing an interview at some point. And if you want to make sure the interview goes well and that you get the job, you’ll need to practice your interview answers ahead of time.

The interview question is one of the difficulties that job candidates face. There are several questions asked by companies, which get the candidates nervous. You might be questioned about your behaviour, personality, work habits, and plans for your professional life.

For your ease, this guide will cover

• The different interview questions in Canada
•  How to prepare for an interview
• Tips for answering questions
• Common mistakes during the interview

How To Prepare For A Job Interview In Canada?

Job interviews are nerve-wracking, but they don’t have to be. The key to a successful interview is preparation. You don’t have to be an expert on the company or the industry, but you need to know what the employer is looking for.

Here are some tips:

• Know the company and its mission. This will help you ask intelligent questions about the company and its culture during your interview.
• Prepare answers for basic interview questions. You should know how you’ll respond if asked about your strengths and weaknesses, why you’re interested in this job, if you read the job description thoroughly, and your most significant accomplishments, etc.
• Practice with a friend or family member who can give feedback on your responses. Ask them what questions they would ask if they were interviewing with you. Try it out!
• Do research information about each interviewer, such as name, job title and background, so when they introduce themselves during the interview, you can address them by name and use them again later in the conversation.

Tips On How To Answer Job Interview Questions

Interview questions aren’t always easy, but they’re worth it: The better prepared you are, the more likely you’ll get the job. Here are six tips on how to answer interview questions:

Know what kind of answers they’re looking for.

• Practice your answers beforehand to sound natural and relaxed.
• Don’t let nerves get in your way. Breathe deeply and stay calm.
• Think about how your answers will make you look positive in their eyes: for example, if you’re asked about your weakness or failure at work, focus on what you learned from it or how it made you more potent.
• Don’t lie! You’ll only get caught sooner or later and look like an idiot.
• Try to answer briefly and take time before you speak or answer specific questions about your personality and behaviour.
• Keep questioning or talking during your interview session; this will help to give better insight into the company and working environment.

Examples Of Job Interview Questions [With Tips On Answering]

It’s a time for you to make the best impression possible on your future employer and show them exactly why you’re the best fit for their company. 

But what if you need to know what questions to expect in an interview? Or how to answer them? No need to panic; we’ve got you covered!

Here are some common questions that hiring managers typically ask, along with tips on how to answer each one:

Most Common Questions

Here are some of the most common questions you may be asked in an interview and how to answer them.

Tell us about yourself.

This is a common first question in an interview. It’s designed to inform employers about your background and qualifications. Don’t give too much information or take too long; keep it brief, about 30 seconds, and talk about your strengths that relate to the position you’re interviewing for.

 Why should we hire you?

The interviewer wants to know why your skills and experience make you the best candidate for the job. If you’re interviewing for a position that requires a lot of technical knowledge, explain how your skills match their needs. If you’re applying for a sales position, highlight your success in previous sales roles.

What can you do for us?

The interviewer wants to know if this is the right company for you and vice versa. It would be best if you showed that you understand what they do and why they exist in their marketplace while conveying that they would be an ideal fit for your career goals and ambitions.

Why do you want this job?

A good response involves two main points: Your interest in the company’s mission, product, and service; and Why this particular job appeals to you over others available right now.

Why did you leave your last job?

This question might be asked when there were issues at your last company that could affect your performance at this one. 

Use this question as an opportunity to tell employers what you learned from that situation so that they see that even though things didn’t work out at your last job, it didn’t stop you from building on your skills and learning from the experience.

Personality-Based Questions

Personality-based questions are a great way to catch a glimpse of what kind of person you’re dealing with.

What has been your biggest failure?

Be honest and upfront about what happened; don’t sugarcoat anything! Employers want to know who they’re hiring; they want to know that they’re getting someone who will own up to their mistakes instead of blaming others or making excuses.

What do you think makes someone successful?

This is an opportunity for you to show off your knowledge of business etiquette and professional skills. Certain traits like honesty, hard work and enthusiasm are necessary for success.

What would you say about your personality?

You should be prepared for this question because it’s common among interviewers who want to know how well you’ll fit into their company culture. 

While the interviewer needs to understand your personality type, it’s equally vital for them to know whether or not their corporate culture will suit yours.

What are your strengths?

This question is designed to get you talking about something you’re proud of. It’s a good idea to spend some time thinking about it because you’ll want to ensure that what you say is accurate and relevant to the job at hand.

What are your weaknesses?

The best way to answer this question is by focusing on an area where you’re actively working on improving yourself — for example, “I’m always looking for new ways to improve my presentation skills.

Career Goals Questions

What are your career goals?

This question is meant to get a sense of your ambition, whether you’re looking to move up in the company, and your long-term goals. It’s also essential that you’re honest about your answers. 

What are your career goals for the next five years?

This is another popular ice-breaker question that gives interviewers insight into your ambition, work ethic, and career goals. You should always have an answer ready for this one, even if it’s just a general statement about wanting a leadership role or having more responsibility within your field.

How long do you plan to stay at your present company? 

If you’re being interviewed by an employer who asks this question, he may be concerned that he won’t be able to retain employees if they don’t see long-term opportunities with his company. This question should be answered as follows:

“I’m happy where I am now, but I want to move up within the company over time.”

What are the top five things you’d like to achieve in this role?

The first thing to remember is that this question is not intended to be a list of tasks but rather a list of accomplishments. 

You need to say that you want to build products or manage projects and tell them how you would do it. What will your contributions be? How will you set yourself apart from the other candidates?

Work Habits And Style Questions

Tell me about a time when you dealt with conflict on the job.

A question assesses your problem-solving skills and how well you deal with people. It could be a situation where you had to manage a difficult employee or resolve a dispute between two parties.

The key is to show that you can take the high road and resolve conflicts without getting emotional or losing your temper.

Tell me about a time when you had to work under pressure.

Explain how you managed that work without sacrificing quality or missing deadlines. The interviewer wants to see that you can think on your feet and solve problems quickly.

How would you describe yourself as a team member?

This question determines if you’re a team player or more likely to work independently. Give an example of when you have contributed to a successful team project and explain why you were able to do so.

How do you handle deadlines?

 Be prepared to discuss how you handle last-minute tasks and your attention to detail.

How do you deal with interruptions?

Some people are naturally good at separating their work from their personal life — if this describes you, say so! If not, don’t be afraid to admit that sometimes it’s hard to switch gears and leave work at work. 

Behavioral Job Questions

How have you handled ethical dilemmas at work?

This question is all about your judgment and decision-making skills. The interviewer wants to know how you react when faced with an ethical dilemma at work. They also want to know whether you can make the right decisions in a difficult situation.

How did you react when something didn’t go according to plan at work? In what way did you deal with it?

Answering this question will help the employer understand how well you adapt to change, deal with problems and handle pressure. 

How do you get motivation?

Motivation is a state of mind. Try to answer this question that shows your passion for your work, desire to improve yourself and your skill set, and desire to learn more about new technologies.

Other Possible Questions

1. What is your experience with answering typical job interview questions?
2. How do you balance work and family life?
3. Why did you leave your last job?
4. What do you know about our company?
5. Why do you want to work for us?
6. What’s the most important thing on your résumé?
7. How do you feel about teamwork?
8. What makes you the best person for this job?

Questions To Ask The Interviewer

When you go to an interview, there’s no doubt that you will be asked questions. But what if you could ask questions too?

Having a list of questions to ask can help you get the most out of the interview and ensure that you are the right fit for the job.

Here are some questions to consider when preparing your list:

1. How will this role contribute to the overall success of the company? What goals does it have? How can you contribute?
2. How often do they plan on checking in with you during your first few weeks or months on the job?
3. What’s the culture like? Do people work hard or play hard?
4. What challenges does the company face? How will we address them?
5. What qualities do you look for in new hires?
6. How do you envision my first few months on the job?
7. Before starting work, can we set up an orientation session so I can familiarize myself with systems and processes?
8. What benefits does this position offer?
9. Are there any opportunities for cross-training or on-the-job training?
10. What kind of training will I receive?

Star Method In Answering Interview Questions

STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, and Results. It’s a great way to answer behavioral interview questions that ask you to describe a specific situation and your actions in it.

Here’s how to use the STAR technique to answer interview questions:

Situation: Describe a situation where you had to manage a conflict or difficult situation with a colleague or customer.

Task: What was the goal of the situation? What did you do to achieve it? How did you complete this task? What were the results?

Action: What action did you take? What was your role in making this decision? Did anyone else have a hand in making this decision? Why or why not?

Result: What was the result of your actions and decisions? Did everything go as planned? If not, why not, and what went wrong or what could be done better next time?

How To Answer The Question Of “Your Biggest Weakness”?

During an interview, you are likely going to be asked this question. The interviewer wants to see how well you can handle pressure and how honest you are. If you answer this question incorrectly, it could cost you the job.

The key to answering the question of “your biggest weakness” is to consider your weaknesses and how they will impact your ability to do the job.

You must ensure that your answer focuses on something other than a negative quality or trait that would prevent you from doing the job effectively.

Here are some great suggestions below:

• Be honest and open; There is no point in lying about it, so be honest and say that you have weaknesses just like everyone else does. So, don’t attempt to spin or sugarcoat your weaknesses as strengths. This may come back to haunt you later in the process if they find out what you said isn’t true.
• Talk about a specific weakness that has been corrected through improvement or training at work or school, then explain how you’ve addressed it and improved over time.
• Explain how you can overcome any weaknesses: Just like everyone else has weaknesses, so do you too. The key to overcoming these weaknesses is continuous learning and improving daily by reading books, attending seminars, etc. 
• Give an example of when you had to overcome a weakness: This will help explain what happened without mentioning your exact weakness directly in case other people present have yet to learn about it!

Check Out What’s Your Biggest Weakness? (5 Top Scoring Answers!)

Common Job Interview Mistakes

The job interview is your opportunity to sell yourself to a hiring manager. You want them to like you and hopefully even like you enough that they want to hire you.

Here is some common mistakes job seekers make during interviews that can tank their chances of landing a job:

Being Under-Confident

Many people go into interviews too nervous and need more confidence, which can lead them to answer questions clearly and entirely. To avoid this problem, practice your responses beforehand and learn more about the company so that you come prepared with answers to common interview questions.

Being Over-Confident

On the other hand, some people go into interviews overly confident and don’t prepare as much as they should or give thoughtful answers instead of just saying what they think their interviewer wants to hear.

Ensure you are prepared for common questions and avoid giving simple one-word responses. 

Rambling

When an interviewer asks a question, they want a concise answer. If they ask you about your strengths, they only want to hear an entire list of the things that make up your strengths. Answers should be detailed but concise. 

No Examples

Many interviewers will ask you to describe something you’ve done that demonstrates your skills and abilities. But if you can’t think of anything, it’s a sign that you have yet to learn much about the company or the job.

Being Unprofessional

Don’t exaggerate your experience or skills on your resume or in the interview — it’ll come back to haunt you later when someone checks with previous employers or colleagues who will notice that your claims don’t match up with reality.

Obvious Exaggeration

Suppose you exaggerate your accomplishments or skills during an interview. In that case, the interviewer will catch on quickly and call out any inconsistencies which can make you look dishonest. 

Instead of trying to oversell yourself, stick with the truth and highlight what makes you stand out from other candidates without embellishing too much.

Being Underprepared

When it comes to interviews, preparation is critical. You want to make sure that you know everything there is to know about the company and the role before you even step foot into the building.

You should also be prepared with questions that demonstrate your interest in the position and that you’ve done your homework on what they’re looking for in a candidate.

Lack Of Passion

If you don’t seem passionate about the job or company, that’s a major red flag for any interviewer. They want to know that you are excited about working with them and that you will make their lives easier.

Filling The Silence

The worst thing you can do during an interview is to leave silence in the conversation. This makes you look like you have nothing to say, which is not what you want to convey. If there’s silence, fill it out by asking questions about the company or the position.

Demanding Pay/Perks Upfront

Employers are only obligated to give details about salary or benefits once they make an offer, so only ask about them if they bring them up first. This can come across as being too pushy or entitled, which isn’t what employers want in an employee!

FAQs

Conclusion

Regarding your career, the interview process is a vital part of the journey. You’ve put in the hard work, and you’re ready to get hired by a company that will appreciate your talents and skills. But before you can get there, you must ace the interview process.

And that means knowing how to answer unexpected interview questions and be prepared for any situation that might arise during an interview.

This guide has covered all the bases: from preparing yourself mentally and physically to knowing what questions will be asked and how to answer them best or respond with a question. With this information under your belt, you’ll be ready for anything!